San Diego County Fair 2009 Guide

Editor’s Note: This guide was  updated on June 5, 2009. It includes information on additional discounts for admission as well as information on access for the disabled.

The 2009 San Diego County Fair will be operating from June 12-July 5, 2009.

Every summer, thousands of people participate in the San Diego County Fair as vendors, performers, competitive exhibitors, sponsors, employees, and of course, as visitors. In other words, a whole lot of people get involved in the daily activities of the San Diego County Fair.

Some people, both locals and tourists alike, still refer to this annual summer event as the Del Mar Fair.  A few years back, the Del Mar Fair was renamed the San Diego County Fair in order to capture all of San Diego County, and not just the lovely coastal City of Del Mar.

This year’s fair celebrates “Music Mania” and will include music from a wide variety of sources including marching bands to garage bands. In fact, the fair will feature nearly 24,000 performers and entertainers, from nationally known bands to children’s dance troupes. Musicians of all genres and ages will be showcased and appreciated by thousands of people.

Be sure to use this handy calendar of events to help you select which days you would like to attend the San Diego County Fair.

San Diego County’s annual fair features all the normal stuff you would expect to find: garden shows, gadget shows, animal talent and human talent competitions, hobby and craft exhibits, pie-making and pie-eating competitions, carnival rides, and live music throughout the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Suffice to say, a feast for the eyes and ears, not just the stomach.

Speaking of the stomach, let’s talk about the real reason many people go to the fair - THE FOOD. We go for the gooey, crunchy, high-carb, high sodium, high fat, and nutrition-deficient food. In other words, everything your doctor and dentist tell you not to eat. But isn’t that what makes it even more fun? So, get your groove on and enjoy every delicious and sinful morsel. Take comfort in knowing that there is a lot of ground to cover at the San Diego County Fair so you will be getting some exercise.

Here are some great ways to save money on food at the Fair. We really like the “$2 Taste of the Fair Tuesday” which allows you to graze through participating food vendors’ booths and sample a cream puff, a fried zucchini, some freshly fried potato chips, etc.

The other reason many people flock to the San Diego County Fair is the big musical acts that pay a visit to our fair San Diego. Most of the concerts are free with your paid admission to the Fair and most of them begin at 7:30pm. This year, the concerts that require tickets in addition to fair admission include Melissa Etheridge, David Cook, David Archuleta, and Kelly Clarkson.

Concert early line-up and admission is allowed for people needing assistance.  Please let the Ambassadors (staff in blue shirts or jackets) or Fair staff know that you need assistance.

The 2009 San Diego County Fair Musical Lineup:

June 12th - Heroes of Woodstock featuring Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat, Big Brother & the Holding Company

June 13th - Melissa Etheridge: Live and Alone *

June 14th - Los Tucanes de Tijuana

June 16th - Phil Vassar

June 17th - Bret Michaels

June 18th - David Cook *

June 19th - Loretta Lynn

June 20th - David Archuleta *

June 21st - Banda El Limón with Los Creadorez

June 23rd - The Guess Who with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels

June 24th - Bill Engvall

June 25th - The B-52s

June 26th - Switchfoot

June 27th - 5th Annual Gospel Festival: Israel & New Breed with Tonex and more

June 28th - Intocable with Patrulla 81

June 29th - Clint Black

June 30th - Creedence Clearwater Revisited

July 1st - KC and the Sunshine Band

July 2nd - The Music of ABBA

July 3rd - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

July 4th - Smokey Robinson with Navy Band Southwest and Fireworks

July 5th - Kelly Clarkson *

*Denotes paid admission required.

Regular Admission Prices for 2009:

Adults, $13

Ages 62 and older, $7

Ages 6-12, $7

Ages 5 and younger, FREE

Note: If you want to save $2, purchase your admission ticket at Albertsons before you get to the San Diego County Fair.

Discounts on Admission:

Save the Most Dough on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - If you only plan on going to the San Diego County Fair once, have we got a deal for you.  If you really want to see how low you can go, go to the San Diego County Fair on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 when the admission tickets will only set you back $2 per adult. Plus, kids get in FREE on Tuesdays, including June 16th. But wait, there’s more! Tuesdays are also the special $2 Taste of the Fair days. June 16th is THE day to save money at the Fair and have loads of fun! The only catch is that you must purchase the  special $2 admission tickets at participating Albertson’s supermarkets.

