Looking for a way to get to the Washington State Fair without dealing with the headache of traffic and parking? Don’t worry, Sound Transit has you covered with a special Sounder event train on Sept. 13.
Follow Sound Transit Digital Specialist Hannah Cottle and her journey taking the Sounder to the Washington State Fair earlier this fall!
Growing up in the Puyallup Valley, there were a couple things that are engrained into the culture: the Daffodil Festival, lahar drills, the motto ‘Live like the mountain’s out,’ and the state fair.
In fact, my first job was working at Fischer Scones during the fair – I was a slinger of local raspberry jam on tender scones and even recruited my sister and friends to join along in following years. (Even to this day, I’ll sometimes grab a box of scone mix and make my own at home!)
Which is why when I learned Sounder was running event service for the Washington State Fair, I had to get myself down there.
At the start of my journey, I tapped my ORCA card at the U District Station. I walked to the station, but I always have the option to hop on a King County Metro bus for a quicker connection.
I got off the light rail at International District/Chinatown Station and had a little bit of extra time, so bopped over to Friend Museum in Pioneer Square for a coffee. I love how our stations have access to small businesses so folks living and working in the area can explore their community.
From there, I walked to King Street Station, where I caught the Sounder. This train is different than most other Sounder event trains in that it runs all the way from Everett to Puyallup instead of terminating at King Street Station.
My journey from King Street to Puyallup was seamless – comfy seats, room to spread out, and being able to spot some signage for my alma mater, Central Washington University, at Kent Station.
Upon arriving in Puyallup, it’s a 15-minute walk to the fairgrounds, or you have the option to take the shuttle bus. Downtown Puyallup has a bunch of things going on, so I’d advise stopping at one of the small businesses or even the farmers market downtown on the way to the fair!
I walked over to the fair, and had a great time eating fair treats, learning about Washington’s crops, and seeing adorable animals, amongst other things.
And the ride back was just as easy with Sounder!
You still have a chance to catch the Sounder to the fair Saturday, Sept. 13.
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Looking for more articles like this? Check out LifeSTyle's previous Sounder trips from Edmonds to Alki without a car and to the Winter Classic.