Alaska State Fair Giant Vegetables: How Cabbages Top 100 Pounds

The Alaska State Fair in Palmer is famous for one thing above all: vegetables the size of furniture. Here's why the Mat-Su Valley grows giants — and where to see them.

Blame the midnight sun

In high summer the Mat-Su Valley gets 19+ hours of daylight. That marathon of sunlight, plus rich glacial soil, lets cabbages, kale, and other crops pack on weight all season long.

Record breakers

We're not talking slightly big. The Alaska record cabbage tops 138 pounds, and giant kale, turnips, and cantaloupe have all set marks here. The weigh-offs are a fair highlight — crowds gather to watch the scales.

See them at the fair

The giant-vegetable competitions run during the fair's late-summer dates in Palmer. Time your visit for a weigh-off if you can — it's pure Alaska.

Plan your visit with our Alaska State Fair guide, browse events in Palmer, and see what to eat at the fair.