There are 58 counties in California and 78
fairs operated under the guidelines of the Department of Food and
Agriculture - Division of Fairs and Expositions. This agency also manages the permitting of horse racing
operations (see
horse racing and wagering fairs.)
Among the California State fairs, there are some operated by the
State of California, more operated by California counties, and several citrus
fairs.
This official agency for oversight of fairs in California has a list of 78 fairs
operating annually, with some counties hosting several fairs and larger counties
such as Los Angeles having three fairs in three diverse regions.
Fairs celebrate community heritage, they allow all ages
to compete in a variety of events, hold family reunions,
display and view artwork, learn about other cultures,
premier new inventions and showcase the best of California.
Many fairs offer free tours to schools, free youth admission
on certain days, and valuable educational experiences
throughout the year.
County fairs typically include farm animals in petting
zoos, and competitions in raising livestock and animals, as
well as featured animal exhibitions. The state fairs also
follow a format of showcasing each region's agricultural
assets, as well as providing contests ranging from cooking
and recipes to crafting and art.
County fairs generally are held once in a year and the
average length of a fair is around 3 - 5 days, though the
larger fairs actually are held for over a month.
The largest and most attended fair is the Los Angeles
County Fair held at Fairplex in Pomona. Top attendance fairs
include San Diego Fair at Del Mar,
Orange County Fair in
Costa Mesa, and California State Fair in Sacramento.
San Diego Fair gets close to 1.4 million attendance..
The fair season launches in February with the Indio Date
Festival and Riverside County Fair. The event is unique and
features a desert theme. The fair season runs through
October, with a few fairs in November. The state and county
fairs don't hold events in December, in general.
However, there are many fairs that do have December
events such as the Great Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace in
the San Francisco Bay Area.
