Above: The 2019 San Diego County Fair is now well underway. The monthlong event costs $20 for adults, with discounts for children and seniors. Photo by Lexy Brodt
DEL MAR — The 2019 San Diego County Fair is here, and with it, plenty of entertainment options for all ages and interests.
The monthlong event draws about 1.6 million visitors to the Del Mar Fairgrounds every year — with San Diegans and visitors from far and wide coming to enjoy the various exhibits, rides, and the dangerously delicious deep-fried food.
This year is no exception — with a “Wizard of Oz” theme on full display.
The event has long been met with a certain ambivalence from residents in the surrounding community, with locals nervously joking about the resulting “carmageddon” in Solana Beach and Del Mar.
And traffic concerns piqued this year after a bluff collapse on Jimmy Durante Boulevard, which took longer to clear than the city of Del Mar had originally anticipated. However, the city’s only connecting artery to the fairgrounds is now back in business.
For those looking for summer thrills, this year’s fair is offering more than 80 rides, and evening entertainment and concert options including Pitbull, AJR, Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Smokey Robinson.
There will be a new interactive video games exhibit, with plenty of information for those interested in the esports industry. Guests looking for a get-away from the hustle and bustle can look for the fair’s hidden, limited-access speakeasy, called “the Wicked Wahine.”
Several festivals will make their way to the event: on June 1, the fairgrounds hosted an LGBTQ+ festival, with an Asian Festival to come on June 15, and a Gospel Festival on June 22.
The event runs until July 4, and is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays.
For more information, visit the Fair’s website: https://sdfair.com/
