Our Best Tips and Tricks for The OC Fair

From Friday, July 18^th to Sunday, August 17^th (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays), the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa will be transformed into a fun-packed festival to fill up your summer days. We’ve pulled together our best tips, tricks, and insider information to help you have the best time ever at the fair this year.

• Purchase tickets in advance. Limited daily capacity makes for a better experience for fairgoers.
• Don’t wait until the end of the season thinking you’ll beat the crowd—the last several days of the fair often sell out.

• Rideshare is the way to go! It’s quicker and less stress than circling for a parking spot. That means more time to enjoy the fair.
• If you do want to avoid the crowds, come to the fair early! It opens at 11am. Grab a breakfast burrito, fresh-baked cinnamon roll, or acai bowl as you sip your morning coffee and congratulate yourself on making it in before anyone else.
• Better yet—turn it into an overnight stay. Stay at the Best Western Plus and walk to the fair. OC Hotel Costa Mesa or Hampton by Hilton Costa Mesa Newport Beach are a short Uber ride away from the Fair—or a longer walk for ambitious fairgoers. Hotels often sell out during the Fair, so book early. View all of Costa Mesa’s best hotels here.

• OC Fair is a celebration of Orange County’s agricultural heritage. From cattle to lima beans, agriculture was a driving force in the development of Orange County, and the Fair is a rare moment where we can get closer to our food production. Visit the Fair’s Centennial Farm, a year-round working farm, to meet animal educators, get up close and personal with exotic animals and barnyard favorites at the petting zoo, and cheer the pigs at the All-Alaskan Pig Races!

• REWIND: A VHS Revival features hand-painted, large-scale recreations of album covers and movie posters, live painting demos, and more—all capturing the spirit of the VHS era. It’s a nostalgic celebration of bold graphics and pop culture that defined a generation.
  

OC Fair is a celebration of Orange County’s agricultural heritage. From cattle to lima beans, agriculture was a driving force in the development of Orange County, and the Fair is a rare moment where we can get closer to our food production. Visit the Fair’s Centennial Farm, a year-round working farm, to meet animal educators, get up close and personal with exotic animals and barnyard favorites at the petting zoo, and cheer the pigs at the All-Alaskan Pig Races! REWIND: A VHS Revival features hand-painted, large-scale recreations of album covers and movie posters, live painting demos, and more—all capturing the spirit of the VHS era. It’s a nostalgic celebration of bold graphics and pop culture that defined a generation. Remember: get your tickets in advance, go early, and carpool or rideshare. What are you looking forward to the most? See you at the Fair!