One of the best things about summer is the California State Fair, and we’re lucky it’s hosted in our own County. This year’s festivities kick off July 10 and will run until July 26 at Cal Expo. This year‘s agenda consists of 17 days full of concerts, competitions, vendors and as always, great food!
“We’re proud to be home to the state fair, with its iconic attractions and family friendly activities,” said Bradley J. Hudson, County Executive Officer. “It’s also a great opportunity for people to visit our County, sample our robust restaurant scene and enjoy some of our beautiful parks and recreational venues.”
This year will host a new attraction, the Inaugural United States National Drone Racing Championship. The competition will feature radio-controlled and unmanned model aviation events with 200 of the best pilots in the U.S. The pilots will be competing for a cash prize of $25,000 delivered from Flying Grounds Inc., a drone service company in a competition to be held at Bonney Field on July 16-17.
A wide variety of bands and artists will be featured in the 2015 Toyota Concert Series that will run each night of the fair, including Martina McBride, Brett Eldridge and Chase Rice, Ashanti, MKTO, Air Supply and a Led Zeppelin tribute band named Led Zepagain. Music acts are scheduled on the Golden 1 Stage at 8 p.m.
Other activities include horse racing, animal livestock, art exhibits, wine tasting, carnival rides and shopping.
The fair will be open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The carnival portion will be open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Be sure to check out the monorail, one of the two monorails in the state (the other is located at Disneyland).
Writer: Alicia Solheim, Communication and Media Intern