parking isn't free anymore

at the Fairbanks fair, and it's because too many of us showed up.

The fair opens Friday at noon and runs through August ninth on the hundred acre fairgrounds. New this year, three dollars a vehicle to park, Thursday through Saturday.

Organizers say attendance has been climbing the last couple of years and the lots have been filling right up. The three bucks is what pays for keeping all of that moving.

Here's the trade though. They added free concerts almost every night on the renovated main stage, and they've been bringing in more out of state acts alongside the static shows.

And if you've got little ones, there's a new free area called Tiny Town, built just for toddlers and young kids, and it sits away from the midway. Anybody who has tried to walk a three year old past a row of carnival games knows exactly why that matters.

One more thing worth knowing. The fair runs on more than a thousand volunteers, and one three hour shift gets you free gate admission and free parking for that day.

So yes, the three dollars stings a little. But between free music almost every night and a corner of the fairgrounds built for the kids, this year is giving more than it's taking.