Illustrated cover: Fair Opening Day, Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday Oct 1 2026, a lit Ferris wheel and SkyRide gondolas over striped midway tents at dusk

Opening Night at the Arizona State Fair

The fair opened Thursday, and we were there on day one. The plan was a two-act night: Charlotte and me early, everybody else after 5:30, and the SkyRide before anything else. What we actually did was whatever the kids wanted, in whatever order they wanted it, and the SkyRide ended up being the last thing instead of the first. Nobody minded. The whole night on one wheel. ...

October 1, 2026 · 6 min · TJ Swanson