Skagit County Fairgrounds Foundation
Preserving the Fairgrounds for generations to come
Formed in 2024, the Skagit County Fairgrounds Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization comprised entirely of volunteers from the community who wish to see the Skagit County Fairgrounds flourish for generations to come. The mission of SCFF is to preserve and improve the health and beauty of the Fairgrounds, enhance the community’s use of the Fairgrounds, and foster projects that develop our local youth in agriculture.
In the 1940’s, the Skagit County Fair was moved to its current site, which became the Skagit County Fairgrounds. In 2024, the Fair will be celebrating its 125th anniversary. As a highlight of our community, the Skagit County Fair provides the opportunity to showcase agriculture, 4-H and FFA youth programs, elevate community organizations and the services they provide, as well as provides an outlet for positive competition, commerce for local vendors, and exposure for local talent. In addition, it creates a platform to highlight the diversity of the Skagit Valley and features many cultural performances and events. The Skagit County Fair continues to grow each year and in 2023 featured nearly 4,000 exhibits and projects from members of our community.
In addition to the Fair, the Skagit County Fairgrounds hosts over 35 large local and regional events annually – averaging an attendance of over 100,000 people in total (including attendance of The Fair.) These events range from various awareness and services events like the Autism Awareness Event, Overdose Awareness Day, Bike MS and Spring/Fall Veterans Stand Down events to Master Gardener Plant Fair, The Skagit Valley Highland Games, and the new Skagit Bigfoot Fest. All these events support the local economy and provide a healthy outlet for people to come together in a festive atmosphere. We are proud to be a focal community gathering place that showcases all that our community has to offer.
Since 2009, the Fair has not received money from the county general fund (taxpayer) dollars for annual operations. Instead, Fair staff must cover all annual costs with event revenues generated from hosting events and renting out buildings in the off-season.
While our efforts and events to bring in money have grown exponentially in recent years, so have expenses required to operate. This leaves little remaining funds for major maintenance and capital improvements that are essential to the ongoing health, preservation, and beauty of the community Fairgrounds. In addition, while the Fairgrounds is able to offer very basic supplies/support to many of its barns and exhibitors at county fair times, there are always many requests that go unfulfilled due to lack of availability of funding.
Our goal in raising money through the SCFF is to create funds that are more accessible when needed. This would include spending as determined by the board members but would also come with a system set up so that not all requests would have to be processed up the chain of county command and folks like barn superintendents, for example, could make direct, tangible requests to the committee. This gives all involved in the fair a voice and helps everyone feel as though they can make a difference.
In order to fulfill the mission of SCFF, community support is imperative. Please consider donating to support the continued use and improvement of the Skagit County Fairgrounds.
Skagit County Fairgrounds Foundation 