Puyallup Fair changing name to Washington State Fair

The Puyallup Fair wraps up a 17-day run on Sunday for the last time with that name. Next year, the fair will be called the Washington State Fair. (AP Photo/file)

The Puyallup Fair wraps up a 17-day run on Sunday for the last time with that name. Next year the fair will be called the Washington State Fair.

“This is going to break some hearts if we don’t hear this jingle much longer” says Ross and Burbank guest host David Boze. “You can do it a trot. You can do it a gallop. You can do it real slow so you heart won’t palpitate,” Boze sings, nostalgic.

“I actually think this is a good thing,” says co-host Shawn Stewart. “I think it encompasses the entire state, it’s more reflective of what the fair is. It is the Washington State Fair. It’s for everyone, not just South Sounders.”

Boze points out there’s already a “state fair” in Washington, the Evergreen State Fair and things might get confusing.

“Which State Fair, the Evergreen State or Washington State Fair?”

He says it seems marketers sometimes do re-branding for re-branding’s sake and he doesn’t want to see this change negatively impact the Puyallup Fair’s legacy.

“What I just fear is a slow erosion of the Puyallup identity,” says Boze. “How many times have we come across something like a new Coke, where you’ve got a perfectly good brand and then they say, ‘you know what we need to change it up. We need to really make things extra mod and hip, then they ditch the things that kind of made you fall in love with the Puyallup to start with.'”

Stewart says the name change is likely not just a creative re-branding, but they see benefits to a “state fair” name that perhaps indicates a broader audience. She says many big musical acts aren’t familiar with Puyallup.

“They can’t even pronounce the name Puyallup. They’re like ‘where am I playing?’ They feel like it’s some sort of small town, rinky-dink little fair, which it is absolutely not. Over 1 million people come to our fair.”

Fair spokeswoman Karen LaFlamme says they will keep its “Do the Puyallup” slogan for its identity and marketing. But what about the song?

“We must protect the song from the slow erosion that will take place with this change to the Washington State Fair,” says Boze.

Stewart says she thinks they should drop the song, and drop the Puyallup altogether, make a clean break.

“I think you have to commit. You have to go full force ahead with it’s the ‘Washington State Fair,’ commit to that. I’m afraid that song is just going to have to go into the annals of time.”

The song was already cut short in the 2012 fair ad. “You can do it at a trot. You can do it at a gallop.” No mention of doing it slow so your heart don’t palpitate. Has the erosion already begun?

Listen to hear David Boze sing Puyallup Fair song:

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor
The Associated Press contributed to this report.