Pipe Tapping - What the heck is that?

What the heck is pipe tapping? I had no idea, but when I heard that we had national winners from the area, I wanted to find out since it will be held at the Spring Fair on Saturday, April 17.
Pipe tapping is when skilled technical teams drill and tap a water-pressurized iron pipe, install a stop, cut and flare copper tubing with relative fittings to make connections at the main, a curb stop, and finally at a meter yoke. Whew!
They move at the speed of lightening. It requires speed, accuracy, agility and strength to get the job done in the fastest amount of time. Each team gets two attempts to complete the event within 30 minutes (that leaves me out!), and the shortest time gets recorded.
Last year, the number one spot in the American Water Works Association’s 2009 Conference went to Tacoma Water. Their team of four men beat all other competitors in the United States and Canada, coming in at an amazing time of one minute, 13 seconds.
Check out this new Spring Fair event on Saturday to see if the competitors can beat the world champion time!

Rock On! Christian Musicfest at Spring Fair

We’re bringing something new this year to the Spring Fair, the Rock On! Christian Musicfest. Nine worship teams and Christian bands will be performing at the grandstand stage on Friday, April 16. Everyone who attends can text in their favorite band for “People’s Choice Award.” A special guest is Chasing Jane (formerly of Three Pound Soul).

This is a separate ticketed event, but if you purchase in advance (http://www.thefair.com/), it is ONLY $10 – and that includes Spring Fair gate admission. What a deal!

It starts at 5:30 pm and concludes at 9 pm. This new and exciting event offers a spiritual message in an atmosphere of safe, family fun. Rock On!

Friday, April 16th

5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Advance tix at http://www.thefair.com/

Ring-tailed Lemurs and Albino Burmese Pythons, oh my!

Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue is a brand new feature at the Spring Fair this year. It is free, and found in the Pavilion, first floor. You’ll take a journey through the exotic plants, palm trees, and rhythmic jungle sounds, and be mesmerized by the interaction of more than 20 live exotic animals, from ring-tailed lemur to an albino Burmese python. It’s great for all ages, because you’ll learn about conservation and preservation of the rainforest. It’s all part of the 30-minute stage show that is both educational and entertaining. It’s free, so make sure you drop by all four days of the Spring Fair.

Dock Dogs Leap to Spring Fair in Puyallup

If you’ve attended the Spring Fair the past few years, you know that DockDogs has become a popular feature. Even if you aren’t a dog owner, you’ll love watching the dogs leap off the decking to grab a ball or toy before landing in the water. The dog with the longest leap off the end of the dock – The Big Air Dog – wins! What’s fun is that they boast 0% discrimination, accepting dogs of any size, shape or age to compete. If you have a dog and want to compete, make sure that you sign up in advance at http://www.dockdogs.com/. It’s FREE to watch once you come into the Spring Fair, too!

Twice the Demolition Derby Thrills at Spring Fair

Word has it that the Demolition Derby at Spring Fair in Puyallup is Twice as big as last year. Why? Because it will be held on Saturday, April 16 at 6 pm, and on Sunday, April 17 at 2 pm. And, there will be fireworks following the Saturday night derby that you can see far beyond just the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. Saturday's derby features the small cars, and Sunday is dedicated to the big cars. Derby fans love the different sizes, and can even by bundled tickets to both performances. This year they are reserved tickets, so it is worth buying them early at Ticketmaster or http://www.thefair.com/. The advance tix include Fair gate admission, making it a cool package. Besides, who can resist the flaming fun of "Controlled Chaos" at both derbies!

Scones had better not have a calorie count. . .

We've been getting totals back from various departments, providing insight to the amount of food guests consumed, how much toilet paper was used, how many rode Pierce Transit's "Fair Express" and other nifty little facts from the 2009 Puyallup Fair.

Let me tell you this: You don't want to know the calorie count on scones. Especially when a grand total of (drumroll, please...) 1,205,270 were purchased. Now that is a lot of scones - more than one for every person that attended. It is also a lot of calories. Thank heavens they vanish when the scones are put in the bags!

So you were wondering about toilet paper, weren't you? A total of 6,986,000 feet of TP was flushed. On the "save the environment" front (and parking hassles), 96,629 rode on Pierce Transit's busses from various park and ride locations. Kudos to all who took the bus!

Oktoberfest Brought Puyallup to Germany

Oktoberfest was a smashing success. In total, 281 kegs of grog was consumed, authentic singing and dancing was a highlight, and tempting German food filled empty stomachs. A huge hit was the wiener dog race, or should we say races! Every size, color and personality of wiener dog showed up to compete, and some complete with costumes. With an event like that, we can't wait for next year's Oktoberfest!