The old nostalgia 50th state fair........the place I loved as a child as it was the only cool rides I could get on (didn't get to go to real theme parks until college haha). How it's the same but NOT the same lol. Like every one else you have power cards and gone are the scrips. My favorite ride I still the zipper. Now coming from a father perspective.....aka wallet.....WOOF lol. $9 parking, rides and games are few bucks or more per person. Food is a whooping $15-20+ per meal lol. A Hundo $$ don't last very long......and I only have my wife and son. We had the gyro and waffle fries, forget the spots name....but that was delicious. . Greet job to all you parents with more kids, haha. However being able to see the utter joy, excitement, and fun my son had on that evening makes it all worth it..........BUT not again until next year haha. read more

50th State Fair - Family fun time at the 50th State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I haven't been to the 50th State fair like almost 25 years omgeee.. Things have have changed a lot for one thing everything is now on a pre-paid card lol. So it's 200 points for $20 and 1500 points for $100. All rides average 30points and that's only because Sunday 12n-6pm is at a discount. It could be more in the evening. Compared to long time ago there's less rides and game booths. The pre-paid cards is also good for games and food booths . They do not except any cash at the game booths anymore. It was a new experience for me but I guess it's easier that way plus more efficient. It was very hot on a Sunday afternoon but my grand nephew had fun that's the main thing . We also had pizza and cotton candy to bring home . I guess due to Covid19 it's hard to maintain workers so EK Fernandez have to go on a smaller scale carnival. It was smaller than I could remember way back when . Support local so they can still be in business read more

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good Experience to enjoy at the 50th state fair how cool the circus is in town enjoy the Live performance at the circus watching a Live Concert Band sing on stage good to watch on an Aloha Saturday Night and go to a Petting Zoo to A Llama and Pet a Cow ride some rids they and play some games win some cool prizes read more

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No wonder this place gets ranked with their ratings! It's owned by one company and it's totally a monopoly. Do your really want to call it a state fair when it's like this? I've been t California state fairs and this is like 1/50th the size. It's pretty sad, Hawaii. The person who provides the rides and food has a monopoly and it could be so much better by adding more local vendors and entertainment! Get the state involved and really promote it. Hawaii has so much to offer but you offer this? What is this? Games are rigged and the cost for Hawaii residents is too much. No discount for residents? No good food? No alcohol? No additional entertainment? Come on Hawaii... we could do better, it's just so sad how this fair is. Local residents probably don't know because they've never been to state fairs but this is sad. Please work together to make this a successful event and really highlight the beauty of Hawaii with the food and entertainment. Hawaii folks deserve more!! Parking was $9 to get in on a Saturday and we stayed for 2 hours. We spent $200 for a family of 3. Games, food and no rides. I should've gone to Dave and Buster. Please do better for Hawaii!! Come on! read more

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It's been years since we've last been to the 50th State Fair. My friends and I wanted to check it out just because so we went on a Sunday as it was 1/2 off entrance fees ($5) until 5 pm. If you grew up going to the 50th State Fair, it has definitely changed! There are no scripts but there is a card station where you will load your card and that will be used on everything in the fair (games, ride, and food). You can't just buy a card for admission. Note to self: it's very expensive. Parking is $9 per car unless you go before 3 pm. Food and the games are pricey. For example the fries were $10 and a gyro is $20. Plate lunches were $20+. At least the funnel cake is less than $10. Even some games are $5+. The most expensive game was about $10! It's just crazy! The fair was quite small compared how it used to be and it's definitely outdated. Some of the rides seem kind of sketchy because it just looks old. I get times are hard but damn we didn't realize it would be that expensive. Yup this was definitely a one and done kind of thing. read more

The price of entry is $3 (30 points) Instead of using cash, you convert your money into a card you use throughout the fair. $100 = 970 points. Parking is $9 unless you come during the flea market hours then it's $2 or $1 for Kamaaina or military. The fair is small. You can walk around it in less than 7 minutes. The rides are nice for smaller children and about 20-30 points. Great if you have younger children. I don't trust larger carnival rides. The food is extremely limited and over priced. 100 points for a small Costco bottle of water. Basically charging $9.70 for a water that you can buy in a Costco Vending machine for 25 cents. 200 points $19.40 for 4 tiny street tacos. Just crazy and the list goes on. There is no water anywhere to wash your hands after or before eating. No sanitary stations exist. I should have never touched that cotton candy. read more

Everything. This place degraded overtime. There is not much of a selection and the food wasn't that great especially for the price. read more

50th State Fair - Street tacos and turkey legs - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lots of parking and tons of fun. We decided to take the family for a night out at the fair. One definitely must try is the circus. Loved the animal acts but the equestrienne acrobats were just amazing. We stopped by a couple food booths. Trydis-had a decent Lilikoi smoked meat plat with corn and rice. Wasn't top shelf but it was good to try. We even tried elote- but too cheesy, mac n cheese- wouldn't buy again, street tacos-bland wouldn't get again, funnel cake- delicious and fried Oreos- sooo good. We played a couple of games like darts with the star as a target and balloon pop with the Jacky sack. That was my fave. I won five stuffed animal type crayons and traded them in for a mini plushy can of spam. The kieki rode pharaohs fury, gravatron, swings and the good old fave zipper. We spent about $300 on a family of four but we enjoyed ourselves. The fair is here until July 9, 2023. read more

