Photos from Port of South Whidbey’s post

The Port of South Whidbey posted this to its Facebook page on 2026-02-11 12:23:41.

By the 1980’s the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds & Events Center was beginning to look a lot more like it does now. Island County took ownership of the grounds in the late sixties and helped make sure the Whidbey Island Fair was able to continue without being at risk due to the problems that come with a property that needs a lot of upkeep.
Most of the barns and the arena were built in the 70’s and 80’s and are still in use every year during the fair.
There are lots of familiar faces in these photos from 80’s. Jim Freeman was one-of-a-kind and was the emcee for many years. Who else do you recognize from these photos? Tag yourself or your friends if you would like.
Thank you South Whidbey Historical Museum for providing these beautiful photos for us all to enjoy.