On September 18, 1940, a young fair goer looked up amazed as he was awarded his carnival game prizes. He had won two inflatable bunny balloons, almost as big as himself. The unidentified boy was one of 42,500 people attending the 41st annual Western Washington Fair in Puyallup on Tacoma Day. In 1940, the fair ran from September 16 - 22nd. TPL-9803

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950;

A crowd is pictured on the midway at the 1940 Western Washington Fair at Puyallup. Busily turning are the Ferris Wheel, Tilt-A-Whirl, Merry-Go-Round and an airplane ride. In addition, people stand in line to take their turn at the games. The midway was ten acres, filled with over 25 rides plus side shows and carnival attractions. (T. Times 9/16/1940, pg. 1; 9/19/1940, pg. 1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Crowds; Amusement rides--Puyallup--1940-1950;

On September 18, 1940, five year old Barbara Madsen, left, and her sister Marilyn, 7, of Tacoma enjoy a visit at the Western Washington Fair with Chief Sky Eagle of Michigan. The girls are out of school for Tacoma Day at the Fair. Each year, Tacoma's students were given a day off to enjoy the exhibits and other attractions at the fair. Chief Sky Eagle sits cross legged on a hay bale explaining to the two blonde youngsters the workings of his bow and arrows. (T. Times 9/19/1940 p.1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Madsen, Barbara; Madsen, Marilyn;

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Spectators watching man attempting to ring bell with large mallet, hammer. Test-your-strength carnival games were very popular among fairgoers.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Carnival games--Puyallup;

Sunset Electric Company presented a display of Frigidaire appliances at the 1952 Puyallup Fair featuring several sizes of refrigerator, an electric water heater, washer and dryer, a mandrel ironing machine, electric stoves, and an institutional sized milk cooler. A large sign over the washer and dryer announced, "Leisure Laundry."

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Exhibit booths--Puyallup; Appliances; Refrigerators; Washing machines; Irons (Pressing); Stoves--Puyallup; Water heaters;

Junior Red Cross Booth at Puyallup Fair, American Red Cross, Mrs. Thomson. Four teenagers are inside the booth and are ready to answer questions about their program and display.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Exhibitions--Puyallup--1940-1950;

Puyallup Fair, Tacoma Day, Times, Burt McMurtrie. The Puyallup Fair opened September 13, 1947 . Wednesday September 17th was officially declared Tacoma Day. Tacomans tossed business and household cares aside to attend the fair. The Tacoma schools closed to make it possible for the youngsters of the city to attend. This boy and girl are enjoying a ride on the Ferris wheel. (T.Times, 9/17/1947, p.1) TPL-9805

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Children--Puyallup--1940-1950; Ferris wheels--Puyallup;

Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair, Puyallup. View of crowd walking around littered fairgrounds. Two women, in center, wear tiny prize-type straw hats. Sign on building "See Tacoma 50 years ago." (T. Times)

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);

Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair, Puyallup. A rider allows two young boys to hold a horse's bridle rope. Barns, automobiles and a Puyallup Laundry truck in background.

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Horses--Puyallup;

Over 56,000 people flocked to the Westen Washington Fair in Puyallup on Tacoma Day in September of 1937. Three little visitors, Tommy Veale and Bobby Glover of Bremerton and Patricia Ruth Gray of Tacoma were given instructions by attendant Clayton Osborne on how to drive a toy fire engine on the canvas-top, merry-go-round auto ride.

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Merry-go-rounds--Puyallup; Veale, Tommy; Glover, Bobby; Gray, Patricia Ruth; Osborne, Clayton;

Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair, Puyallup. View of capacity crowd in grandstand. Designated fair days encouraged citizens to set record-breaking attendance for their city. On Tacoma Day, over 56,000 attended, handily beating Seattle's 26,000+ on their Day. Schoolchildren got the day off to attend and have fun. (T. Times, 9/23/27 p. 1)

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Spectators--Puyallup; Grandstands--Puyallup;

As always, on Tacoma Day in 1937, food was a major part of the fun at the Puyallup Fair. The teenage and pre-teen students enjoying ice cream bars at a fair concession stand are (l to r) Lief Washburn, Shirley Hamblin, Beverly Anderson, Marjorie Duskie (the tall girl behind Beverly), Geraldine Anderson and Frances Alexander. The girl at the far right in the print dress was not identified. The turnstile registered over 56,000 fair goers on Tacoma Day, September 22, 1937 at the Western Washington Fair. (T.Times, 9/23/1937, p.1)

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Washburn, Lief; Hamblin, Shirley; Anderson, Beverly; Duskie, Marjorie; Anderson, Geraldine; Alexander, Frances;

Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair, Puyallup. Paul Brachard, Tarzan in films, holds two children in his arms at the fair's "joy zone" where he's appearing as a wrestler. (T. Times, 9/23/1937, p.1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Actors--Puyallup; Brachard, Paul;

