The OC Fair is one of my happy places. I have so many memories there and getting to now take my kids is so fun. There are a few things we always do, but this year since Elouise and Sully were old enough to really enjoy the magic of the fair we catered a bit more to them. I’m going to share with you guys my tried and true fair tips and also the ones I’m am adding because of our experience this year. One thing you won’t find here are tips about parking or tickets (although I know they do have a lot of half price or free entry days if you check their website here) Also, most of these tips are pretty great for a trip to any fair so don’t worry if you aren’t local to Southern California, I still got you boo.
1. Check the daily events schedule to see if there is anything happening during the day you don’t want to miss
For us this is always (even before having kids) the Alaskan Pig Races. It’s the same every year but has never lost its charm for me. Here’s a few tips if you’re heading to the OC Fair and want to watch the piggies race. Always show up about 10-15 min early to get a shady spot down low close to the action. With kiddos, this just makes it double the fun. They ask for two adult volunteers in the beginning of the show, don’t be afraid but just know that you will be doing your “job” for the duration of the whole show so you’ll have to leave your family meaning it’s probably not a great idea if you’re alone with small children. They do ask for children volunteer toward the end of the show from each section of the stands. Get wild and crazy to try and get picked, it’s so fun for your kids. They also have a super cute photo opp at the end which I’ve never been able to convince Christian to do, maybe next year. Also, you have to stop by the livestock area on your way out after the show and pet some cute goaties!
2. Balance out your food choices
Fair food is typically synonymous with fried, sugary, and indulgent. However, there are actually some really great options that are guilt free, or way less intense. My rule of thumb is that if we get a fun and over the top meal, then we get a lighter and “healthier” option for our treat. This year I got brisket loaded tots for my meal (so dang good) because you gotta got big for at least one food item, right? It was easily enough for two people to share though. Christian got his regular giant corn dog (see the picture above of Elouise with it, so big!) and the kids got mini corn dogs. Which brings me to a bonus tip if you’re heading to the OC Fair they actually have value options at a lot of the food vendors. We got two mini corn dogs (actually more like regular size) with a small drink for under $10. You can click here to see all of the value options there this year. So we chose to get small and less wild treats. My favorite was this piña colada in a pineapple, it still felt super fun and was delicious! It’s still possible to immerse yourself in the fair experience without leaving with tummy-aches.
3. Go on rides
Pick one or two rides that you really want to do together. Since we had Teddy with us we took turns with the kids. We chose to do the big slide and the big ferris wheel with the kids, but they actually had kid versions of both of those that were smaller in the “kid area” (more on that later). I think it’s really part of the fair experience to do rides. There are also ticket packages where you save if you buy more, and at the OC fair they have 1/2 price rides at certain times. You can’t beat that!
4. Play Games
I mean, did you even GO to the fair if you didn’t play the carnival games? You have so many to choose from. Pro tip: there are multiples of most games, so shop for a game based on the prize you really want. Another tip, if you’re letting your kid play the game and you know that winning a prize will be important to them, find a game that has a tiny prize option. Some games have different levels of prizes and the smallest one is pretty much a shoo-in. The kids played a game where you tossed a plastic whiffle ball onto a board with holes in it and they won a small toy. They had a BLAST! If you look above 3 photos you can see a guy pushing a stroller specifically to hold his giant prizes he won. I am much happier with my kids having a tiny stuffed watermelon, but if you want to go all out there are some cute prize options!
5. Find the Kid Zone
I’m sure most fairs will have an area specifically catered to kids. The OC Fair does not mess around, they go big for the kids area! So many kid friendly rides and games. If you have smaller kids this is the area you want to be! The OC fair also had a kids text area that had shows and performers, a little pretend play area, and a little rainforest exploration exhibit. It was much cooler and nice a shady in there, it was the perfect place to stop midway through our trip!
The moral of the story is, fairs are a whole bunch of freaking fun and if you have the chance to go to one, DO IT! You seriously will have an experience that is unlike any other. There’s nothing quite like a county or state fair, there’s just a little bit of magic mixed into all the fried food and pop up rides.