22 Days for $22 - If you really LOVE going to the San Diego County Fair and want to go more than once, strongly consider purchasing the Best Pass Ever, a Fair Season Pass, for only $22 per person. The special pass will get you into the fair for all 22 days. What’s the catch? The last day to get the Best Pass Ever is Thursday, June 11, which is the day before the Fair opens. You can buy the Best Pass Ever online or at the Del Mar Fairgrounds box office.

Family Value Pack - A family of four can save a lot of money by purchasing this value pack for $51 which is a 43% discount. The package includes 4 adult admission tickets, 4 drink coupons, 20 ride coupons, and 1 parking pass. Please note that packages sold online after June 11 will not include a parking pass.

Ride Lover’s Pack - For only, $39.95, you can ride until you can’t take it anymore. This special package includes one adult admission, one drink coupon and 50 ride coupons. Please remember that 50 ride coupons does not mean 50 rides since some rides take multiple tickets. If you love the rides at the San Diego County Fair, this package is just what you want to purchase.

Discounted Ride Coupons - If you love the rides, but don’t want to spend the $39.95, you are in luck. For $15, you can buy a sheet of 25 ride coupons. This package includes 25 ride coupons and will NOT be sold on the Fairgrounds after June 11th. However, it will continue to be sold through Ticketmaster through the end of the Fair.

Please note:

• Most rides take 3-6 coupons.
• Drink coupon is good at participating vendors only with food purchase.
• Admission ticket may be used by any age visitor (children 5 and younger are always admitted free).
• You can also buy these packages by phone, 1-800-745-3000.
• Price does not include Ticketmaster fees.

Hours for 2009

Monday-Friday - Admission gates open at 11am.

Saturday and Sunday - Admission gates open at 10am.

Admission gates close at 10pm Sunday-Thursday and at 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

Grounds close at approximately 11pm Sunday-Thursday and at Midnight on Friday and Saturday.

NOTE: The San Diego County Fair is closed on June 15 and June 22.

Parking:

$10 per vehicle ($15 for RVs) in the Fair’s paid parking lots.

FREE parking, ACCESSIBLE transportation, and FREE shuttle service are available every day of the San Diego County Fair at the Horsepark, just two miles east of the Fairgrounds. On weekends and Friday, July 3, free parking, accessible transportation, and and shuttle service are available at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo campus and Torrey Pines High School.

Guests with Disabilities and/or Service Animals

Guests with disabilities are permitted to bring in motorized scooters with three or more wheels to be used as a mobility device. Wheelchair & electric scooter rental locations are at the O’Brien & Arena Gates .

Accessible entrances to the Fair are the O’Brien and West Gates. The O’Brien Gate is closest to accessible parking and off-site parking lot shuttles. The West Gate is where the North County Transit District buses stop.

If you have a caregiver attending the San Diego County Fair to give assistance to you, that person will be admitted at the admission gate at no charge with the paid admission of the disabled person. There is also a private restroom large enough for a wheelchair plus a caregiver at Guest Services.

Although pets are not allowed at the San Diego County Fair, service animals are welcome at the Fair. When your service animal needs to relieve itself, please look for the signs designating the locations: on the west side of Bing Crosby Hall, between the hall and the Seaside Pavilion; and in the Sparkletts Water Infield by the restrooms near the racetrack.

According to the San Diego County Fair organizers, reasonable accommodations for most services can be provided with at least 72 hours of notice. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Billburg at (858) 792-4217 or abillburg@sdfair.com.

Do’s & Don’ts:

This year, the big “Don’t” at the San Diego County Fair is the new no-smoking policy for 2009. There will be designated areas for smoking on the grounds - please ask at the gate. As always, alcohol cannot be brought into the fairgrounds. Please refer to the link above for all the information you need to know before you go have a rollicking good time at the San Diego County Fair.

Alexandra Hart is the co-editor of the Visitors Guide for SDNN and the co-owner of San Diego Travel Tips.com, a local’s guide to San Diego. Email Alexandra at: sdtips (at) sandiegotraveltips.com

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 4:40 pm and is filed under Visitors Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.