Today is opening day for the 83rd consectuive Sacramento County Fair. That means monster trucks, bull riding, farm animals, pony rides, camel rides, street musicians, hypnotists, puppet shows, jugglers, livestock, comedians, a petting zoo, friend food, circus acts, entertainment and shows, live music, midway rides, shopping, and more are rolling into town for a weekend of fun.
The Sacramento County Fair runs May 23-27, 2019 at the CalExpo Fairgrounds near Arden Fair Mall.
I know lots of people are all about the California State Fair, which also happens at CalExpo, but I LOVE the Sacramento County Fair because it’s way less overwhelming, it’s got a local vibe, and it’s smaller and totally doable in one day. Plus, while I could spend the whole day in the Midway hopping from ride to ride, OMG… the food is where it’s at.
Let me tell you about something special though — For the second year, I was included in the media preview night for the #SacCountyFair2019, which means members of the news media and local bloggers (like me) were invited to hop aboard the fair train, tour the grounds, watch the Extreme Dogs show and the Great American Duck Races, and of course, eat amazing fair food!
It’s been really fun being a part of these preview events and writing reviews on my blog for things like Broadway Sacramento’s Aladdin and STOMP!, Music Circus’ Little Shop Of Horrors, and even the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink.
Let’s get back to the food…
At the media preview night, we get to eat all sorts of yummy food competing for titles of Best New Fair Food, Best Savory Fair Food, and Best Sweet Fair Food.
By the end of the food tasting, I was STUFFED! I didn’t think I could take one more bite… but then they brought out even more food and of course, I had to try those too!
My favorite items of the night were the Mac And Cheese Balls and the Strawberry Pineapple Funnel Cake hands down. Some of the other things we got to try include:
- Chicken and Waffles
- Red Hot Pastrami Sandwich
- Burnt Ends Tri-Tip Sandwich
- Fried Chicken Skins
- Pig Wheels Mini Donuts
- Deep Fried Fanta
- Chicken On A Stick
- Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Fries
- Deep Fried Avocado
After the food tasting was done, we saw a demo of the Extreme Dogs show. It’s new to the Sacramento County Fair for 2019 and this extreme stunt dog show will have you in awe as lovable rescue dogs will soar through the air, catch Frisbees, and dock dive. We also watched a Great American Duck Race and some of the guests actually got to race a duck like you can do at the fair! In this show, you can cheer on your favorite highly-trained mallard duck as they race to the end of the pool and if you’re lucky, join the racing team and participate in the show.
Finally, we hopped back on the fair train for a ride back to the entrance gate past buildings with 100,000 square feet of vendor space and shopping and the Carnival Midway Of Fun that has 30 awesome rides — 20 in the main carnival and 10 for little riders ages 3-7.
Take the family to the fair!
- The Sacramento County Fair is hours are 10:00 am to 10:00 pm Thursday through Sunday and 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on Monday. Carnival hours are 11:00 am to 10:00 pm Thursday through Sunday and 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on Monday. The livestock pavilion hours are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Thursday through Sunday and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday.
- Parking is $10.000 and fair admission tickets are only $8.00/person on-site or $7.00/person presale and kids 12 and under are free every day. On Memorial Day, all members of the Military receive free admission!
- An unlimited ride wristband is $35.00/person on-site or $25/person presale and is sold in addition to fair admission.
Yum!!! That food looks amazing! Natalie, do you want to be a chef?