Alaska State Fair

The Lions Club is offering free vision screenings at the Alaska State Fair. Using a high tech piece of equipment called "Plus Optics," volunteers can screen people for potential problems.   "We discovered people were hiding their problems with their eyes," Girdwood and Turnagain Lions Club Member Robert Galle said.   It's not a diagnosis, according to volunteers but people should use the results to judge whether they need to see an optometrist. "One eye was way stronger and so he was compensating for it," Theresa Walton who had her son screened last year said.

The Alaska State Fair could lose a landmark, fair officials report the State Fire Marshall says six log cabins are not up to fire code.  The buildings house some of the fair's longest running vendors, and have been around since the 60's.   "Last November we received notice from the Fire Marshal that we needed to install fire suppression units in the log cabins," Dean Phipps, Marketing Director for the Alaska State Fair said. The fair put together a committee to take a look at all the options.

Buckle up, slow down and have a designated driver if you want cocktails at the Alaska State Fair this weekend because there will be more law enforcement patrolling the Glenn Highway. Alaska State Troopers are focusing additional enforcement efforts on fair traffic. Troopers got additional funding from a federal program called National C rack -D own on I mpaired D riving . The money will pay for additional overtime through September 5th. It's a statewide program but troopers will use some of the money to focus on keeping drivers safe this weekend.

A large crowd enjoyed one final sunny day at the Alaska State Fair. The 12-day event came to a close Monday evening. Now vendors have a chance to dry out after what has been a pretty rainy few weeks out in Palmer. There was a pleasant surprise Monday, however: clear blue sky with plenty of sunshine. The weather brought out thousands of visitors and backed up traffic on the Glenn Highway all the way to the Parks Highway interchange. Vendors gave mixed responses when asked how business was this year.

Two local chefs offered Alaska State Fair visitors their best take on beef Sunday. Chefs Kevin Lane and Mike Graham competed in the fair's Carrs Safeway Ranchers Reserve Beef Throwdown. They showcased the many different ways to prepare three cuts of steak during the TV-style competiton. Some of the menu items included sirloin and jasmine rice with Pacific coast glaze, and Korean tacos. “Some of the stuff in the first round, he had the meat marinating for about 6 hours before the competition -- so they are not just doing the same old thing, they are actually trying new things,” said Frank Delaney.

One vendor at the Alaska State Fair is putting a sweet spin on the regular grilled burger. The fair's Chipstix stand is currently selling donut burgers. The treat combines one-third of a pound of charbroiled beef, eggs and bacon, all tucked between the halves of a glazed donut. The donut burger originated in Atlanta, Ga. The novel treat debuted at the Alaska State Fair this year with good reactions. Chipstix plans on making the donut burger a regular menu item at future fairs.

This year's Alaska State Fair has been one of the slowest fairs in years. While vendors say they can't quite explain it, with weather good and the economy on an upswing, the focus is now on this weekend as things wrap up. So much of the fair is about stimulating the local economy and providing jobs, and one vendor says just two weeks of work can help pay for someone's entire future. “I think it makes an impact,” said Mary Littlefair, owner of the Cheesecake in a Cone stand.

In an annual taste test done at the Alaska State Fair, Alaska-grown produce wins nearly every time over produce flown in from the Lower 48. Thursday is Alaska Grown Day at the fair. The idea is to get the fair back to its roots by promoting Alaska agriculture, as the cooler temperatures and the long days of sunlight seem to make the fruits a little sweeter and the greens a little greener.      “It's fresher so it tastes better, it has lots more nutrients and it helps the local economy,” said Carol Kenley with Alaska Grown.

Alaska State Fair visitors with no flying experience can take control of a helicopter through a challenge offered by Caster Aviation. For $25, anyone over the age of 16 can participate after watching a short safety video. The pilot will take the helicopter off the ground, and once it's stable allow you to take control. The challenge is to hover over a 40-foot area for two minutes. If you succeed, your name will be entered in a drawing for five hours of helicopter instruction. One participant says it's a whole different flying experience.

Thousands flock to the Alaska State Fair every year, making it easy for a kid to get lost in all the commotion.  Finding a kid at the fair, can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The hustle and bustle of crowds get in your way and there's plenty to keep your kid distracted. but this year there's a company that wants to give parents peace of mind.  Secura Trac offers GPS locators for kids. There are three ways to use the locator. If the kid gets lost, parents can use their smart phone to pull up a map with the kid's location or call the customer service booth to have Secura Trac track them down.