Deals, discounts, and an app can prepare you for a less expensive trip to the San Diego County Fair this year.
For deals, discounts, and more, fair personnel offered tips.
“On our website ( https://sdfair.com/plan-your-visit/tickets/ ) you’ll find info about our season pass, unlimited rides, discount tickets, a discount coupon book, military discounts, read for free admission, and kids get in free on Fridays. You should find everything you need linked from this page,” said public information officer for the fair Annie Pierce.
Costco, while supplies last, offers a fair bundle that includes four admission tickets, a parking pass, ride tickets, passport booklet to the fair redemption ticket, and discount on drinks coupon. The bundle costs $79.99.
Check on Groupon for discounted admission tickets and tickets to the San Diego International Beer Festival or other events, but they sell out fast. Additionally, Albertsons or Vons offers savings of $4 off of adult tickets and $1 off seniors or kid admission tickets with a minimum purchase of $10.
Tickets, without any discount, are $20 for ages 13-61, seniors 62+ $14, kids 6 -12 are 14, and kids 5 and under are free. An adult season pass is $32.
The fair’s Fun Pass digital coupon package is available on their app. Ride tickets can be purchased- 1 ticket is $0.75 all the way up to 140 tickets for $100. There is a scan feature to add a coupon package QR code.
Home & Hobby contests offer free admission for various one day contests. If you have an award-winning-level recipe for salsa or guacamole, there is a contest, kombucha contest, or even a family baking contest. Check the fair’s website for dates these one-day contests are held and registration deadlines.
Beekeepers who harvest honey will be happy to hear of a home harvested honey competition. Check under one-day contests online for the details.
Casual farmers—aka gardners— who grow their own produce can enter a produce competition for a $5 processing fee and enter their tomatoes, berries, peppers, and many other classes of vegetables fruits, and fruit and vegetables baskets.
Check every one-day contest’s rules for the deadline to register and further details.
Foods like a burrito filled with ramen, a cotton candy ice cream sandwich, deep-fried crème brulee, an emerald burger for $10.99, and Dorothy’s grilled cheese are part of the Wizard of Oz themed foods or new offerings. Depending on how long you stay of course, food and drink costs for the day will vary
The San Diego International Beer Festival tickets and the Distilled San Diego Spirit & Cocktail Festival tickets can also be purchased on the fair’s website.
Check the fair’s website for parking fees and areas as well as transit times.
But, to take a moment and think about next year’s fair and a fair memento that you might like to take home after the 2020 fair. The fair, well before they open, hold photo shoots of select individuals. Those individuals – men, women, and kids’ images will appear on their San Diego County Fair’s street pole banners. Those banners are not only on the street light poles as you enter the fairgrounds but also around town.
Contact the fair, some photo shoots are held in February, and find out how to be selected to appear on the banners.
The San Diego County Fair runs through July 4. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays in June, the fair’s operating hours typically are 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Check sdfair.com for details.
