The sizzle of turkey legs, the sweet scents of fluffy cotton candy and the crunchy yet tender favorite fried food on a stick, meet the squeals of laughter (or is that a pig) from the top of the Sky Ride, as the 2022 Arizona State Fair opened Sept. 23. The annual tradition continues through Sunday, Oct. 30, open Thursdays through Sundays.
For 138 years, Arizonans have celebrated the start of fall at the single largest statewide event, located in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Last year, 1,589,951 attended the fair, breaking attendance records after a dark 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Coliseum Concert Series continues to be affected by challenges relating to the pandemic, e.g., increased production and artist costs, a tight touring and saturated live entertainment and is on hiatus in 2022. A popular draw for many Arizonans who have seen the likes of the Foo Fighters, Blake Shelton, Pitbull and Kid Rock, with a funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar in one hand, and a giant stuffed monkey in the other. The fair plans return to the tradition of the Coliseum Concert Series with top rated talent in 2023.
The Madhouse on McDowell won’t be completely silent during the 2022 fair. Through Sunday, Oct. 9, the Omnium Circus bring their I’m Possible show to Phoenix. Omnium highlights and celebrates that disability and diversity shine through the joy and excitement of circus arts. This is a separate ticket, available at azstatefair.com.
Around the fairgrounds, Monster Trucks roar into the closing weekend. Xtreme Arizona Bull Riding conquers the grandstand on Saturday, Oct. 22, Figure 8 and Quarter Midgets rev it up in between High School Rodeo and the All Indian Rodeo. Grandstand events are free with fair admission.
The nightly Backyard Concert Series, also free with fair admission, triggers memories and past dance moves from fan favorite tribute bands like Outlaw Mariachi, Queen Nation and Super Diamond, featuring Surreal Neil.
Other fair favorites include fluffy alpacas, dairy cows, wallabies and camel milking. Stroll the barns and the coliseum halls and experience Competitive Entries, showcasing creativity from students, neighbors, family from around Arizona, each hoping for an Arizona State Fair ribbon.
To help the community, the Arizona State Fair partnered with Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus to present Feel Good Fridays, Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28, noon - 6 p.m. Guests who bring in 10 cans of non-perishable food, benefitting St. Mary’s Food Bank, receive one free admission ($15 value). Taste of the Fair Fridays are on the same dates, with a variety of petite-sized portions of fair favorites for just $3.
Fair Friends 55-plus can receive free admission on Friday, Oct. 14, presented by Humana. A limited number of tickets are available in advance on azstatefair.com.
Whether you’re a traditional Deep Fried Snickers or adventurous Cinnamon Toast Crunch Funnel Cake, a lover of La Grande Wheel or banging of bumper cars, squirt gun balloon popping or ring tossing over the duck, the State Fair is part of Arizonas heart and soul. With 23 days of fair fun, plan ahead and save time and money by downloading the Arizona State Fair AZ app (available in the Apple App Store or Google Play).
The 2022 Arizona State Fair is now open through Sunday, Oct. 30, open Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $15 for ages 8 and older. Visit azstatefair.com for more information and tickets.
