Get ready! Sept. 5–21 marks the return of the Puyallup Fair in full epic force. Make Sillyville and Toonzville your first stops to meet cartoon characters, take a vintage train ride and play “Let’s Pretend Farm Time.” If you need more excitement, watch a man get blown from a cannon daily at 3 and 6 p.m. Or get right in the thick of it and grab hold of a wild sheep for some Mutton Bustin’ fun (ages 6 and younger). Don’t forget corn dogs and cotton candy, too! Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
Pooches and their owners on both sides of the bay will have tail-waggin’ fun this month with two doggy events. In Federal Way, the K-9 Festival turns Steel Lake Park into a dog park on Saturday, Sept. 13 from noon to 3 p.m. Doggy crafts for kids, a bone hunt, a dog show, dog competitions and an ice-cream-eating contest will ensure a howlin’ good time for all.
In Gig Harbor, K-9s will strut their stuff at the Harbor Hounds Walk the Town charity dog walk. Register your family’s best friend for the leisurely two-mile walk, or one of several contests, such as Best Kisser, Best Bark or Best Tail-Wagger. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Donkey Creek Park. Registration ranges from $10 to $30, or just come to check out the furry festivities.
The Tumwater Historical Society is putting on its annual Territorial Stagecoach Express Sept. 19–21. Learn about the era of the stagecoach through re-enactors, encampments and historical displays at stops along the route. Or, be a little more daring and become a stagecoach passenger for a leg of the trip as it makes its way 90 miles from Olympia to Longview (passengers must be 12 and older). Check ticket prices, route stops and times online at www.territorialexpress.com.
—Karla Lindula
