Arizona State Fair back for 2014
By: Kian Hagerman
The flashing lights and bright colors of the Arizona State Fair have returned, and will be open to visitors until Nov. 2. With attractions including rides, carnival games, exhibits, and performances the fair offers a great deal for all ages to enjoy.
One such ride, Insanity sends its occupants flying through the air, eliciting bursts of laughter and screams. A classic of fairs, there are multiple ferris wheels of varying sizes for fairgoers looking for something that is a bit slower paced.
Numerous games of all sorts dot the landscape as well, with oversized stuffed Pikachus, bikes, and toys offered as prizes. Shoot out the star of a paper target, throw balls at bottles and plates to try and break them, or toss rings; a wide variety of different games are available.
There are also some new attractions that might interest veterans of past state fairs.
“This year we have a brand new exhibit called Hall of Heroes,” said Jeanie Berg, of Arizona State Fair strategic marketing and public relations.
Berg said that the Hall of Heroes is an exhibit all about heroes, where visitors can learn the origins of popular superheroes, and what makes them a hero in a shared experience.
There is also an animal show and race at the fair this year called Racing Lemurs.
“They are actual lemurs racing,” Berg said. “They are very cute.”
Admission for this exhibit is $5, but admission to the fair is required separately.
Another draw for the fair are interactive performances; Rich Ihle, a reptile expert displays various animals and even gives attendees hands-on time with a snake.
“This guy knows so much about reptiles, he is very interactive and is great with kids,” Berg said.
Dinomania displays massive animatronic dinosaurs, and provides a chance to see these extinct creatures to scale in a museum quality exhibit, according to Berg.
Food is another big element of fairs, and there are plenty of stops that one can make when wandering the fair. Hot dogs and funnel cakes are just some of the food one can eat at the fair.
An added appeal of the state fair is the concert series, providing many famous acts performing for the crowd.
Electronic DJ and musician Afrojack is scheduled to perform on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., with rock band Queens of the Stone Age performing on the following night of Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
The fair is open Wednesday through Friday at noon, and Saturday through Sunday at 10 a.m., and closes every night at 10:30 p.m.
To find out more information or buy tickets visit www.azstatefair.com
