The Pacific Northwest is gearing up for the Puyallup Fair, beginning Friday and running until Sept. 27.

The Fair, ranked in the top eight in attendance in North America, hosted more than 1.1 million guests last year.

Kicking off the Fair is the annual cattle drive and parade at 10 a.m. on Meridian Street in downtown Puyallup. Draft horse hitches, marching bands, equestrian drill teams and costume characters round out the 45-minute parade. Gate admission is free from 10 a.m.-noon Friday, with a recommended non-perishable food donation for Fish Food Bank.

The Puyallup Fair is a Northwest tradition which blends the old with the new. Top entertainers join grange displays, home crafts, a national photo exhibit, floral designs and rides. And, of course, there is a wide variety of fair food favorites, from scones to onion burgers.

A highlight of the Puyallup Fair is a new national traveling exhibit, Al’s Brain: A 3-D Journey through the Human Brain presented by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic. The exhibit premiered at the Orange County Fair in July/August, and was a collaboration with “Weird Al” Yankovic. The free exhibit focuses on how the brain works, with a 3-D movie featuring “Weird Al” in the Brainatorium, and hands-on exhibits from the Pacific Science Center’s Brain Power.

The Puyallup Fair also is hosting the Justin Boots Rodeo Playoffs of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Watch the top 24 cowboys and cowgirls in each event as they compete for a purse of more than $540,000, the largest purse in the Pacific Northwest. Following Saturday night’s rodeo is a Party in the Dirt, featuring Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed and dancing to the rock and roll sounds of Shelley & the Curves.

On the last day of the rodeo, which is Finals, dare to wear pink with the cowboys and girls as they raise awareness for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign.

This year the Puyallup Fair released 101 free things to do. The entire list is available online at www.thefair.com.

Free things to look forward to this year’s Fair:

• Al’s Brain – A 3-D Journey Through the Human Brain with “Weird Al” Yankovic and Pacific Science Center’s Brain Power, a hands on brain exhibit.

• Deadliest Catch – Sept. 18-20. Meet Johnathan & Scott Hillstrand from the Deadliest Catch, as seen on The Discovery Channel.

• Military Mondays – Sept. 14 and 21. Free gate admission to all active, reserve, retired military and dependents, and disabled vets when they show military ID. Media partner: KVI 570 AM.

• C.P. Huntington train ride – Sept. 16. Free coupons to first 10,000 guests. Sponsor: American Family Insurance.

• ToonzVille celebrity characters, such as SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Diego. Dates vary.

• Fiestas Patrias – Sept. 20, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sizzling Mexican entertainment, food and booths. Media partners: La GranD 99.3 FM and Ke Buena 1210 AM.

• Senior Tuesdays and Red Hatter Fun – Sept. 15 & 22. Coupons, treats, games, and fun.

• Habitat for Humanity House – Daily. Watch volunteers build an entire house, which will be transported to its permanent Pierce County site later. Join in hands-on activities, sign house beams. Media partners: STAR 101.5 FM, KOMO Radio 1000 AM/ 97.7 FM and KOMO 4.

• Charley Harper Art Exhibit – Daily. See the style Harper called “minimal realism,” in his drawings and paintings which captured the natural world in whimsical designs using the fewest possible elements.

• Antique merry-go-round – Daily. Seniors receive a ride free.

• Giant pumpkin carvings, blacksmiths at work, artists, potters, master gardeners, hobbyists exhibiting their crafts, cooking contests, and much more being demonstrated.

• Free stage and strolling entertainment includes The Coats, Travis Fox Hypnotist, Billy and the Hillbillies, the Sea Gals, Roberto the Magnificent, Jest in Time, and others.

Returning again this year are the Puyallup Backpaks full of goodies, treats, and savings. The KidsPaks are $10 each and FairPaks are $15 each. A special price has been developed when two radio station paks are purchased: $15 each or two for $25. They include KMPS 94.1 FM, KZOK 102.5 FM, and Jack 96.5 FM paks. Quantities are limited.

This year, the Fair has put together a star-studded line-up for the Columbia Bank concert series on the Grandstand. Performers include Heart, Jason Aldean, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, newsboys, James Taylor, LeAnn Rimes, and the crew from High School Musical. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Gates open at 10 a.m. daily, Sept. 11-27. Advance gate admission tickets are available at Columbia Bank and Safeway stores in western Washington:

Admission

Adults: $11, gate; $8, advance

Students (6-18 years): $8, gate, $6.50, advance

Seniors (62 and older): $8, gate, $6.50, advance

Kids (5 years and under) free

Value Packs are sold at Fred Meyer, with a 44-percent savings. The $32.95 pack includes two gate tickets, any six Funtastic rides (excludes Extreme Scream), 12 food bucks, and a 2-for-1 coupon for the 1 p.m. rodeo on Sept. 12.

Big Opening Weekend Deal lets you do the Puyallup and enjoy seven SillyVille and Midway rides all for just $20 (excludes Extreme Scream). Purchase online at www.thefair.com until Sept. 10, and valid on Opening Weekend, Sept. 11-13, only.

Four ride deals featured this year include:

• Monday Madness – Sept. 14. Only $1.50 per ride on any Funtastic Midway or SillyVille ride (excludes Extreme Scream).

• Extreme Deal – Purchase one full price Extreme Scream and a friend rides free. Monday-Thursday.

• Comcast Dizzy Pass Ride Bracelet – Get unlimited rides for just $25, or purchase online by Sept. 10 and get yours for just $22.50. The Dizzy Pass is valid Tue-Thu (Sept. 15-17) and Mon-Thu (Sept. 21-24). It includes unlimited Midway and SillyVille rides and $3 worth of game coupons (excludes Extreme Scream).

• SillyVille Ride Saver – Seven rides for $15 in SillyVille, Sept. 15-17, and Sept. 21-24.

The Puyallup Fair first started in 1900. This Pacific Northwest tradition is one of the top 10 fairs in North America in attendance, and features big name entertainment, the PRCA Rodeo, rides, exhibits, food, flowers, and animals. For further information about the Sept. 11-27, 2009 Puyallup Fair, visit www.thefair.com or call the 24-hour hotline at (253) 841-5045.