County Fair Guide

The Oldest Fairs in Alaska

Alaska's oldest fair is the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks, running since 1924 — twelve years before the Alaska State Fair launched in Palmer in 1936, and thirty-five years before Alaska became a state in 1959. The Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines (1969) rounds out the state's oldest fairs. Here are Alaska's fairs with the longest documented histories.

  1. 1
    Tanana Valley State FairFairbanks, Alaska
    Est. 1924August

    The Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks is a five-day early-August celebration on the Tanana River, the Interior Alaska fair showcasing the extraordinary produce grown under the midnight sun and the hardy spirit of Alaska's second-largest city. First held in 1924, it has been a Alaska agricultural tradition for over a century.

  2. 2
    Alaska State FairPalmer, Alaska
    Est. 1936August

    The Alaska State Fair in Palmer is an 18-day late-August and Labor Day celebration in the Matanuska Valley, Alaska's premier annual fair drawing over 300,000 visitors to the fertile farmland of the Mat-Su Valley for giant vegetables, world-class entertainment, and the spirit of the Last Frontier. Established in 1936, the fair has brought Alaska communities together for generations.

  3. 3
    Southeast Alaska State FairHaines, Alaska
    Est. 1969July

    The Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines is a four-day late-July celebration on Lynn Canal, the premier fair for the Inside Passage communities of Southeast Alaska's spectacular fjord-and-mountain country. Founded in 1969, it has grown into a beloved annual event for the region.

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