It’s officially time for the California State Fair. This year’s epic event, running now through July 30, features competitions for everything from livestock to cannabis as well as performances by popular musical acts, cooking competitions and more.

Whether you’re hoping to enter the corn dog eating competition or check out the demolition derby, keep reading for the scoop on everything you need to know about this year’s 17-day fest. 

The California State Fair is being held in Sacramento at the California Expo Center.

The Main Gate is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Check the website for specific gate, carnival and box office hours. 

California State Fair tickets can be purchased online through Etix. An adult daily admission ticket runs $16. That price drops to $12 for seniors and $10 for children ages 5-12. Kids ages 4 and under can enter the fair for free.

If you’re planning on riding some of the rides, you can score an unlimited ride wristband in the Carnival area of the fairgrounds. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays wristbands cost $37, while on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the prices goes up to $42. If you’re a more casual rider, then you can also purchase individual Carnival tickets for $1; however, many rides take more than one ticket to ride.

The fair also offers a few package deals for tickets including a family four pack that includes ride tickets and a parking pass as well as a state fair season pass that will get you inside the fairgrounds multiple days.

On Thursday, July 27, all active duty, reserve and veteran personnel, and their spouses and dependents, from all branches of the military as well as active members of law enforcement, firefighters and first responder units can enjoy free fair admission courtesy of Military, Veteran & First Responder Appreciation Day. 

If you plan on driving, parking at the California State Fair is $15. Bicycle parking is available at the Blue Gate, Main Gate and Gate 12. Accessible parking spots for visitors with wheelchairs or other mobility devices are available at each admission gate. 

The Main Gate (located on Exposition Boulevard and Heritage Way) has disabled parking spaces on either side of the gate while the Blue Gate, the Rodeo Gate (just west of the Blue Gate) and Green Gate (west of the Main Gate) has disabled parking spaces in front of the gate. 

There are a ton of popular artists performing at this year’s fair through the Toyota Concert Series including Kool & The Gang and Third Eye Blind, and admission to see them is free with a CA State Fair admission ticket. Most concerts start at 8 p.m., so you can experience the fair all day before settling in for the show.

While admission is free, if there’s a performer you want to make sure you get a good seat for, the fair is also offering reserved seats for each performance, with prices starting at $25.

• Monday, July 17: Boys II Men
• Tuesday, July 18: Ginuwine
• Wednesday, July 19: LeAnn Rimes
• Thursday, July 20: Scotty McCreery
• Friday, July 21: Revisiting Creedence
• Saturday, July 22: The Isley Brothers
• Sunday, July 23: Third Eye Blind
• Monday, July 24: SantanaWays
• Tuesday, July 25: 38 Special
• Wednesday, July 26: Ashanti
• Thursday, July 27: George Thorogood & The Destroyers
• Friday, July 28: Gin Blossoms
• Saturday, July 29: Kool & The Gang
• Sunday, July 30: Trace Adkins

Beyond musical performances, on Saturday, July 22 at 7 p.m. the fair is hosting the Big O Tires Demolition Day. The event takes place in the Rodeo Arena and requires a separate $10 ticket. The event promises to be an unforgettable night of “impacts, crashes and twister metal.”

One of the best parts of going to the California State Fair is eating, and this year’s fair has a ton of great food to choose from. Sink your teeth into classic fair favorites and special menu items like Pulled Pork Fries, Deep-fried Twinkies and Samosa Tacos with Tikka Masala.

While you can purchase items from vendors as you like, the fair’s Food Festival Pass offers visitors the opportunity to purchase food at a bit of a discount. When you purchase a Food Festival Pass online for $34, you get four Food Festival Pass tickets that can be redeemed at vendors who have entered their food items into the Food Festival and Competition.

The pass won’t work for all food, but it works for a good number of items, all of which are valued at $12 or more. At full price those four items would be at least $48, so you can save a little cash if you know you want to explore the fair’s food scene and buy the pass in advance.

On Saturday, July 22 the Best of California Brewfest will take place inside the fairgrounds. This event requires a separate ticket and all attendees must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid ID; however, your Brewfest ticket will also score you admission into the fair.

Since your ticket comes with admission to the fair, you can arrive early or stay late and take in all the fair has to offer like the Isley Brothers concert at 8 p.m.

The California State Fair is home to competitions for everything from wine to livestock. While it’s too late to enter most of this year’s competitions, you can check out the 2023 California State Fair competitors and attend a few competitions such as Dinner 911!, a cooking competition featuring first responders.

One unique competition at this year’s fair that is still open to entrants is The Bear Cup Esports Tournament, where players compete against each other in popular video games. This year’s options include League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Sumer Smash Bros. Ultimate and Valorant. The fair is also hosting a game design competition for high schoolers and younger kids. 

Beyond the competitions, video game fans can attend a community appreciation night panel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on June 21 featuring some of the industry’s best, and on July 27, the 2022 World Champion in Call of Duty and member of the Los Angeles Thieves, Dylan “Envoy” Hannon, will be on site. 

The fair’s annual corn dog eating contest is also still open to entrants. The contest, limited to 50 participants over the age of 18, takes place on July 21 at 6 p.m. As you might expect, the goal is to eat as many corn dogs as possible, with the winner walking away with a $2,500 grand prize. Last year’s winner ate 30 ½ dogs to secure the title.

• While exciting events are going on each day, the fair’s Google Play and iOS app can be a great place to plan your adventure and help you navigate the fairgrounds once you’re inside.
• All visitors must follow the fair’s bag policy. All bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC no larger than 12″ x 12″ x 2.” Other acceptable bags include a one gallon clear plastic bag (Ziploc or similar) or small clutch.
• Wheelchair, scooter, wagon and stroller rentals are available. Reservations can be made ahead of time online.
• Visitors can bring sealed plastic water bottles into the fair. However, no glass, aluminum cans, Hydro Flasks, metal water bottles or outside alcohol are allowed.
• The only animals allowed inside the fair are are certified service animals; pets and emotional support animals must be left at home.
• If you need to store your items at the fair, lockers are located at the Main, Blue, and Green Gates.
• Fireworks take place on Friday and Saturday nights after dark and can be seen throughout the fairgrounds.

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at [email protected].