County fair begins today

It’s time once again for the San Diego County Fair, the largest county fair in the United States with more than 1.6 million visitors annually.

Held from June 2 through July 4th in Del Mar on Jimmy Durante Boulevard, this year’s fair theme is

“Where the West is Fun,” highlighting the history of the West and San Diego County in the mid-to late 1800s, said Fred Schenk, a member of the board of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which operates the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds and runs the annual county fair.

In the spirit of this year’s theme, fair guests can sample a nearly inexhaustible variety of food, entertainment, exhibits, rides & games throughout the beautiful and historical Del Mar Fairgrounds. Fairgoers can pan for gold, tell tales ‘round the campfire, mosey on over to the Main Street Saloon, or explore an old stagecoach.

The San Diego County Fair is also known for world-class exhibits in fine art, photography, woodworking, jewelry/gems & minerals, and home & hobby, and the Paul Ecke Jr. Flower & Garden Show. Not to mention an unsurpassed view of the Pacific Ocean from the Ferris Wheel.

The Toyota Summer Concert Series at the San Diego County Fair features nationally recognized entertainment every night on the main stage on the racetrack, with live entertainment on an additional eight stages located throughout the fair grounds.

The 2017 concert lineup features: La Arrolladora Banda El Limon, Patti Labelle, Peter Cetera, Toby Keith, Roberto Tapia, Collective Soul, Grand Funk Railroad, Darius Rucker, Spirit West Coast, Grupo Intocable, Switchfoot, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, A Gospel Festival, Calibre 50, Trevor Noah, Jeremih, Leann Rimes, Dan + Shay, Jeff Foxworthy, Paquita La Del Barrio, Anuelah Johnson, Lauren Alaina and Sundance Head, Aloe Blacc and War, among others.

Here’s a few tips to help you get the most out of your 2017 San Diego County Fair visit:
• Kids read 10 books and get into the San Diego Fair free any day.
www.sdfair.com/pdf/2015/exhibits/school_programs/2015_reading_cert_en.pdf. Visit the San Diego County Fair on Tuesdays, June 23 and 30 — All kids 6-12 and younger are admitted free.

• A great deal is a season pass to the Fair – 25 days for just $25.
www.sdfair.com/index.php?fuseaction=tickets.season_pass

• There’s always new, imaginative culinary delights every year at the fair. This year your taste buds will explode with the Totally Fried SlimFast Bar, a chewy chocolate crisp SlimFast Bar dipped in pancake batter, fried and topped with powdered sugar and chocolate syrup. The Totally Fried Peanut Butter Pickle, a pickle stuffed with peanut butter and fried in cornmeal batter.

For more information visit https://sdfair.com.