Orange County Fair (California) facts for kids
The midway of the Orange County Fair in 2008.
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| Location | OC Fair & Event Center 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, California, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°40′0″N 117°54′4″W / 33.66667°N 117.90111°W |
| Status | open |
| Opened | 1890, 1919, 1946, 2021 |
| Closed | 1916, 1941, 2020 |
| Theme | Find Your Happy! |
| Operating season | Mid-July to mid-August |
| Attendance | 1 million+ |
The Orange County Fair, also called the OC Fair, is a big yearly event. It lasts for 23 days each summer. You can find it at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. The OC Fair is a fun place for everyone. It has exciting rides, yummy food, and lots of shows. The theme for the 2025 OC Fair is “Find Your Happy!”
Contents
History of the OC Fair
How the Fair Started
The very first Orange County Fair happened in 1890. It was a small event in Santa Ana, California. There were a few exhibits and a horse race. At first, different groups managed the fair. Early fairs mostly had horse races and animal shows. Around 1900, new carnival rides were added. The fair then became an event that happened every year.
Moving Around California
The fair was usually in Santa Ana. After World War I, it moved to Huntington Beach, California for a short time. In 1925, the fair moved to Anaheim, California. A rodeo and carnival were added then. For a few years, from 1932 to 1939, the fair was part of a bigger fair. This larger fair included Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. It was held in Pomona, California.
Finding a Permanent Home
After World War II, the state of California took over the fair. They bought land from an old army base. This land became the new fairgrounds. In 1949, the fair moved to this new spot. It was in what is now Costa Mesa, California. The fair became a five-day event that year. This 150-acre area has been the fair's home ever since. It has grown into a 23-day summer event.
Fair Cancellations
The OC Fair has been canceled a few times in its history. It was canceled during World War I (1917–1918). It was also canceled during World War II (1942–1945). In 2020, the fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time in 75 years it had been canceled for a health reason. Since 2021, the fair has added safety measures. These include hand sanitizers and encouraging social distancing.
Visitors to the Fair
The Orange County Fair is one of the biggest fairs in the United States. It is the 9th-largest fair in the country. Since 2021, the number of people allowed each day is limited. About 45,000 people can visit the fair each day.
Here is a look at how many people have visited the fair over the years:
| Year | Number of Visitors |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,137,555 |
| 2023 | 1,048,181 |
| 2022 | 1,055,173 |
| 2021 | 1,055,770 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,393,482 |
| 2018 | 1,470,636 |
| 2017 | 1,334,000 |
| 2016 | 1,344,996 |
| 2015 | 1,301,445 |
| 2014 | 1,337,167 |
| 2012 | 1,300,000 |
| 2011 | 1,400,280 |
| 2010 | 1,135,536 |
| 2009 | 1,070,061 |
| 2008 | 1,062,673 |
| 2007 | 1,090,653 |
| 2006 | 924,315 |
| 2005 | 1,058,192 |
| 2004 | 963,984 |
| 2003 | 881,596 |
| 2002 | 898,197 |
| 2001 | 843,347 |
| 2000 | 808,810 |
| 1999 | 724,561 |
| 1998 | 723,061 |
| 1997 | 785,944 |
Weather at the Fairgrounds
The fairgrounds in Costa Mesa have a special kind of weather. It's called a Mediterranean climate. This means it has mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. This weather is great for outdoor activities like the fair.
| Climate data for Costa Mesa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
64 (18) |
64 (18) |
66 (19) |
79 (26) |
82 (28) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
86 (30) |
68 (20) |
64 (18) |
68 (20) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44 (7) |
50 (10) |
51 (11) |
54 (12) |
57 (14) |
60 (16) |
63 (17) |
64 (18) |
63 (17) |
54 (12) |
42 (6) |
38 (3) |
56 (13) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.60 (66) |
2.54 (65) |
2.25 (57) |
.70 (18) |
.18 (4.6) |
.08 (2.0) |
.02 (0.51) |
.09 (2.3) |
.30 (7.6) |
.28 (7.1) |
1.02 (26) |
1.59 (40) |
11.65 (296) |
| Source: Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
Fun Fair Rides
The OC Fair has many exciting rides for visitors to enjoy.
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Swings are a classic fair ride.
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The Starship 2000 spins you around!
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The Zipper is a thrilling ride.
