FAQS
The fairgrounds are located just an hour’s drive north of Anchorage at mile 40 on the Glenn Highway. Our address is 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer, Alaska 99645.
Once at the Fair there are four entrance gates. Three gates, the Purple, Red and Yellow, have parking areas. The fourth, the Green Gate, serves as a drop-off and pick-up zone, and as the depot for the Fair Train. Access is from the Inner Springer Road at the north end of the fairgrounds and no parking fee is required to access the entrance area to the Green Gate.
This year’s Fair will take place August 16 through September 2. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hours: 11am – 10pm | Closed at 8pm on Labor Day
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Located in the south end of Raven Hall, Family Rest Stops offer a quiet place to breastfeed, change diapers, or simply let the little ones play or rest away from the noise and activity of the Fair. Raven Hall Rest Stop is provided by Alaska Family Services.
If you purchase admission by August 15 online:
Advance Daily: $16 adults, $11 youth/senior
If you purchase admission after August 15:
Daily: $19 adults, $14 youth/senior
Note: Adults are ages 13 – 64, Youth are 6 – 12, Senior are 65+.
No, you will need to buy your admission ticket before you arrive or purchase at one of the four gates in order to get into the Fair for a concert or Grandstand event. More information on this topic is included individual ticketed event and concert ticketing detail section.
Babes-in-arms (2 & under) are admitted for free to the concert; children aged 3 and up must have a concert ticket.
During the Fair, concert tickets may also be purchased on the fairgrounds at the ConocoPhillips Borealis Box Office, across from the ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre
The discounts are available to purchase up to the day before the Fair, but we still have a lot of opportunities to save once the Fair begins! Admission tickets are available on our website (convenience fees apply). You can also purchase admission tickets on the fairgrounds.
Carnival Ride tickets are distributed by Golden Wheel Amusements, not the Fair. To purchase carnival ride tickets please visit their website goldenwheelamusements.com
There are several other ways to save and you can view them all on the Deals and Discounts page.
The ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre is an open-air theatre; shows take place rain or shine.
Both entrance gates open approximately one and a half hours prior to the show. We encourage concert-goers to arrive early to make it through the security scan. Please check concert bag policy here.
Personal chairs, professional grade cameras, cameras with detachable lenses and recording devices are strictly prohibited in the ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre. Please check prohibited items here.
There are 2 entry gates to the theatre; a “wet” gate directly into the alcohol consumption areas and a “dry” gate accessible by all ages. If you enter through the “dry” gate, you may cross into the “wet” area once you’re inside the theatre. To access any area with alcohol consumption, including entering through the “wet” gate, you must be 21 or over and present a valid photo ID, or be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and present a valid photo ID.
No. Pets are NOT allowed on the fairgrounds. Service animals are permitted to assist disabled guests and are defined by the ADA as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Dogs that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effect of disability, including dogs that are used for emotional support, are NOT service animals. For more information, please refer to www.ada.gov.
Visiting the vendor area on our website is a great place to start. You may also contact the Fair vendor and exhibits manager at 907-746-7159 or emailing [email protected]. Please note that the deadline for food vendor applications for the 2024 Fair has already passed.
Non-food vendor applications and the vendor handbook are available on the website.
You can bring food and non-alcoholic beverages to the Fair, as well as coolers. However, items are subject to inspection at the front gates.
Lost children are taken to the Security Building. This building is located on the Green Trail, southwest of the Borealis Theatre, next to the public restroom and the ATM.
There are ATM locations inside the fairgrounds:
Between the Green and Red Trail, next to the Corral.
Located on the Green Trail between the restrooms and the Plaza Souvenir Booth.
Inside Raven Hall, on the left side of the back wall.
ATMs, as well as other venues and points of interest, are clearly marked on the Fair map, available on the Fair Map web page or in the daily schedule, which may be picked up at the kiosks inside the Fair walk-in gates.
Lost items are claimed at the Security Building (#11 on the Fair map). This building is located on the Green Trail, southwest of the Borealis Theatre, next to the public restroom and the ATM. Please note that the Fair keeps all lost items for one month after the Fair. After that the unclaimed items are donated to charitable organizations.
The Emergency Services Building is also located on the Green Trail, southwest of the Borealis Theatre, between the ATM and the public restrooms.
All of these buildings are clearly marked on the Fair map, available on the Fair website or in the daily schedule, which may be picked up at the kiosks inside the Fair walk-in gates.
You can bring your own strollers or wheelchairs to the Fair. You can also rent wheelchairs, electric scooter, wagons and strollers from the vendors below:
Alaska Mobility 907-244-3550 Renting: Wheel chairs, electric scooters
Kiddie Limo 907243-5500 or 907-310-6760 Renting: Strollers, wheel chairs, wagons
To find out what’s going on each day of the Fair, pick up a daily schedule at the kiosks located just inside the Fair walk-in gates. In addition to event information, these schedules include a map of the fairgrounds showing the location of event venues as well as ATMs, restrooms, designated smoking areas, security and first aid areas.
