Ventura County Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ventura County Fair |
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Garden Street gate
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| Status | active |
| Genre | Agricultural show |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Seaside Park (Ventura) |
| Location(s) | California |
| Coordinates | 34°16′34″N 119°18′3″W / 34.27611°N 119.30083°W |
| Country | United States of America |
| Years active | 150 |
| Established | 1875 |
| Previous event | 2023 |
| Next event | July 31 to August 11, 2024 |
| Attendance | 333,000 (2023) |
| Area | 63 acres (25 ha) |
The Ventura County Fair is a super fun yearly event. It happens every August in Ventura, California, USA. You can find it at Seaside Park, also known as the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The fair has lots of cool things to see and do. These include farm animal shows, exciting carnival rides, yummy food, and live music concerts every night!
Fair History
The very first Ventura County Fair was held way back in 1874. It took place after a harvest festival called San Miguel Days. Early fairs had horse racing and nightly dances.
From 1877, the fair was held at Pierpont Bluffs. Then, in 1891, it moved to Port Hueneme. The land where the fair is now, Seaside Park, was given to the county in 1909. The fair has been held there since 1914.
The fair used to happen in October. This was because it focused a lot on farming. In 1987, the fair moved to August. This change helped more people visit because the weather is usually better then.
More than 300,000 people visit the fair each year! For many years, there was a fun parade on Main Street. It happened downtown near the fair's opening day. However, the parade is no longer held.
During the fair, Ventura city police keep everyone safe. They provide security 24 hours a day. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office also helps. Their Mounted Enforcement Unit has deputies on horseback.
The fair was not held during some important times. It was canceled in 1917–18 because of World War I. It also didn't happen from 1942–45 due to World War II. More recently, it was canceled in 2020–21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Music and Entertainment
Many famous singers and bands have performed at the fair. Some of these include The Beach Boys and Jimi Hendrix. Other great artists like Deep Purple, The B52’s, Smash Mouth, and Smokey Robinson have also played there.
