Now that the King County Fair is officially dead – as far as the county is concerned, at least – boosters of youth agriculture programs and city officials may try to fashion some sort of event to help youngsters.

When members of the King County Council adopted a 2010 budget Nov. 23 that included no money for a 2010 fair, they effectively killed a 147-year tradition. The fair’s modern era has been spent in Enumclaw, first at the King County Fairgrounds and then, following a land transfer, the Enumclaw Expo Center.

Aside from entertaining thousands of fairgoers with food, entertainment, carnival rides and commercial vendors, the fair also served an important purpose for rural youth throughout the county. In order to qualify for the state fair in Puyallup, 4-H and FFA members first had to qualify at the county level – and that meant an appearance in Enumclaw.

Now, while the traditional fair might be dead and gone, an option might exist that would provide kids a qualifying route to Puyallup.

“We have a week available where we could do something,” said Larry Fetter, director of Enumclaw’s Parks and Recreation Department. His department governs the Expo Center and, in July, put together a county fair when King County refused to do so.

Fetter indicated there might be some 4-H money available that could go toward a local event.

“Can we do something that would be a qualifier for the state fair?” Fetter asked rhetorically. “Maybe.”

Another person hoping something might be salvaged is King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, whose 9th District takes in Enumclaw and the surrounding area. He has been a vocal advocate for the fair and co-chaired a Fair Task Force that met multiple times during the first half of the year and suggested ways in which the fair might become self-sufficient.

After the county’s 2010 budget was adopted, without money for the fair or 4-H programs, Dunn issued a statement including the following:

“The King County Fair and the 4-H program are so important to the citizens and youth of my district. I am very disappointed that the council could not find a way to fund them, but I’m not done fighting. The council should continue looking for ways to fund these programs.”

The demise of the fair is no surprise to those who have tracked its fate in recent years. There was a time when parking lots overflowed, fairgoers jostled shoulder-to-shoulder through the midway and big-name entertainers brought out big-time crowds. But longtime supporters sensed the county began losing interest in the event and, eventually, crowds dwindled as the fair’s energy level plummeted.

The low point came in 2008, when the county offered a scaled-back version based on agriculture and “green” concepts. That prompted Ron Sims, who then served as King County executive, to suggest the fair be scrapped for 2009. Public outcry convinced council members to allocate a little more than $300,000 and the county asked the city to organize the event. The result was “Enumclaw’s King County Fair,” a three-day fair that brought back carnival rides, offered free admission and packed in plenty of entertainment.

By all accounts, the 2009 event was a success. Blessed with sunny skies, attendance far surpassed that of 2008 and the city managed to finish in the black.

The city was clear all along, however, that it is in no position to put on such an event without financial assistance from the county. With last week’s passage of the 2010 county budget, the city has turned its attention elsewhere, Fetter said.