Photos: Ushering in the Alaska State Fair’s 2024 season

As always, the fair features plentiful and large vegetables, farm animals, carnival rides, vendors, concerts — and of course, food.

By Loren Holmes
Updated: 17 hours ago Published: 18 hours ago

People walk through the Alaska State Fair on opening day, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 in Palmer. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

The Alaska State Fair opened on Friday, Aug. 16 in Palmer.

The fair features plentiful and large vegetables, farm animals, carnival rides, vendors, concerts — and of course, food. The fair runs through Monday, Sept. 2. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

[If you go: 12 highlights of the Alaska State Fair’s first weekend]

People ride the Cliffhanger during the first day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on Aug. 16, 2024. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

People walk through the Alaska State Fair on opening day, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Performers compete in the climbing competition at the Lumberjack Show on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Behind is Pioneer Peak. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Nancy Durand shows quilts on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 during the first day of the Alaska State Fair. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Clemons does pushups after losing a round of corn hole on Friday, Aug. 16 at the Alaska State Fair. Clemons and others were manning a recruiting booth at the fair. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Evelyn Chinn, 8, pets puppies from Iditarod musher Matt Failor’s team on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 during the first day of the Alaska State Fair. Chinn, from Washington State, was at the fair with her grandfather, who used to live in Alaska. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Volunteers spin yarn at the Valley Fiber Arts Guild space on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 at the Alaska State Fair. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

A gerbil decides what hole to crawl into during the "rat race", a game of chance put on by the Palmer Elks Lodge on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. The gerbil chose the purple hole. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

People ride the carousel on Aug. 16, 2024 at the Alaska State Fair. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Dave Seifert makes a wooden bowl during the first day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Aug. 16, 2024. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Evelyn Chinn, 8, pets dogs from Iditarod musher Matt Failor’s team on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Behind is Failor’s handler Jaren Ulrich. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Hermione, a 2-year-old Boer goat, gets some attention on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 during the first day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Alaska State Fair

Loren Holmes

Loren Holmes is a staff photojournalist at the Anchorage Daily News. Contact him at loren@adn.com.