Foundation Projects & Programs

The Washington State Fair Foundation is pleased to present over $111,000 in scholarship opportunities to students residing in Washington State this year.

The Blue Ribbon Scholarship Program is made possible by the generosity of the Foundation's donors. Since the inception of the program, over $1,200,000 in awards have been distributed to students. In addition to the endowed scholarships set up by donor families, the program is primarily supported by an annual auction. The 21st annual Round Up Auction is scheduled for Friday, August 2, 2019. Please contact the Foundation office at 253-841-5120 for more information about joining us at the event and/or supporting the effort with the donation of an auction item.

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Engaging Children in Agriculture Through Play

Thank you to all of our generous donors that helped make The Farm at SillyVille a reality! The Washington State Fair Foundation was able to fund this amazing $3 million dollar project and open it to the public in September 2018!

The Farm at SillyVille is Washington’s food and farming story: a free, exciting, hands-on exhibit at the Washington State Fair that connects kids and families to our state’s agriculture industry, the farmers that produce the food we eat and the connection to healthy eating choices.

Thanks to the generous support of our community, we've packaged the magic of the Fair Farm to deliver a hands-on field trip experience that comes to the school! Not long ago children might have been exposed to farming and agriculture through a field trip to a farm or The Fair, but most schools no longer have the resources to send children on such enriching experiences. The Traveling Farm answers these challenges with its custom built, 48-foot tractor-trailer which houses 14 interactive learning stations and visits schools throughout the Puget Sound at no cost to students, schools or districts.

We reinvented our current Fair Museum by creating a History Experience and working towards a goal of $1.1 million dollars for this project. The Fair History Experience will be a permanent exhibit showcased during the Washington State Fair in September and Spring Fair in April.

The primary focus of the History Experience is to celebrate the rich history of the Washington State Fair and it local community. The current museum is housed in a stand alone building, approximately 3,000 square feet, on the southeast end of the grounds. It consists of several glass display cases, large artifact areas and a center display for special topics or exhibits. The Fair would like to reimagine the Museum as an interactive, story-telling exhibit of the Fair, showcasing its connection to the state and its people. It will be relocated to another building on the fairgrounds, gaining an additional 2,900 square feet. This relocation also allows for the future possibility to open it to the public on a year-round basis.

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The Fair has showcased sows and piglets for decades, and the popularity of the feature continues to grow. In the spring of 2013, the Foundation launched a mini-campaign to fund a new home for the piglets and sows. Thanks to donors from our Rock the Roller Coaster event, guests of the Washington State Fair can see live births and newborn piglets in a brand new barn at the south end of the grounds. With four video monitors, the adorable squeals and pig faces are more accessible than ever before - even on the busiest of days. We look forward to seeing you at Piglet Palace!

The spring campaign of 2014 focused on creating a common green space in front of the Classic Coaster. Our wooden coaster has been an icon since the 1930's and the Foundation was pleased to work with donors to beautify the area in front of this Fair favorite. Next time you visit, be sure to stop at the park - whether to rest your feet, get a great view of the timeless thrill ride, or enjoy a picnic.