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San Francisco Chronicle
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Top 12 county fairs: Summertime heats up as festival gates open around the region
Get out your sunscreen and comfortable shoes. Whether you're seeking a lazy summer day or a thrill, now's the time to enjoy rides and fair foods on the carnival midway, as well as loads of live entertainment, as the Bay Area brings the heat with a cavalcade of regional fairs. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How to Tortuga: Updates on tickets, transportation and set times for your favorite country stars
The boots-in-the-sand hoedown known as the Tortuga Music Festival is on its way back to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, the annual pilgrimage of country-music fans taking place April 4-6. The 2025 edition will feature two headliners at the height of their popularity in Luke Combs and Jelly Roll, along with crowd-pleasing heartthrob Keith Urban, who has not played the beach since 2018. In addition to the headliners, Tortuga 2025 is particularly strong in No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, to borrow some buzzy March Madness lingo. They include Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis, Cody Jinks, Marcus King and up-and-comer Wyatt Flores. Other performers to look forward to include Shaboozey (nominated for five Grammy Awards at ceremonies in February), pop-rock crooner Gavin DeGraw, Ludacris, The Original Wailers, rapper Yelawolf and Ezra Ray Hart, a collaboration featuring Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Emerson Hart of Tonic. Also worth seeking out is a set by Delray Beach indie rockers Artikal Sound System on Friday at 3:35 p.m. The band, led by spirited vocalist Logan Rex, in February released a shimmering new album, 'Are You Smiling Yet?' Since its revelatory debut in 2013 with headliners Kenny Chesney and Eric Church, Tortuga has been one of South Florida's great success stories, revealing the region as a country-music hotbed and showing what is possible for large gatherings of music fans. During its first dozen years, Tortuga has been a model of efficient execution, moving 25,000 fans on and off the beach each day, with few law-enforcement issues reported. It has been named Festival of the Year by the Academy of Country Music three times, in 2016, 2019 and 2023. Things To Do | Dierks Bentley coming to South Florida: Here's when tickets go on sale Things To Do | Sting coming to Hard Rock Live: Here's how to get tickets Things To Do | Billy Joel concert at Hard Rock Live postponed due to medical procedure This year's festival has again made single-day tickets available, especially helpful to locals who lack the time or the cash to spend on a three-day pass. On the down side, the price for a single-day ticket is $199, an increase of 33% from the $149 charged in 2024. The price for single-day VIP tickets is $799, up 2.5% over the $779 charged last year. Proceeds go to a good, locally relevant cause: Tortuga Music Festival was founded by nonprofit Rock the Ocean — created by part-time Fort Lauderdale resident Chris Stacey, a diver, ocean-environment advocate and music industry veteran — as the first large-scale music festival focused on ocean conservation. You'll find the Conservation Village is a centerpiece of the festival site and home to dozens of organizations that work on sustainability for the ocean and species that live in it. The festival has raised nearly $5 million for these initiatives. For more information, visit Here is a look ahead to what you'll find at Tortuga Music Festival 2025, the best way to get there, set times for your favorite acts and more. For more information, visit Tortuga Music Festival takes place Friday, April 4, through Sunday, April 6, at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, 1100 Seabreeze Blvd., north of the B Ocean Resort Fort Lauderdale Beach. