Building memories at Puyallup’s Spring Fair

Elephant ears are frying, potbelly pigs are racing, and Puyallup is alive for the Washington State Spring Fair.

Karen LaFlamme, with the Washington State Fair, said what really makes it special aren’t just caramel apples and roller coasters – although that helps – it’s the people who come out.

“I love to see families wandering through, creating memories that they’ll have for a lifetime,” LaFlamme said. “There’s just nothing more priceless than seeing families bond.”

Visitors can expect the usual rides and food stalls, but the fair also boasts a new Fun on the Farm petting zoo where kids can learn about life on the farm and even how to milk a faux cow.

There will also be plenty of live entertainment and a rubber duckie scavenger hunt. Don’t be surprised if, when you walk through the gates, you’re greeted by a giant, smiling, very yellow inflatable rubber duck.

There’s also Swifty Swine Racing, where pot belly pigs run around a track, all in hopes of winning an Oreo cookie.

Zach Johnson, keeper of the Oreos and caretaker of the speedy pigs, compared the races to NASCAR.

“We’ve got some baby pot belly pigs,” Johnson said. “We’ve got big pot belly pigs. We’ve got Brad Pigg, Kevin Bacon, Kim Kardashingham, and all the rest of them. You have to come check them out.”

Maybe it’s all this good weather or maybe it’s because the weekend is here, but people at the Fair Grounds are in high spirits.

It’s probably safe to say memories, like the ones LaFlamme made with her own family years ago, are being made at the fair.

“It was then called the Puyallup Fair,” she said. “My dad would take me, not my sisters, just me. It was our tradition every year … we just loved it. Even up until his death, we talked about how wonderful it was.”

The Washington State Spring Fair in Puyallup runs through Sunday, April 19.