DEL MAR — Grab your gear and get ready to explore — the 2023 San Diego County Fair is less than one week away!
The largest county fair in the nation will return from June 7 to July 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds with the theme “Get Out There!,” a celebration of the region’s parks and the great outdoors.
Along with fair classics like the carnival, performances by celebrated musicians and comedians, and various expos and festivals, the 22-day event will host a slew of outdoor- and camping-themed activities and foods.
“It’s really exciting to be celebrating this theme with our partners,” said Fairgrounds CEO Carlene Moore. “As always, we are gonna be serving up a lot of fun food, there will be festivals, farm animals and a ton of family fun.”
One of the largest features will be an exhibition hall run by county Parks and Recreation, where visitors can explore interactive displays, shows featuring the region’s wildlife and information about the county’s diverse parks.
“The theme made perfect sense to reach out to Parks and Recreation,” said county spokesperson Jessica Geiszler. “It’s been a pretty incredible partnership.”
All kinds of delicious food also await attendees, from deep-fried treats like Cheetos potstickers and Oreos by Chicken Charlie’s, to s’mores pies by In Your Face Pies. In addition to more traditional carnival fare, Wicked Kitchen will offer plant-based options like vegan meatball bao and vegan ice cream bars.
Families can also enjoy all kinds of free daily entertainment — pig racing, the Camp Squawk-A-Lot Bird Show featuring Nancy Riegler and her talented parrots and The Flying Royals’ trapeze act, to name a few.
At 7:30 p.m. on select nights at the Grandstand stage, visitors can see performers like Kevin Hart, Train, Switchfoot and Nelly.
Representatives from the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the board managing the Fairgrounds, said they are excited to bring the fair back for its second post-COVID year.
“We look forward to another educational, exciting summer, and we can’t wait to see everyone get out there,” said board vice president Fred Schenk.
All tickets are available online at sdfair.com. Prices range, depending on the day, from $15 to $20 for adults and $12 to $17 for those over the age of 62 and under the age of 12. Admission is free for youth ages 5 and younger all days and for those ages 6 to 12 on Fridays only.
Grandstand tickets also include general fair admission.
Visitors can access $20 general parking at the Fairgrounds or get there via a free shuttle from the Solana Beach Train Station, the Del Mar Horsepark ($10 parking) or Torrey Pines High School (free parking.)
North County Transit District offers Fair Tripper tickets which include both fair admission and a round trip to the Solana Beach station via the Coaster, Sprinter, Breeze bus or MTS trolley or bus. Tickets are available the day of on the PRONTO app and at station ticket machines.
