about lakefair
What is Lakefair?
Capital Lakefair is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Olympia, Washington. While widely known as Olympia’s annual summer festival, Lakefair operates year-round to celebrate and give back to our community in Thurston County.
The festival is a volunteer driven organization governed by a voting member body known as the Capitalarians, a group of individuals that show their love and dedication to the people of Thurston County by donating their time and effort.
Each year as part of the Scholarship Program, a new group of young women from area high schools join the Lakefair Royalty tradition. The Court participates in all aspects of the organization throughout the season. This includes local activities such as the donation drive by Little Red School House, Special Needs Prom and events held by other area non-profit service groups. They also visit locations across Washington, Oregon and British Columbia as the Lakefair Float rides in parades hosted by other community festivals. Each princess receives a $3,000 scholarship to be applied to any type of higher education, and the selected queen receives an additional $2,000.
Funding for Capital Lakefair is provided by contributions from individuals and businesses in our community, financial and/or in-kind donations by our sponsors and operations from the annual five-day festival in July.
Mission Statement
We, as Capital Lakefair, provide a family-friendly community festival annually in the 3rd week of July:
To celebrate our area youth by offering scholarship programs and activities that highlight their academic, artistic talents and community spirit;
To offer our non-profit organizations the opportunity for fundraising for their local charities through the annual Capital Lakefair Festival;
To celebrate and recognize the Armed Forces and their families in the South Sound area;
To promote, recognize and maintain a positive business relationship, year round, between communities and organizations throughout the South Sound Region of Puget Sound;
To act as a professional goodwill ambassador organization both during the Capital Lakefair Festival celebration and throughout the year.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Capital Lakefair does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, hiring and firing of contractors or staff, and providing of services.