On the web? “Like” us on Facebook to get the latest updates and find all the daily schedule under our “Notes” page or visit our website.
Got a smartphone? Get the daily schedule on your phone by downloading a QR Code Reader and then scanning the code displayed at the schedule kiosks just inside the Purple, Yellow and Red Gates. This interactive mobile guide features the Fair daily schedule, with detailed event listings, as well as concert info, an interactive map, food guide, rides guide, venue descriptions and more!
Results are usually posted on our website within 48 hours of judging.
Find out everything you need to know about entering an exhibit in the Exhibitor Guide.
The following organizations are the best resources for visitor information and services near the Fair:
Palmer Chamber of Commerce: 907-745-2880
www.palmerchamber.org
www.matsuavailablty.com
Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau: 907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Yes. The Fair is private property.
Handicapped-accessible parking is available at the Red, Yellow and Purple Lots, which offer the closest entrance to the fairgrounds. See the Fair Map on our website for more information.
Free WiFi is available on site in Raven Hall, provided by MTA.
Please check our Borealis bag policy here.
We have 24-hour security and EMTs on the fairgrounds. Security personnel patrol the grounds and can also be found in the Security Building (#6 on the Fair map), located southwest of the Borealis Theatre on the Green Trail. For more information, view the map on our website.
The Alaska State Fair Parade is in downtown Palmer. Parade float entry applications and parade rules are available on the City of Palmer’s website. Complete the application 2024 Alaska State Fair Parade Application
Convenience fees are charged by online ticket box offices like Ticketmaster, StubHub, eTix, etc. Convenience fees are standard in the industry. That’s how online ticket box offices earn revenue to operate and offer their services. It’s important to note that the Fair is not charging this fee as a source of revenue; we only receive a small percentage to cover the credit card fees charged by financial institutions.
Prior to August you can purchase concert and event tickets by phone or in person at our main office with no fees.
Prior to the Fair during TBA you can purchase tickets at the Pass Office on the Fairgrounds by phone 907.746.7178 or in person with no convenience fees.
During the Fair you can purchase concert tickets at the ConocoPhillips Borealis Box Office on the fairgrounds with no convenience fees.
During the Fair you can purchase Grandstand event tickets at the Grandstand Box Office on the fairgrounds with no convenience fees.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide refunds or exchanges, as is declared on the bottom of every ticket issued.
Yes. There are spots available for RV and Tent camping at the fairgrounds.
Please note that the camping area does not offer electricity, water or a dump station, and BBQs, open fires and pets are not allowed.
We ask that you not bring the following items on to Fair property:
Firearms, knives or weapons of any kind
Animals (except for service dogs)
Alcoholic beverages
Bicycles, scooters, roller blades, roller skates or skateboards
Solicitation materials (and please refrain from soliciting or you will be removed from the Fair grounds)
We also ask that you please refrain from smoking; including e-cigarettes, except in designated areas.
You can pick up all will call admission and concert tickets at the Green Gate, which is located outside of the Fair gates. Concert tickets may also be picked up at the Kendall Toyota Borealis Box Office, located inside the Fair gates.
Green Gate:
To access the Green Gate, turn in by the Purple Gate (gate closest to Palmer) and follow the road paralleling the fairgrounds to the Green Gate. There is a small area to park in for a max of 30 minutes while you pick up your tickets. After you get your tickets, you may continue on to park in the Red Parking Lot or turn and go back onto the Glenn Highway.
Borealis Box Office:
You’ll find the ConocoPhillips Borealis Box Office on the Green Trail, across from the Borealis Theatre.
For more information, view the map on our website.
Fairgoers who don’t want to drive can choose to ride the Valley Mover Bus to the fairgrounds. Comments or questions can be directed to Alaska Railroad and can be contacted on their website alaskarailroad.com
The Fair is committed to increasing accessibility at the fairgrounds, and we work closely with Access Alaska. Questions may be directed to:
David Barton
ADA Partners Project Coordinator
907-248-4777 ext. 206
[email protected]
We also invite you to read more about our accessibility improvement projects on our blog.
All of us at the Fair LOVE animals but the fairgrounds are no place for pets. The Alaska State Fair is committed to the use of service animals by our guests with disabilities.The ADA states, “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” SERVICE animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as SERVICE animals under the ADA. SERVICE animals play an important role in ensuring the independence of people with disabilities, and it is the Fair’s policy to welcome any animal that is individually trained to assist a person with a disability. For everyone’s safety we ask that you leave your pets at home that includes comfort animals (Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), and Therapy Dogs). PETS are NOT ALLOWED since they do not receive special training and do not perform a specific task to help disabled owners. Crowds are not a good place for pets.Please be sensitive to our guests with SERVICE animals. Visitors found to have fake service animals will be asked to leave the fairgrounds.
Please read more about SERVICE Dogs and what is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) here:
https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm or
http://www.myassistancedoginc.org/whats-the-difference-between-emotional-support-animals-therapy-animals-and-service-dogs/
