LA County Fair 2026: map, food and ride guide

The 2026 LA County Fair is open at Fairplex in Pomona through May 31.

The LA County Fair is back at Fairplex in Pomona, and the numbers tell you how big this event is: 70 rides, 30 game booths, more than 500 acres, and eight concert nights. If you are heading in for one afternoon or trying to squeeze in a full day, the basics matter fast because tickets, parking, and ride wristbands all use online pricing that is lower than gate prices.

The fair runs Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. through May 31. That schedule matters if you are planning food stops, concerts, or the new attractions near the lagoon, because the event is packed into four days a week rather than a daily run.

Tickets, parking, and the first thing to know

The fair is cashless for entry tickets and parking, so buying ahead is the practical move. Admission starts at $18 online and rises to $32 at the gate, while parking starts at $22.50 online and costs $26 at the gate.

That price gap is enough to matter for families and groups. If four people show up without planning, the difference between online and gate pricing can add up before anyone buys a funnel cake or a ride wristband.

Season passes give frequent visitors a cleaner deal. The value pass starts at $25 and covers the first two weeks, while the premium pass costs $59 and lasts for the full run.

• Online admission: $18
• Gate admission: $32
• Online parking: $22.50
• Gate parking: $26
• Single-day ride wristband: $55 online

What the fair added this year

This year’s theme is “Play Your Way,” and the fair uses that idea in a very practical way: more rides, more food, and more side attractions than most visitors can fit into one day. The headline additions are two new rides, Sound Storm and Air Raid, plus a pirate-themed play area for children 10 and under near the Lagoon.

The fair also added “The Cutest Dog Show on Earth,” which features rescue dogs performing tricks at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on fair days. That is the kind of schedule detail worth saving before you arrive, because it is easy to miss if you are only thinking about rides and food.

“Play Your Way” is the 2026 fair theme, according to the fair’s own visitor guide.

There is also a strong mix of returning crowd-pleasers. The Budweiser Clydesdales are back, along with barnyard races, petting zoos, and the usual sprawl of vendors across the fairgrounds.

Food is still the main reason people wander

County fairs survive on a simple formula: people come for the rides, then spend most of their time talking about food. The LA County Fair leans into that with both the classics and the strange stuff that makes social media happy for a week.

You will still find funnel cake and corn in a cup, but this year’s more attention-grabbing items include sweet potato smoothie, fried mangonada, pickle pizza, spam wonton tacos, and watermelon slices wrapped in fruit roll-up with chamoy and Tajín.

That mix says a lot about how fairs compete now. The traditional snacks keep the regulars happy, while the wilder items give visitors a reason to post, compare, and maybe come back with a second stomach.

• Classic fair food: funnel cake, corn in a cup
• Novel items: fried mangonada, pickle pizza, spam wonton tacos
• Snack mashups: watermelon with fruit roll-up, chamoy, and Tajín
• Food, merchandise, and rides spread across 500+ acres

Concerts, timing, and how to plan the day

The concert series is smaller than the rest of the fair, but it changes how you should plan a visit. There are just eight shows, all on Saturday and Sunday evenings, and every one starts at 7:30 p.m.

Organizers recommend arriving at least three hours early because parking, entry, and seating can take longer than people expect. That advice is especially useful if you are pairing a concert with dinner inside the fair, since food lines and walk times can chew through your cushion fast.

Concert tickets are sold separately, but they include same-day fair admission. That makes them a better value than they first appear, especially if you were already planning to spend the evening on the grounds.

If you are trying to decide whether to go for the full day or just the night show, the fair’s timing makes the answer pretty clear: daytime is for rides, food, and animal attractions, while the evening is for concerts and cooler temperatures.

What actually matters if you are going

The LA County Fair is big enough that random wandering can waste a lot of time. A better plan is to buy tickets online, park in the lot that fits your entry gate, and pick one or two must-see items before you arrive.

If you have kids, the pirate play area and the dog show are the easiest new attractions to prioritize. If you are going for the full fair experience, the new rides and the oddball food items are the best bet. If you care more about value, the online ticket and parking prices are the numbers to remember.

The fair runs through May 31, so the real question is not whether there is enough to do. The question is whether you want one efficient visit or a second trip after you realize one day is not enough to cover 70 rides, a concert, and a food list this long.