The Coupon Project

Get the scoop on all the best Washington State Fair Discounts 2019, including ways to save on admission, concert tickets, rides, and more!

Washington State Fair Discounts 2019

It’s hard to believe, but summer is rapidly coming to an end and it’s almost time for the Washington State Fair to start (formerly and most commonly known at the Puyallup Fair). The dates of the Fair this year are Friday, August 30th through Sunday, September 22nd. Please note that while the dates of the Fair have been extended, it will now be closed on Tuesdays as well as September 4th. As usual, I like giving you a good heads up about discounts and other ways to save so you can plan in advance.

Saving on Admission

First, here’s the regular pricing for 2019 admission: adults $14; children 6-12 $11; seniors 62+ $12; children 5 & under FREE. In case you’re curious, the regular admission is unchanged from 2018. The students and senior pricing jumped $1 per ticket from 2018.

One other noteworthy change: the student ticket used to cover children ages 6-18; now it only covers children ages 6-12. Ages 13 and up now need to use an “adult” ticket.

Now, how to knock that price down a bit:

• Early Bird Online Pricing. By purchasing your tickets online, you’ll pay $11 per adult ticket and $10.50 per child & senior ticket. Early Bird pricing ends Thursday, August 29th (the day prior to opening day). These tickets are good for entrance on any day during the Fair’s operation. The adult tickets are the same price as last year, but the child & senior tickets are up $1 this year.
• FREE Gate Food Drive. On opening day (August 30th), gain FREE entrance at any gate between 10:30 am – 12:30 pm by bringing a suggested donation of a non-perishable food item. This is my absolute favorite way to save on fair admission, providing it works for your family’s schedule. You can find details at The Fair’s website.
• FREE Kids’ Weekend. Once again, BECU is sponsoring a free kids’ weekend, and this year no coupon is necessary. All kids 18 and under will receive FREE gate admission on Labor Day weekend (August 30th – September 2nd). Note that even though kids age 13+ now need to have an adult ticket, all kids 18 and under will get in free.
• FREE Gate School Supply Drive. Donate school supplies to the Community and Schools Supply Drive on Friday, September 6th from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm for FREE gate admission.
• Discount Ticket Locations. In addition to pre-purchasing your discounted tickets online, you can also go to select Safeway and Albertsons stores and the South Hill Mall between August 11th – September 22nd and get the same price as the early bird online pricing ($11 adult, $10.50 child/senior). While supplies last.
• Military Appreciation Days. On all three Mondays of the Fair (September 2nd, 9th, and 16th), active, retired, and reserve military and National Guard as well as disabled veterans can get FREE admission to the Fair. Make sure to bring valid Military ID at the gate.
• Fred Meyer Value Pack. Starting now and running through August 30th only, you can buy a “family value pack” at Fred Meyer stores for $38.95. The pack includes: (2) gate admissions, (10) food bucks, (6) rides – excluding Extreme Scream, and discount Lost World of Dragons coupon. It also includes two 50% off Fair parking coupons. This pricing is unchanged from 2018. The value of the package is $78.
• Corporate Discounts. Check with your employer to see if they offer corporate discounts on tickets. If your organization has a corporate password, you can get tickets for $10.50/adult and $9.50/senior or child, a $26 season pass, plus discounts on admission & ride bundles and the Dizzy Pass.
• Season Passes. If you plan on attending the Fair more than one day, you might save by purchasing a season pass, which is available online. If you purchase your season pass by August 29, you’ll pay $34.50. After that, it’s $39.50. This is unchanged from last year. It gets you into the Fair all 20 days of operation. The season pass also comes with a few high-value coupons including half off parking, 20% off Fair merchandise, and more.
• Sounder Train/Admission Package. Purchase an adult ticket for $17 or child for $14 and that includes a ride on the Sounder Train (from South King County) and Fair admission. This is good for either Saturday, September 14th or Saturday, September 21st. This is a $0.50 price hike from 2018. They also have a North King County offer for $19.50 per adult or $15 per student.
• Thursday Discounts. If you’re able to go on a Thursday (September 5th, 12th, or 19th), you can print coupons to get 2-for-1 gate admission, 2-for-1 Grandstand concerts, and/or 6 samples of craft beer and cider for just $12. Plus, the first 1,000 guests each Thursday will receive a FREE commemorative pin. Note that these discounts are advertised to Pierce County residents, but I’m not seeing anything in the fine print that restricts it to just Pierce County residents.
• Free School Tickets. In the past, my son has come home with a free Fair ticket from school. You might inquire to see if your school will be participating in a similar program before purchasing tickets.
• Discount Tickets or Discount Concert Tickets. We’ve often seen discount tickets or discount concert tickets available for purchase via Groupon or Goldstar.