Your ultimate guide to the California State Fair: Tickets, free concerts, food and more
Summertime isn’t fully complete without a funnel cake — or two — a few pats to a goat’s back at a petting zoo and a free concert.
And lucky for you, you can cross off these summer bucket list items and more at the California State Fair.
The fair is back at Cal Expo for the summer, kicking off Friday and running to July 30.
Whether you’re a first-timer or if the fair is your seasonal stomping ground, here’s what you need to know before you go:
Where is the fair?
The annual fair will be at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd.
According to the Cal Expo website, there are three gates you can enter the fair from: the Main, Green and Blue gates.
Fair prices
There’s still time to get early bird prices.
If you purchase your fair ticket online from now to Thursday, prices are $14 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and up, and $8 for children 5 to 12 years old.
Regular admission prices, which run from Friday to July 30, are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for kids 5 to 12 years old. Anyone 4 years old and under are free.
Bring extra change for parking at the fair because it’s $15 for a spot.
Be sure you’re buying your tickets directly from the Cal Expo website, as third-party vendors can hike prices up by five times. And you might not even be able to get in with those tickets.
- READ MORE: Beware of overpriced state fair tickets, CalExpo says. Vendors may charge 5x actual price
Overall, with admission prices, food, drinks and carnival rides, it’s not a bad idea to find ways to save some coins.
You can purchase a wristband for unlimited rides, instead of getting tickets for each ride. Starting Friday, the wristbands go on sale for $37 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Prices increase to $42 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
There’s also packages and season passes starting at $34.
- READ MORE: It’s almost time for the California State Fair. Here’s how to save money on tickets and rides
State fair rules
Like any other public gathering, there are some rules you’ll need to follow so everyone can have fun and be safe.
For example, illegal substances are prohibited, keep your clothes and shoes on and keep any real or toy weapons at home.
Kids under 18 should be accompanied by an adult that’s 21 and over, and bags must be made of clear plastic or vinyl and not exceed 12 inches in length, 12 inches in width and 2 inches in height.
Free concerts
The fair will be hosting the Toyota Concert Series on the Golden 1 Stage each night, and the concerts are free with general admission.
This year’s line-up is star-studded with R&B icons, country stars and more. This includes Ginuwine, Ashanti, Trace Adkins, LeAnn Rimes, Boyz II Men, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Third Eye Blind.
You can also reserve a seat for the concert for $25 online.
- READ MORE: Grammy-winning R&B icons to join California State Fair concert series. Here’s the full lineup
Fair food
Coming for the classic fried or sweetly unique fair food?
The fair is hosting a food festival with participating vendors. With a food festival pass, you can find select vendors who are serving special items.
You can find sweet barbecued pulled pork, deep-fried apple pie, wild boar jerky and butterbeer milkshakes. Vendors include Cakes By Jeff The Chef, Soul on a Roll and Drewski’s Grilled Cheese Truck.
The passes are $34 and you get four tickets to redeem one item at a vendor.
If you want to expand your taste buds to all the food vendors at the fair, come Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Taste of the Fair. Each vendor will have one item priced at $4.
Other fair fun
Other events include the Big O Tires Monster Truck Mayhem on the opening day, Friday, and Saturday for $10; a free Made in California Fashion Show on Saturday; and a corn dog eating contest.
There will also be art exhibits, The Ultimate Dog Show where dogs do tricks, and a variety of competitions for livestock, wine, cannabis, cheese and olive oil.
You can find the full list of fair programs online.
Hot temperatures and cooling areas
Sacramento’s infamous heat is back for the summer, so be sure you’re ready for the sun at the fair.
Weather for the kick-off weekend is forecast to be “dangerously” hot, with temperatures potentially reaching a high of 104 degrees and a low of 69 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
There will be several air-conditioned buildings so fair-goers can find some refuge from the heat.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Your ultimate guide to the California State Fair: Tickets, free concerts, food and more."