CALI Strong at the San Diego County Fair / Del Mar Fairgrounds 2017

• What is the San Diego County Fair location?
• What is the San Diego County Fair schedule?
• What is the Del Mar Fair?
• What about the photo contest at the San Diego County Fair?
• Where is the San Diego County Fair?
• What about food at the San Diego County Fair?
• What are the San Diego County Fair dates?
• Directions to the San Diego County Fair?
• What is the San Diego International Beer Festival at the San Diego county Fair?
• What are San Diego County Fair times?
• What are the San Diego County Fair Prices?
• Where is the map of the San Diego County Fair?
• What about parking at the San Diego County Fair?
• What is the San Diego County Fair address?
• When is the San Diego County Fair?

Following the Ventura County Fair by only six short years, the San Diego County Fair was first started in 1880. Several of the state festivals from that period are still held today. It was merely an agricultural fair when it opened in 1880, and it went from place to place until it eventually reached its permanent home in Del Mar. Del Mar was chosen for its proximity to the 101 and the Santa Fe railroad line.

The name, San Diego County Fair, was not widely used to refer to the event until 2002. Before that, it had been called the Southern California Exposition, the Southern California Exposition and San Diego County Fair, and the Del Mar Fair. Some residents still make reference to it as the Del Mar Fair.

The trademark feature of the fair used to be a beauty pageant. It was an annual feature from 1936 to 2003. The winner was initially called the Queen of the Fair. Then winner’s title was changed to the Fairest of the Fair. It was discontinued in 2004 because of a legal squabble and the high cost of maintaining the beauty pageant.

The fair has had a theme every year since 1998. In 2015, it was “A Fair to Remember” and for 2016 the theme is “Mad About the Fair“.  This year’s theme “Where the West is Fun” will give visitors a chance to explore the rough and tumble Wild West. There will be country music, a rodeo, Fiesta del Charro, a Frontier Town, and a themed exhibit with a saloon, art, and history displays about this period of time in America. The Original People of this western land, their lifestyle, preserved lands, and culture which also will be exhibited in various ways throughout the fair.

For the 2017 fair, attractions & exhibits include the following:

• Asian Festival: Saturday, June 3, at the Paddock. A celebration of Asian & Pacific Islander culturesrepresenting China, India, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Hawaii, Polynesia, and Vietnam. Featuring traditional and popular entertainment, martial arts, food, and local non-profit organizations. New this year: An Asian art exhibit at 17 Hands Restaurant & Barand Sake flights at the Paddock Tavern.
• Gospel Festival: Saturday, June 24, brings gospel music to many stages throughout the Fairgrounds all day, ending with a Grandstand concert featuring Hezekiah Walker & Tasha Cobbs, all free with admission.
• Mariachi Festival: on Sunday, June 11, at the Fiesta Stage, there will be a full afternoon of authentic Mariachi and Folkloric Dance groups from San Diego and Baja California. New this year: Tequila sampling and a piñata striking session for the public. The “Fiesta del Charro” will be in the Del Mar Arena, and Roberto Tapia will perform Mexican regional music, rounding out the day’s festivities on the Grandstand stage that day.
• Out at the Fair: Saturday, June 10, at the Paddock and Coors Light Rock On Stage. A full day of family-friendly entertainment and activities celebrating the LGBTQ community, including Diva Drop, Dunk a Hunk, the Newly Married Game, musical performances, and female impersonators, featuring Simply Barbra. New this year: An Art Exhibit celebrating LGBTQ culture will be displayed in the 17 Hands Restaurant Bar.
• Whole Life Festival: Saturday, July 1, brings the Whole Life Festival to the Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show area, presented by Think Blue, featuring healthful and upbeat lifestyle choices for natural living. There will be demonstrations, lectures, authors, and organic growers all sharing their ideas about health and well-being.

From June 16th to June 18th 2017

The San Diego International Beer Festival has become one of the biggest beer festivals and competitions in the U.S.! With more than 400 beers from around the world to choose from, beer aficionados will enjoy hard-to-find specialty craft brews alongside local Del Mar favorites. Enjoy educational demonstrations with recognized industry professionals to food pairings prepared by So Rich Chocolates and Venissimo Cheese.

Organizers say there will be more than 100 food vendors sprinkled across the fairgrounds cooking up more than 1,000 different items. Some of the foods added to this year’s lineup include:

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On-Site Parking

Off-Site Parking

The dates for the 2017 San Diego County Fair are June 2 through July 4. The Fair is closed Mondays (except July 3) and the first three Tuesdays.