What to Know
- Sept. 10-26, 2021 at Fairplex in Pomona; the full-scale LA County Fair will return in May 2022
- $2 tickets (advance purchase only); $10 parking; for guests who arrive by Uber or Lyft or are dropped off, the entry is $5
- Guests can expect a scaled-down celebration with an "intimate vendor village," a smaller carnival footprint, and terrific treats, too
The words "sort of" can do a lot of work in a sentence, providing a bridge from "not at all" to "yes, absolutely," without explaining where on the bridge you actually stand.
So here's where the "sort of" stands when it comes to the intriguing idea that the LA County Fair is sort of returning in 2021.
There will most definitely be a celebration, in the late summer of 2021, at the Fairplex in Pomona, which will be under the festive helm of the LA County Fair team. This new, one-time-only "Bite-Sized Fair" will include fried treats, a carnival aspect, and a line-up of fair-favorite vendors to shop.
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That said, guests should think of the diminutive to-do as a "mini version" of an event that has long been billed as the country's largest county fair.
The summer-ending, fall-beginning bash won't have all of the bells, whistles, concerts, competitions, and cute critters you've come to know in years gone by, but there will be plenty to savor from Sept. 10-26, including a compact carnival (there shall be attractions, though fewer than past fairs), colorful spots to shops, and oh, you bet, bites aplenty.
Chicken Charlie's, Pink's, and Hot Dog on a Stick will all be frying/baking/saucing the tempting snacks we love, and, for sure, mega turkey legs and deep-fried Oreos will keep the nostalgic nums strong.
A "smattering of rides and games," helmed by LA County Fair partner Ray Cammack Shows, will pop up at the Fairplex, giving midway mavens a chance to throw a ring, take a spin on the Ferris wheel, and bask in the illuminated, lark-filled lane.
Adding a rather poignant note to the Bite-Sized Fair, especially for longtime fair fans?
This is the last LA County Fair that will take place at the close of summertime, a tradition that's been in place for decades.
The fair flowers in its full form, with all the bells and whistles intact, starting on May 5, 2022.
Get stoked and keep the anticipation high: The 2022 celebration is kicking off the LA County Fair's big centennial.
The new Maytime run also means that the LA County Fair will now be the region's first major county fair to debut each season rather than serving as the festivity that unfurls at the summertime's finish line.
