Photos: Alaska State Fair’s opening day

Sunshine welcomed crowds as they walked, ate and rode their way around the State Fair in Palmer. The fair runs until Sept. 4.

Updated: August 30, 2023 Published: August 19, 2023

Stilt Circus’ Star Child and Richard Dalton pose for a photograph during opening day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. Stilt Circus will be performing at the fair every day through Sept. 4 and each day will feature new costumes, all 28 of which were made by Child. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

PALMER — The Alaska State Fair is now open and runs until Sept. 4.

Richard Dalton, performing with Stilt Circus for their first time at the fair, said Friday’s warm weather was a relief compared to the 112-degree temperature on opening day at the California State Fair, where he recently performed.

[Here are 10 highlights to check out on the first weekend of the Alaska State Fair]

The smell of kettle corn wafted throughout the fairgrounds as hundreds shopped, ate and rode their way through the fairgrounds.

Here are some of our favorite photos from opening day.

People pose for a photograph with the “FAIR” sign during opening day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on Friday. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Marcelo Garzaro, 5, and Hugo Garzaro perform a dance with members of Anchorage’s Naa Luu Disk Gwaii Yatx’i Dance Group. The dance group has been performing at the fair since 1996. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Brinley Truett, 10, goes down a slide and uses her arms to gain speed at the Alaska State Fair. The fair runs until Sept. 4, but takes off Tuesday and Wednesday each week. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Handmade Alaskan nectars sit on display at the Jonesers booth. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

People wait to see which colored hole a gerbil goes into after they bet money on different colors during the Palmer Elks Lodge’s Charity Rat Race at the Alaska State Fair. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Sonja and Jack Kanack hold onto their lap bar as the spinning ride reverses. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

A goat nibbles on the sleeve of a man’s shirt as he talks with a woman about goat care during opening day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

People visit booths and eateries during opening day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on Friday. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

A person cleans garbage from the ground in front of the Ferris wheel at the fairgrounds in Palmer. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

People raise their hands as they ride the Rock’N Tug at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on Friday. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

A children’s ride goes in circles as the operator waits for people to ride it. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Alaska State Fair

Emily Mesner

Emily Mesner is a former multimedia journalist for the Anchorage Daily News. She previously worked for the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve and the Western Arctic National Parklands in Kotzebue, at the Cordova Times and at the Jackson Citizen Patriot in Jackson, Michigan.