Western Washington Fair grandstand. The Tacoma Federal Band plays a musical piece directed by Joe Rausch during the 1938 Tacoma Day at the fair.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Grandstands--Puyallup; Tacoma Federal Band (Tacoma);

Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Wide angle view of fairgrounds showing amusement area. Grand Whip ride on left and Auto Shooter building on right. Large crowd, more rides, fair buildings, and Puyallup residential area in background.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);

A crowd views exhibits in one of the many halls at the 1940 Puyallup Fair. In the background are advertising posters by Bone Dry Shoes.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Crowds;

On Tacoma Day, September 18,1940, at the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup, a large crowd has gathered in the midway area.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Crowds; Amusement rides--Puyallup--1940-1950;

Crowds filled the midway on September 18th for Tacoma Day at the 1940 Puyallup Fair. While some fairgoers waited their turn to ride the swings or the "Pretzel," others took a chance at one of the games of luck or skill. The 41st annual Western Washington Fair in Puyallup had a midway of 10 acres, crowded with every type of ride, side show and carnival attraction. The fair ran from September 16-22 but the highlight for most Tacomans was Wednesday, September 18th, when 42,500 of them passed through the gates.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Crowds; Amusement rides--Puyallup--1940-1950;

Look Mom - No hands! The boys in the front car of the wooden roller coaster at the 1940 Puyallup Fair released the security bar as they plummeted down one of the big drops on the thrilling ride. The roller coaster was just one of more than 25 rides on the 10 acre midway of the 41st annual Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. On September 18,1940, Tacoma Day at the fair, local school kids were out for the day and ready for some heart pounding action. TPL-2541 (T. Times 9/16/1940, pg. 1; 9/19/1940, pg. 1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Roller coasters; Amusement rides--Puyallup--1940-1950;

1941 Western Washington Fair at Puyallup. A little girl with ringlets, cradled in a man's arms, seems unimpressed with the doll on a stick being shown to her by a fair vendor. The man is smiling although the child is not. (T. Times)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Girls--Puyallup--1940-1950; Dolls;

1941 Western Washington Fair at Puyallup. These children had a special treat while at the Western Washington Fair on September 18, 1941, as they circled a ring on ponies as parents and other family members looked on. (T.Times)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Ponies--1940-1950;

Mr. Chilson presented a huge display of dahlias at the Puyallup Fair in 1948. The flower types range from cactus to ball, anemone, water lily, pompon and decorative. The bouquets are arranged in baskets, vases and pots.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Agricultural exhibits--Puyallup--1940-1950; Flowers--Puyallup--1940-1950; Bouquets;

Fair booth, windows and overall, Carstens Packing Company, Mr. White. Carstens provided a large window display at the Puyallup Fair with labels for all the meats and cuts of meats shown. The two middle panels feature the processed foods made by the company: hot dogs, sausages, summer sausages and canned beef and gravy, corned beef hash, and chili con carne. The company advertised having locations in Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Meat; Meat cutting--Tacoma; Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Window displays;

Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair, Puyallup. A young man attempts to ring the bell at a "Test Your Strength" game at the fair. People in the crowd watch the marker rise on the scale. Over 50,500 people were in attendance on September 22, 1937, the designated Tacoma Day.

Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);

On September 22, 1937, Isabel Smitley, with her husband Tacoma Mayor George Smitley decorated the winning race horse "Premier Jim" and congratulated his jockey in the winner's circle at the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. The horse had just won the afternoon's feature event, the one-mile "Mayor Smitley" race for previous non-winning 3 year olds. They were posed on the grandstand grass during Tacoma Day at the Fair. (T. Times 9/23/37 p.1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Horses--Puyallup; Race horses; Horse racing--Puyallup;

During Tacoma Day at the Western Washington Fair. Boy Scouts perform a first aid exercise in the infield of the grandstand . (T. Times 9/22/1938, p. 1)

Events - Fairs - Washington State - Puyallup - Western Washington Fair Organizations - Youth Organizations - Boy Scouts of America

Western Washington Fair grandstand. During the 1938 Tacoma Day at the fair, 49,690 people walked through the gates. Fifteen thousand people packed the grandstand to the point of sitting on the concrete stairs for shows and races. (T. Times, 9/22/38, p. 1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1930-1940; Grandstands--Puyallup; Spectators--Puyallup;

Fifteen hundred cheering horse race enthusiasts packed the grandstands at the 39th Western Washington Fair on September 21, 1938. There were six races held daily throughout the run of the Puyallup Fair. The 21st was Tacoma Day. By 1 p.m. over 20,000 fair goers had passed through the turnstiles. The official attendance tally for the day was 49,690.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Racetracks (Horse racing)--Puyallup; Horse racing--Puyallup; Jockeys; Horses; Grandstands--Puyallup;

Carnation Company booth at Western Washington Fair in Puyallup.

Events - Fairs - Washington State - Puyallup - Western Washington Fair

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Wide angle view of fairgrounds showing capacity crowds in the amusement area with wooden buildings in background.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);