As the last guest passed through the turnstile on Sunday, it marked the closing of 17 successful days with 1,117,323 visitors, the end of the Puyallup Fair era, and the beginning of Washington State Fair.

The final attendance at the Sept. 7-23 fair topped last year’s numbers by 58,141 guests.

Next year, when the trademark paperwork is complete, the event will be called the Washington State Fair. It will retain the tagline, “Do the Puyallup.” Since the fair features entries, animals, entertainment and two major youth state competitions, it was logical to have a name that fit with all the fair encompassed, participants from around the state, fair officials said.

Walk a success

The first-ever Do the Puyallup Walk to Beat Breast Cancer on Sept. 22 raised more than raised $23,000 for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The event hosted more than 500 walkers, including partners KOMO 4, KOMO Newsradio, KOMOnews.com, STAR 101.5 FM, 570 KVI and Univision KUNS.

There were three sellouts in the Puyallup Fair Concert Series sponsored by Columbia Bank, including Craig Morgan, Jeff Dunham and Tim McGraw. Popular artists included Big Time Rush with Cody Simpson, Heart, Train, and Jackie Evancho with the Tacoma Symphony.

Two feature exhibits drew huge crowds, including the Rainforest Adventure, and Our Body: The Universe Within.

For information about next yearr’s Sept. 6-22 Washington State Fair, visit www.thefair.com.