Alaska State Fair

The Alaska State Fair has been held in Palmer, in the Matanuska Valley, since 1936, when the Northland Pioneer Grange organized the first one, and it has run on its present grounds since 1967. Its concert series at the ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre, set against the Chugach Mountains, brought AJR, Megadeth, Ziggy Marley, Amy Grant, Modest Mouse, deadmau5, Lyle Lovett and others in 2026, and the venue is being rebuilt to hold 6,500 people, up from 5,200, for 2027. The fair is known for its giant vegetables: the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off, a tradition since 1941, set a world record cabbage of 138.25 pounds in 2012. The 2026 grandstand also ran a Rodeo Alaska Champions Tour rodeo, a demolition derby and monster trucks, and Golden Wheel Amusements, which bills itself as Alaska's best carnival since 1967, runs the midway.

The 2027 fair runs August 20 to September 6. 2027 prices are not out yet; in 2026 the fair opened 11 AM to 10 PM and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, admission was $20 for adults and $13 for seniors and youth, and the general parking fee was waived. Concerts and grandstand events are ticketed separately: in 2026 the rodeo, demolition derby and monster trucks were $19 for adults and $14 for youth 6 to 12. Visitors park in the Red, Yellow and Purple lots, the Green Gate handles drop-offs, and RV and tent permits are sold for the run of the fair.