frequently asked questions

Lakefair Week is the annual event held over the third weekend in July at Heritage Park in Olympia along Capitol Lake. Opening day for the 2024 season is on Wednesday, July 17 and continues through Sunday, July 21 Our organization operates year-round attending out of town parades with the float, volunteering for local events and other community activities. The festival opens daily at Noon and closes at 11p Wednesday-Saturday, closing later on Sunday around Midnight to accommodate the grand finale fireworks over Capitol Lake. Hours may be subject to change without notice.

Lakefair Week offers a variety of family friendly activities. Many events including the grand parade, car show, 50+ in the park, entertainment mainstage and grand finally fireworks are free to attend. There are also a variety of food vendors, craft vendor booths and carnival rides/games that operate all five days of the festival. Visit the events tab for a complete listing of things to see and do at Lakefair.

There's no admission fee to visit the festival, and many of the events are also free to attend. Check the events tab for more information.

Tickets are available beginning on opening day from Funtastic ticket booths. The number of tickets required varies based on the particular ride, please visit a Funtastic ticket both at the event for current pricing. Participants must be 2+ years of age for most rides, height and other safety restrictions may apply. Visit a Funtastic ticket booth for more information. Wristbands will not be available this year. You can contact Funtastic directly if you have specific questions or concerns relating to games, rides or Funtastic food vendors. Visit the website at funtasticshows.com for more information, email contact@funtasticshows.com or call 503.761.0989.

Lakefair merch, including annual shirts and pins, will be available for purchase during normal hours of operation at Lakefair Week from our Info Trailer. The trailer will be located at the end of Water St at 5th Ave in downtown Olympia, next to food concessions. 2023 commemorative shirts are $20 each, and pins are $5. We also hope to have a limited number of previous years shirts and pins available for sale this year at Lakefair Week. Please check with the Info Trailer for availability and pricing for these items.

No, Capital Lakefair is supported by a dedicated group of volunteers and does not hire seasonal employees. Funtastic Traveling Shows might have temporary positions available during the month of July. Please contact Funtastic directly if you'd like to learn more about employment opportunities. Visit the website at funtasticshows.com, email contact@funtasticshows.com or call 503.761.0989 for more information.

Yes! Lost and found items may be returned to the Olympia Police Department trailer on Legion at Water St., or to the blue Lakefair information trailer located at Water St. and 5th Ave. All items received by Lakefair are returned to OPD.

Lakefair Week is held at Heritage Park which is operated by the State of Washington and subject to park regulations. We advise attendees leave the pet(s) at home as this is a densely populated public event with a lot of activity and distractions. While not prohibited, the owner bears full responsibility for their pets behavior, clean-up and must remain mindful of fellow attendees. Pets must be leashed at all times and remain close to a responsible handler.

Due to space constraints downtown, there is no dedicated parking available for the event. Street parking is available in the surrounding area and you can visit olympiawa.gov/services/parking_services/index.php for more information. City street parking is free after 5p during the week and all day on Saturday/Sunday. The following routes will be closed during the event.

Lakefair craft/food/sponsor booths are operated by independent companies/organizations. Please request a receipt for all items purchased and reach out directly to the vendor with questions or inquiries. Food concessions on Water Street, north of Legion Way, are operated by a combination of non-profit and commercial vendors. Rides, games and food vendors south of Legion Way are operated by Funtastic and can be contacted online at funtasticshows.com, by email at contact@funtasticshows.com or by phone at 503.761.0989.

Capital Lakefair is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers that generously donate their time each year to make this event possible for our community. If you're interested in helping out, you can apply here to become a volunteer. Please note our operations are highly seasonal, and application doesn't guarantee acceptance at this time.

Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey all have great lodging and restaurant businesses that you can choose from. We are working with all three cities to partner with their hotels and other businesses that we will be listing on our website.

Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey have all kinds of activities in the area. Olympia has the Capitol building and grounds, Capitol Lake, the Farmer's Market, Hands on Children's Museum, Squaxin Park, Percival Landing Park, and a great downtown area. Tumwater has the Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, the old Brewery, the Centennial Rose Garden at the historic Schmidt House, several craft breweries to try, the Olympic Flight Museum, Overlook Pointe Park, Tumwater Farmer's Market, hiking/walking trails, and several excellent restaurants (don't miss the classic Eagan's/Big Tom's diner!). Lacey has the Lacey Museum, a variety of events at Huntamer Park, swimming pools at three Lacey high schools (for those hot July days), wineries, walking/bike trails, and their fantastic Regional Athletic Complex.