The Orange County Fair is an annual event in Costa Mesa, California. It was first held in 1890 in Santa Ana, California, and has since grown into a significant event, attracting over 1 million visitors yearly.
The OC Fair is a vibrant summer tradition packed with fun for all ages. Expect a lively mix of carnival rides, quirky fair foods, live entertainment, agricultural exhibits, and unique shopping. With daily attendance capped at around 50,000, the fair offers a festive atmosphere featuring free attractions, including Centennial Farm, culinary demonstrations, and the Explorium Kid Zone. Open Wednesday through Sunday, it’s a perfect outing for families, friends, or solo adventurers.
2025 Orange County Fair Discounts
The Orange County Fair offers several discounts and deals to help visitors save on admission and enjoy the fair at a lower cost. This is a summary of the key discounts and deals:
Here are the available discounts and money-saving options for the 2025 Orange County Fair (July 18–August 17) based on current information:
Admission Discounts:
Seniors (60+): $9 daily – Kids (6–12): $9 daily – Kids 5 and Under: Free every day.
Every Day Passport: $60, allows entry every day, including sold-out days, with 2-for-1 entertainment offers and exclusive discounts on select performances—limited availability.
Concert/Event Tickets: Tickets to shows at Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar, or Action Sports Arena include same-day fair admission.
Read & Ride Program: Kids aged 5–11 who read three books can submit a form at ocfair.com to receive a QR code for two free rides in Kidland.
Carnival Discounts: Presale Carnival Ride Wristbands are available online for $49 through July 4, offering unlimited rides and two free games (valid on Wednesdays and Sundays only, redeemable by 8 p.m.). On-site wristbands cost $54 starting July 18.
Fun Pass: Purchase carnival rides and game tickets online in advance to save time.
Carnival Ticket Bundles: 80 tickets for $100, 40 tickets for $50, 16 tickets for $20.
Food Discounts: $5 Taste of Fair: Sample food and treats for $5 each, available daily until 4 p.m. Admission tickets must be purchased separately.
Parking and Tickets
Parking is $15 for cars and $30 for buses or limousines and cannot be reserved in advance.
Advance ticket purchase is required; no tickets will be sold at the entry gates during the fair.
To Purchase Tickets online, please visit the Orange County Fair Website.
Orange County Fair Concert Series
The fair hosts several concerts featuring various artists, some of which take place at The Hangar and the Pacific Amphitheatre. Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre, alongside performances at The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The fair’s theme, “Find Your Happy,” sets the stage for unforgettable evenings of music, with something for every taste—country, rock, pop, reggae, and tribute acts. All concert tickets include same-day fair admission, making it a great deal to enjoy both the music and the fair’s rides, food, and attractions. To make the most of your visit, purchase tickets early at pacamp.com or ticketmaster.com.
Orange County Fair Food and Attractions
Some of the highlights of the Orange County Fair include the carnival rides, which offer thrilling experiences for fairgoers. The fair also hosts several concerts featuring various artists, some at The Hangar and the Pacific Amphitheatre. In addition to the entertainment, the fair is renowned for its diverse food offerings, ranging from traditional fair favorites like funnel cakes and corn dogs to more unique and innovative options.
Since the turn of the century, the Orange County Fair has been a yearly event. It’s where you can enjoy the midway’s twinkling lights and buzzing sounds, complete with nostalgic and modern games and rides. The Centennial Farm is also a four-acre working exhibit designed to educate guests about agriculture and highlight California’s rich agricultural heritage.
In addition to the farm, you can enjoy traditional staples, including cooking contests, arts and crafts, and various animals. Horses, cattle, goats, sheep, turkeys, pigs, dogs, and rabbits are all on display, as are the Future Farmers of America youth and 4-H who raised them.
But if that’s not enough, the OC Fair’s carnival is designed to provide electrifying thrills. You can experience an updated 100-ft Ferris Wheel ride, the hair-raising Chaos, the Viper, Tilt-A-Whirl, and the classic Zipper.
After spending an entire day exploring the exhibits and trying various culinary creations, it’s amazing how some of them taste much better when served on a stick or fried in bubbling oil. For instance, Chicken Charlie’s deep-fried Kool-Aid and Girl Scout Cookies are popular choices.
Orange County Fair Open Days and Parking Fees
The 2024 Orange County Fair will be held from mid-July to mid-August, excluding Mondays and Tuesdays. It will be hosted at the OC Fair & Event Center at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, California. Parking at the Orange County Fair is $15.00 per carload. Carpooling is a great way to save on parking fees.
Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-Midnight
Monday-Tuesday Closed
Unfortunately, Russell Bros. Circus is not here this year.
Page updated. It seems that Google is tagging rancona@ocfair.com as a spam email address. So your email and comment go into the spam folder.
My husband and I wanted to come just for the vendors, in the past years they have had some cool things to buy, Is it just as good this year and worth paying to see just for the vendors?
Food vendors, I assume. Yes there are plenty of them and the food is just as good, just more expensive.
How do we pre-purchase the unlimited ride wristband with the $35 fee? Is there a promo code?
Page info has been updated. The unlimited ride wristband for 2022 is $49.00. You might as well go to Knott’s berry farm for only a few dollars more.
I wanted to go, but you make a good point about Knott’s (we already have season passes). I really wanted to go to try the food but just myself & my 2 teens would cost around $200 or more. Seems expensive for a fair.
Going to the fair was an inexpensive family outing, but not anymore.
Admission is $14.00 for ages 13- 59 on weekends.
Parking $10.00
Unlimited ride wristband $49.00
Fair food averages $9.00 per item.
Can you purchase The wristbands while at the fair? I know you can buy them ahead of time but can you get them at the fair if we decide to pay the outrageous price?
Looks like you have to buy online.”Advance tickets are required for the 2022 OC Fair. Unlimited ride wristbands do not include Fair admission. Get your Fair tickets for one or multiple wristband days!”
My wife and her sister went to the fair and said they had a good time even though it was expensive.
Could you reply to me with the names of all the musical groups performing at the fair this year.
Hello Ricky
We have listed just about all of the musical groups performing at the fair this year in the above article.
Discount Tickets for these shows that include free OC Fair admission can be purchased by following the link adjacent to each performer listing.
Have fun at the OC Fair and thanks for visiting DayTrippne.com