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. each day. The main entrance is on the north side of the festival site, with the box office and will-call booth nearby, on the sand behind the Sunset Stage. The VIP box office is in the lobby of the B Ocean Resort, 1140 Seabreeze Blvd., on the south end of the site. There will be VIP entrances on the north and south ends. Acts will perform on three stages: The Main Stage on the south end of the site, Sunset Stage on the north end, and the tented Next from Nashville Stage in the middle. Friday, April 4: Denitia (1:05 p.m.), Angie K (1:45 p.m.), Jenna LaMaster (1:50 p.m.), John Morgan (2:20 p.m.), Jade Eagleson (2:40 p.m.), Gavin DeGraw (2:50 p.m.), Bayker Blankenship (3:35 p.m.), Artikal Sound System (3:35 p.m.), Gary Allan (4:10 p.m.), Charlie Worsham (4:35 p.m.), Marcus King (5 p.m.), Parker McCollum (6 p.m.), Ludacris (7 p.m.), Jelly Roll (8:25 p.m.) Saturday, April 5: Karley Scott Collins (1:05 p.m.), Ashland Craft (1:25 p.m.), Meghan Patrick (1:45 p.m.), Avery Anna (1:50 p.m.), Lily Rose (2:20 p.m.), Mae Estes (2:40 p.m.), Wheeland Brothers (2:50 p.m.), Bryce Leatherwood (3:35 p.m.), The Original Wailers (3:35 p.m.), Wyatt Flores (4:10 p.m.), Abby Anderson (4:35 p.m.), Ezra Ray Hart (5 p.m.), Jordan Davis (6 p.m.), Shaboozey (7 p.m.), Keith Urban (8:25 p.m.) Sunday, April 6: Thomas Edwards (1:05 p.m.), Caylee Hammack (1:45 p.m.), Noah Hicks (1:50 p.m.), Restless Road (2:20 p.m.), Lanie Gardner (2:40 p.m.), Rodney Atkins (2:50 p.m.), Kashus Culpepper (3:35 p.m.), Bumpin Uglies (3:35 p.m.), Corey Kent (4:10 p.m.), Lauren Watkins (4:35 p.m.), Yelawolf (5 p.m.), Cody Jinks (6 p.m.), Megan Moroney (7 p.m.), Luke Combs (8:25 p.m.) Tortuga Music Festival tickets are on sale at Reminder: You can exit and re-enter the festival once per day. One-day passes: Single-day, general-admission tickets cost $199; single-day VIP passes cost $799. Three-day passes: Three-day GA passes cost $355. The new three-day GA+ pass (including access to a dedicated lounge area with air-conditioned restrooms and a full-service bar) is $560+. Three-day VIP passes are $1,599, and Super VIP is $2,474 (there's a wait list). Parking: With no dedicated festival parking, using a ride-share service or the Water Taxi shuttle is encouraged. For information, visit Water Taxi: During Tortuga, Water Taxi service will offer pickups every 20 to 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily from three departure points with nearby parking garages. Stop 1 — Riverside Hotel and Stranahan House: 335 SE Sixth Ave. Stop 4 — Hilton Marina and Convention Center, 1881 SE 17th St. Stop 8 — GALLERYone hotel, 2670 E. Sunrise Blvd., next to The Galleria mall (where parking is free) Three-day Water Taxi passes cost $75; single-day passes cost $35. Passes must be purchased in advance. For more information, visit Brightline: The high-speed rail line offers service to Fort Lauderdale from five departure points: Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Groups of three or more get a 25% discount. For schedules and ticket information, visit Bags will be searched on entry so, for the sanity of everyone behind you, know the rules: Only clear-plastic reusable bags no larger than 12-by-6-by-12 inches will be permitted (no plastic shopping/grocery bags). Smaller clutch purses and fanny packs measuring 6-by-9 inches or smaller do not have to be clear. CamelBak-style hydration packs that are 1.5 liters or less also do not have to be clear, along with diaper bags and medically necessary bags. Here are some of the items you're allowed to bring onto the festival site: Sunscreen (nonaerosol), fanny packs, beach towel, snacks (one reusable gallon-sized bag of snacks is allowed), empty reusable water bottles (they can be filled for free at water stations inside), e-cigarettes, lawn chair (low-profile beach chairs, bag chairs, inflatable sofas allowed in the designated chair zone). Strollers (with accompanying child) are allowed. Among a long list of items not permitted at Tortuga are alcohol or any beverages, aerosol cans of any kind, glass containers, blankets, zoom-lens camera, iPad or tablet, GoPro camera, drone and other recording devices, coolers, umbrellas, tents, grills, flags/totems. For a complete list, visit Tortuga is non-cash. Payments can be made with your wristband, if registered with the Tortuga App or at as well as with credit and debit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay. There will be stations inside the festival where you can transfer cash to a prepaid card. Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@ Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and X @BenCrandell.
