Vendors Busy Preparing For Tulsa State Fair

By Dan Bewley, The News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The 2010 Tulsa State Fair begins in less than a week. This year's version claims a giant cheese sculpture and a traveling roller coaster.

Vendors are cleaning and exhibitors are prepping their displays.

"Trying to get ahead of the crowd, beat everybody else in here next week," said Dustin Toliver, Derksen Portable Buildings.

This is the first year Toliver has brought his portable buildings to the Tulsa State Fair.

"It's just good advertisement. We'll handout several hundred brochures while we're here and that's got names, numbers, prices," said Toliver.

"New" is a prime word this year at the fair.

"The BMX bike show, we have the Bixby's rainforest, we have the lumberjack show," said Amanda Blair, Tulsa State Fair Manager.

And then there's the Comet II, billed as the world's largest traveling roller coaster. It's only visiting two fairs this year, the Tulsa State Fair and the Wisconsin State Fair.

"It's been being set up since the beginning of September and it's just a phenomenal ride that we're very fortunate to have," Blair said.

In 2009, attendance for the fair was 835,000, but the bad economy was still an issue and it rained eight of the fair's 11 days. This year, fair officials are optimistic that the economy has rebounded and Mother Nature will cooperate.

"Actually we're looking forward to a great turnout. With the economy, we feel like people are staying in Tulsa so it's kind of like Tulsans' staycation," said Blair.

The Tulsa State Fair runs September 30 to October 10.

You can still buy mega ride passes at Fair Meadows or Gate 12 off 21st Street. Advance gate and ride ticket sales end Monday. Those can be purchased at any QuikTrip, Walgreens or the fair ticket office.