The Los Angeles County Fair: Endless and Inexpensive Fun for Everyone

The Los Angeles County Fair is a well-known annual venue that most residents within the Los Angeles vicinity have heard about. The question is: Have they ever actually attended? I have gone and it is simply a must. The venue occurs around Labor Day weekend and last for about a month. It is located on the vast Pomona Fairplex Fairgrounds right off of the 10 and 57 freeway interchange. The exact address is 1101 W. McKinley Avenue, in the city of Pomona (zip code 91768).

The fair usually kicks off with a promotion the opening weekend, where the admittance fee for everyone is only $1 from 10 AM to 1 PM. Regular admittance fee after hours and on other days is $17 for the general public. Children ages 6-12 get in for $7, seniors 60 years and older get in for $9, and Children under the age of 5 are admitted for free. Seasons passes are also available along with special group discounts. Make sure to head out early on the opening promotion weekend, because the surrounding freeways and side streets get very crammed with traffic and can take you anywhere from one to hours just to make it to the parking entrance from the freeway off ramp. There are several entrances into the fairground, so don't panic. General parking fee is $10. Preferred parking is $15. There is a tram available for those who park in the general parking area for it can be a far walk to the fairgrounds entrance.

The fair hosts various events and activities which include concerts, games, shopping, carnival rides, and exhibitions. Concerts feature anywhere from oldies reminiscent, pop stars, and hit bands. Ticket pricing for games and carnival rides are 10 tickets for $5. On the opening weekend, from 4-7 PM, tickets will have a special promotion deal where they will only cost $1. There are similar promotions for food and drinks items as well, where certain portions will only cost $1 during specific hours of the day. Distinct fair food items include giant turkey legs and fresh squeezed lemonade. There are also specific locations fenced off as marketplaces where vendors can sell and promote their products. Special exhibitions include museum galleries, railway train viewing, a circus, petting zoo, and science exhibits.

The Los Angeles County Fair is a great place to go to bring the whole family, for a casual date, or a day to hang out with some friends. Even when I have attended, there were still some things I missed out on and couldn't experience in just one day. For the promotions and pricing, it's a good deal in comparison to bringing the whole family to a nearby amusement park where one admission ticket for one person would cost the price of three person's tickets worth at the fair.

Sources: http://www.lacountyfair.com/2010/index.asp