Top 12 county fairs: Summertime heats up as festival gates open around the region
Check out the Chronicle's guide to the best county and state fairs.
San Mateo County Fair: 'Where Tradition Meets Innovation'
Get a jump-start on the county fair season with this early entry. It's scheduled to feature a midway with carnival rides, games and fair food, live music on a main stage, and multiple community stages offering local music, dance, and theatrical performances.
Headlining artists include Jefferson Starship, Better Than Ezra, Dirty Cello, Hoobastank, Everclear and others. It will offer competitive farm, home and arts exhibitions, pig races, drone shows, eating contests, roaming entertainment, and more. Themed days and programming include its new Bayside 101 Music Festival, Pacific Islands Day, Honor Our Veterans Day, Dia de la Feria and Senior Day.
4-10 p.m. Friday, May 30; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, May 31-Sunday, June 8. Closed Monday-Tuesday, June 2-3. $10-$67, under 6 free. San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. 650-574-3247. www.sanmateocountyfair.com
Alameda County Fair: 'Celebrate Summer'
Four weekends of fair-time fun will feature a lineup of live concerts including headliners Clint Black, Colbie Caillat, Tesla, Tower of Power, Air Supply and others. Nightly drone shows; outdoor film screenings; camel, hot air balloon and carnival rides; midway games; fair foods; a silent disco; 'Blues' and 'Fiesta at the Fair' mini music fests; rodeo; monster trucks; a local farmer tribute; livestock; wine; home arts competitive exhibitions; and more.
Noon-11 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, June 13-15, 18-22, 25-29 and July 2-6; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, July 4. Through July 6. $13-$42, under 5 free. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2005 Valley Ave., Pleasanton. 925-426-7600. www.alamedacountyfair.com
Solano County Fair: 'Fun for the Whole Herd'
A lot of fun can be packed into four days, and this East Bay county fair offers many ways to let loose with fair foods, carnival rides and live entertainment. Headlining bands include LaRussell and Friends, Aki Starr, and Klymaxx. Don't miss the demolition derby, barnyard animals, junior livestock auction, Family Ag Day on Thursday and more.
4-10 p.m. Thursday, June 12; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, June 13; noon-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15. $2-$66; under 6 free. Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo. 707-551-2000. www.scfair.org
Sonoma-Marin Fair: 'Country Nights & Carnival Lights'
This fair's robust agenda is set to include live music, folkloric dance and sheep dog trials. Enjoy carnival rides and midway, a dog costume contest, fair foods, craft vendors, a junior horse show and farm Olympics, home arts competitive exhibitions, and more.
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22. $14-$55,. Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma. 707-283-3247. www.sonoma-marinfair.org
Marin County Fair: 'Bug-tastic'
San Francisco's neighbor to the north celebrates its county pride with live entertainment set to include roaming jugglers, "Star Wars" character actors, beekeepers, pig races, bonsai artistry, carnival rides and midway, insects, and competitive arts exhibitions.
Live nightly main stage performers scheduled include the Legendary Wailers, TLC, Petty Theft, Zepperalla, Chris Housman, Elvis Crespo and others. There will be a nightly fireworks show, livestock exhibitions, a global marketplace, a hip-hop dance competition and more.
11 am.-11 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, July 2-6. $15-$30, under 4 free. Marin County Fairgrounds, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415-473-6400.
California State Fair
This year's state fair will feature competitive home arts and livestock exhibitions; live nightly performances including Ludacris, Bret Michaels, Air Supply, Cypress Hill, Tower of Power, Brothers Osborne, En Vogue and others; a California Kitchen stage with demos and workshops; regular attractions like the California cannabis exhibition and State Fair Farm area; plus weekend fireworks, a brewfest, petting zoo, and more.
Opens Wednesday, July 11. 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, July 27. Through Sunday, July 27. $10-$16, under 4 free. Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento. 916-263-3247. www.calexpostatefair.com
Santa Clara County Fair: 'Still Hare and Kickin'
This year marks the 81st anniversary of the San Jose fair, and it plans to celebrate with live main stage concerts, roving entertainers, a home brew contest, carnival rides and midway, a petting zoo and live animal programming, home arts exhibits, fair foods, vendors, and more.
Opens Wednesday, July 30. Through Sunday, Aug. 3. $10-$15. Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose. 408-494-3100. www.thefair.org
Amador County Fair: 'The Happiest Place on Dirt'
Take a road trip to gold county for a fair with live music, livestock and home arts competitive exhibitions, a tractor rodeo, demolition derby, carnival rides, a horse show, midway games, fair foods, marketplace, wine tastings and more.
9 a.m.-midnight Thursday, July 31 and Sunday, Aug. 3; 9 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, Aug. 1-2. Through Sunday, Aug. 3. $8-$54, under 7 free. Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 Sherwood St., Plymouth. 209-245-6921. www.amadorcountyfair.com
Sonoma County Fair: 'Hot Dogs and Cool Cats'
The Sonoma County Fair is set to include a Blues and Brews music and beer fest, Sylvia Zerbini's magical 'Liberte, A Cavalia Experience' artistic equine show, live musical performances and entertainment on four stages, horse racing, a wine country rodeo, monster truck rally, carnival rides, fair foods, vending marketplace, a Hall of Flowers, home arts exhibition and more.
Noon-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 3 and Friday-Saturday, Aug. 8-9; Noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 5-7 and Sunday, Aug. 10. Through Sunday, Aug. 10. $5-$46, under 7 free. Sonoma County Event Center and Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 707-545-4200. www.sonomacountyfair.com
Napa Town and Country Fair
The four-day fair is set to include live music on multiple stages, two carnivals and midway areas — with one geared toward younger children, fair foods, play area and makers' market. It will also feature beer and wine gardens, livestock and home arts competitive exhibitions and more.
Noon-10 p.m. Thurs.-Sun., Aug. 7-10. Napa Expo, 575 Third St., Napa. 707-253-4900. www.napafair.org
Humboldt County Fair: 'Your County Fair with a Redwood Flair'
Centered on a Western theme, the fair is set to feature baking contests, strolling performers, archery demonstration, a raptor show, vendors, a carnival and exhibits.
Opens Saturday, Aug. 16. Through Sunday, Aug. 24 Humboldt County Fairgrounds, 1250 Fifth St., Ferndale. 707-786-9511. www.humboldtcountyfair.org
Santa Cruz County Fair: 'Hay Bales, Piggy Tales & Ewe'
Day trippers to the south can enjoy the late-season county fair with a nightly drone show, livestock and horse shows, pig racing, carnival rides, fair foods, monster truck and freestyle motocross shows, live music, and entertainment.
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