Ventura County Fair
photo of Garden Street gate
Garden Street gate
Statusactive
GenreAgricultural show
FrequencyAnnually
VenueSeaside Park (Ventura)
Location(s)California
Coordinates34°16′34″N 119°18′3″W / 34.27611°N 119.30083°W / 34.27611; -119.30083
CountryUnited States of America
Years active149[1]
Established1875 (1875)[2]
Previous event2023
Next eventJuly 31 to August 11, 2024
Attendance333,000[3] (2023)
Area63 acres (25 ha)[2]
Websitewww.venturacountyfair.org

The Ventura County Fair is an annual event held each August in Ventura, California, United States, at Seaside Park, commonly called the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The fair includes an agricultural show, carnival rides, food booths, and nightly concerts.

History

Ventura County Fair

The first Ventura County Fair took place in 1874 at the end of the local San Miguel Days harvest festival with attractions that included cockfighting, bullfighting and horse racing, as well as nightly balls.[4] From 1877 it was held at Pierpont Bluffs, until 1891 when it was moved to Port Hueneme. The Seaside Park property that includes the Ventura County Fairgrounds was donated to the county in 1909 by E. P. Foster,[5] and the fair began to be held there from 1914.[6]

The fair was formerly held at the beginning of October, reflecting its focus on agriculture. In 1987 the event was moved to August in an effort to boost attendance by taking advantage of better weather.[4][7]

The fair attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year.[8] The County Fair parade was held on the nearby Main Street in downtown near the opening day for many years,[9] but the parade is no longer held due to budget concerns.[10]

During the fair, Ventura city police provide 24 hour security. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office Mounted Enforcement Unit assists with horseback deputies.[11]

No fair was held in 1917–18 because of World War I, 1942–45 because of World War II and 2020–21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Musical entertainment

Many notable artists and bands have played at the fair, including The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix Deep Purple, The B52’s, Smash Mouth, and Smokey Robinson.[13]

References

  1. ↑
  2. 1 2 Wenner, Gretchen (August 13, 2019). "Ventura County Fair attendance bumps back up above 300,000". Ventura County Star. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  3. ↑ Kisken, Tom (September 27, 2023). "Cannabis events spark up interest from Ventura County fair board". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Ferro, Shaunacy (August 5, 2010). "A timeless affair". Ventura County Reporter. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  5. ↑ Kalvin, Sarah (ed.). "About the Project". Fragile Sands. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ Jackson, Glenda J. (2005). Ventura. Arcadia Publishing. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4396-3095-2.
  7. ↑ Katz, Jesse (October 8, 1987). "Off-Track Betting Set to Begin at Fair". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Chuck (August 4, 2007). "An unauthorized history of the fair". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ Kallas, Anne (August 16, 2016). "2016 Ventura County Fair draws record crowds". Ventura County Star. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ Martinez, Arlene (April 25, 2019). "Ventura County Fair parking set to climb; board continues exploring gun show policy". Ventura County Star. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ Kisken, Tom (August 4, 2019). "Gilroy on their minds: Horseback deputies patrol Ventura County Fair's perimeter". Ventura County Star. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  12. ↑ Money, Luke (May 5, 2020). "Ventura County Fair becomes the latest summer event canceled due to coronavirus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ Kallas, Anne (August 10, 2016). "How the Ventura County Fair draws big names at no extra cost to visitors". Ventura County Star. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
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