This is the final column of a three-part series chronicling Enumclaw’s summer festivals. During the first half of the 20thcentury, the Farmer’s Picnic, initially organized by Wabash, Fir Grove, and Osceola farmers was the primary community gathering celebration. Beginning in 1949, Naches Trail Days dominated the next decade until festivities “got a little out of hand,” according to John Selland, former Mayor of Enumclaw. Into the void stepped rodeos and the expanded King County Fair.
This photo promoting the Aug. 14-15, 1965 rodeo features from left-to-right, Princess Delores Duchateau, Queen Eileen Holm pinning an ‘Ask me about Enumclaw Rodeo’ button on Governor Dan Evans’ lapel, as Princess Susan Swanbeck, and an unidentified aide stand beside. This photo #AR-25501080-ph001117 comes courtesy of the Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives.
The weekend after that big rodeo, the reimagined King County Fair opened for three days at new facilities thanks to the relocation of three former buildings from the Seattle World’s Fair. The King County Fair is the oldest fair west of the Mississippi. It was founded in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln was president and Washington was still years from statehood. The fair’s original location was in the Georgetown area of Seattle, but later moved to Enumclaw.
According to Louise Poppleton, Enumclaw’s version of the fair started modestly in 1946 when Lester Schroeff and Martin Teeter, high school agriculture teachers organized a Spring Dairy Show for FFA and 4-H kids to showcase their projects. It was held in rough barns on the Bruhn family farm, south of Pete’s Pool and the King County Field House.
The King County Fair grew exponentially in 1965 with the new half-million-dollar buildings and expanded footprint. Over the years the fair experienced ups and downs and for a while expanded to five days from the traditional three. But of late, its length is four days, Thursday thru Sunday. Ownership of the fairgrounds was transferred from King County to the City of Enumclaw in 2006, and three years later, Enumclaw assumed responsibility for the operations as well. Today, the 72-acre site is managed by the Enumclaw Expo and Events Association, a non-profit organization that took over in 2015.
As Enumclaw’s population has grown so have the number of celebrations which now include parades for Christmas, Fourth of July, and Homecoming. Enumclaw is also well-known for its street fairs, car shows, farmers markets during summer, and the increasingly popular Cruise Night on Cole Street, the first Friday of fair-weather months.
