SeeCalifornia.com

As Californians say goodbye to April, the final weekend heralds the arrival of the big fair fun with Santa Barbara’s Fair & Exposition. Yep, fair season has begun and won’t peter out till mid-October.

Fairs haven’t changed much over the decades…

• You’ve got your cows, horses, pigs, chicks, lambs, and farm exhibitions and contests.
• There’s outrageous food that can put a few pounds on the average fair-goer if they don’t watch out. Like… fried frog legs, fried Hostess Twinkies, fried Oreo cookies and more solid stuff such as ribs, chicken, turkey legs and giant hot dogs.
• There’s beer & wine, sodas for kids and cool, fresh-made lemonade.
• There’s the fun zone or midway with giant stuffed animals that teens want to win for their dates.
• There’s carnival rides with the newest thrills that will make you barf up your meal.
• There’s concerts with no name acts and community groups, oldies, tributes and headliners who do the fair circuit.
• There’s merchandise in exhibit halls such as gadgets, teeth whiteners, carved wood plaques, license plate holders, hair products, foot massages, frying pans, knives and mops — you name it!
• There’s contests for cakes, pies, woodworking, art, photography and even knitting.
• There are people you may run into and actually know. We even saw long-lost cousins at one fair a few years ago!

May Fairs For You

• National Orange Show May 1-5, 2019 in San Bernardino
• Tehama District Fair May 2-5 Red Bluff
• Napa County Fair & Fiesta May 3-5, Calistoga
• Dixon May Fair May 9-12
• Calaveras Co. Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee May 16-19, Angels Camp
• Chowchilla-Madera County Fair May 16-19
• Contra Costa County Fair May 16-19, Antioch
• Glenn County Fair May 16-19,  Orland
• Salinas Valley Fair May 16-19,  King City
• Sacramento County Fair May 23-27
• Silver Dollar Fair May 23-27, Chico
• San Bernardino County Fair May 25-June 2 Victorville
• Kings Fair May 30-June 2,  Hanford
• San Diego County Fair May 31-July 4, Del Mar