LA County Fair is a 16-day, family-friendly community celebration that usually starts on the first Friday of May. Held at Fairplex in Pomona, the event pays tribute to California's glorious past, celebrates the mix of diverse cultures and communities, and offers excellent summer entertainment for everyone. The fair is all about new attractions, the thrills of the carnival, and musical entertainment in every corner of the fairgrounds. The fair draws over a million visitors per year.
Fair line-up
LA County Fair will celebrate its county with a 2024 theme of Stars, Stripes, and Fun. The show will feature The Big Red Barn, full of animals and farming exhibits from Cal Poly Pomona’s Huntley College of Agriculture, the LA County Museum of Art's exhibition, Fairplex Garden Railroad's centenary, a floral wonderland in the Flower & Garden Pavilion, a parks celebration, an indie music fest return, family-friendly shows like Paul Bunyan Lumberjack and Barnyard Racers Pig Racing, and the Fair's hidden gems, including tastings and live poetry.
During the festival, the food court features a diverse selection of street food vendors. The carnival, Ray Cammack Shows, is making a comeback, offering over 40 rides and 20 games. The LA County Fair runs Thursday through Sunday and Memorial Day from 11 am to 11 pm (except for May 3 - 5 pm to 11 pm).
Concert series
The LA County Fair surely knows how to rock and dance with 12 nights of concerts (May 4 through 26) with amazing artists across multiple genres. This year's lineup includes Midland, Banda Machos, Ramon Ayala, Nelly, The Ohio Players, Los Tucanes de De Tijuana, and many more. Concert tickets include admission to the LA County Fair on the night of the concert. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.
Location & tickets
The L.A. County Fair runs at the Fairplex in Pomona. Admission at the gate costs $30 for adults and $15 for seniors and children. However, a single-day ticket ranges from $10 to $25 if booked online. Parking costs $25 when purchased at the gate but $22 when booked online. You can also get a discounted first two weeks of season pass for $19 or a premium season pass for $78 and $80 for premium parking. Concert tickets range from $40 to $182
The origins of the festival
The County Fair in Los Angeles was founded in the 1920s in the town of Pomona when a group of local businessmen converted a 43-acre beet and barley field into fairgrounds. Originally, the main events of the fair were chariot races and an exhibition of a winged passenger aircraft. Nowadays, the main crowd draws are rides and parades, the carnival, animal exhibits, an outdoor miniature garden railroad, as well as pavilions with a variety of fried food and barbecues.
Over time, the fair has got some modern elements, such as local artists' exhibitions, freestyle motocross, and a summer series of concerts with famous musicians. Since the fair's inception, more than 89 million visitors have attended the annual event.