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I've been to the fair a few years ago, and I feel that it was bigger and more fun then than this year. I feel like there was less rides, less food, less games. But this year, it was alright. Walked around to check it out first. Took less than 10 minutes. We played some games, won a few, then got some snacks! Got corn on the cob, a burger with tots, animal style tots, dino nuggies and fries, corn dogs, water, candied apple to take home, and dippin dots. Really, the only enjoyable thing was the corn. Burger was so so SO dry. Animal style tots were super oily, seems like they didn't drain the oil well. Nuggets and fries weren't fried enough and it was floppy and stale. Candied apple went straight into the trash when I got home. I took a look at the apple, and the bottom of the apple was so dirty. Like, grossly dirty, I highly doubt it was washed, or even washed properly. Such a turn off so I threw it away. Was it worth the $200 we spent? No. absolutely not. But the games were a bit fun, and we're not much of a carnival ride lover, so we didn't ride anything. Your money will go fast here, so spread it out, save some money to come, and don't come with high expectations. read more

The 50th State Fair in Hawaii, held at Aloha Stadium from May 24 to July 7, 2024, is a beloved tradition offering a mix of thrilling rides, live entertainment, and delectable food. Organized by E.K. Fernandez Shows, the fair features new attractions like the Wacky Worm Coaster and the Sling Shot, alongside classic carnival games and a live circus. Visitors can also enjoy concerts every weekend, monster truck shows, and unique performances like Mad Chad the Chainsaw Juggler . With a Fun Pass system for entry and discounts for military families, the fair provides an engaging and affordable experience for all. Although the prices can be very expensive and a rip off. read more

50th State Fair - rides - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is my first time going to the 50th State Fair at Aloha Stadium and I can't say it was the best time of my life or promise I will be back again anytime soon. I was disappointed but it really seems like a rip off. People in Hawaii work hard and deserve a better fair. $8 bucks to park and $5 for the entrance fee, come on let the kids in for free. The card system is cool, load 200 credits for $20 and use that to pay the $5 entrance fee as well as well as pay for food, games and rides. The food of course is a bit expensive but the food I had was fresh and tasty and I was pleased with the serving and service. No alcohol which is good since this is really a family event. We need a better state fair event that could bring everyone together with better value and we can all be proud of. read more

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I haven't been to the 50th State Fair since I was a child myself. It has been many years, believe me! And now, I get to bring my own children here too, in hopes to make some pretty good memories like I did as a child. There are so many things different nowadays... First off, parking, $9 at the Aloha Stadium! *cringe* To enter the Fair, you get a Fun Pass that you load with money that turns into credits. I think it was $.10/ 1 credit? So you can just scan your card everywhere to pay for things, no cash handling, debit/credit cards necessary except when reloading your fun pass at the loading stations. There are so many things that toddlers can do there! There was a handful of games our 3 year old could play and actually win prizes. He got to go through the fun house, and both kiddies go to ride the carousel with Daddy. We had loads of fun, and also got to fatten ourselves up with funnel cakes and lemonade! I was surprised that we got so much done with about $120. Of course of Mommy and Daddy had been able to ride the big people rides, it would have cost much more. So maybe we'll be back, no kiddies, to be able ride the adult rides. It's been years and looks like sooooo much fun! read more

Went to the fair tonight with my family and boy have times changed. Who is running this place and thinks it is acceptable? -Parking is $9 -New fun pass will cost you $3 which would be deducted from an amount $20+ -If it's your first time, you won't know where to stand to get in line if you arrive early -check the website for discount days -be prepared to be disappointed Today it was $20 wristband day for 10 rides. It is definitely worth it! We arrived before they opened at 6pm and were able to purchase the wristband from workers selling them prior to the entrance. There was also another worker selling preloaded fun passes for $50 which both workers were only taking cash. The rides at the fair are not bad, the wristband made it worth it for the kids hence the 2 stars. Other than that, the quality of the experience has dramatically decreased and it's a wonder if people would continue going because of it. The food was terrible and expensive. The food vendors they bring only sell juice or tea in cans. Looking for a soda, we had to go to the funnel cake trailer for their fountain drinks. They no longer have their refillable cups and it came in a small paper cup. It was the most disgusting flat soda and took two sips and had to throw it away and buy a $2 bottle of Kirkland water they were selling. Even after I told the worker and showed my very full cup, they didn't care. Now if you have little kids that will ride rides without an adult... know that the workers at the rides will not help your child or even care. Go in and help them. We had to figure out how to open the helicopter door so the kids could go inside and ride. They won't check seatbelts or lap bars so make sure you are. At the bumper cars, a 7 year old was in their own car and the lap bar was in the air and the workers didn't notice and was going to start the ride until the parent outside alerted the worker. What once was free entertainment (the circus) is now a paid experience. Anywhere from $5-$15 depending on where you sit. The games are $3-$15 with the higher priced games are just everyone wins type of thing. The $3 is typical one ball for the shot type game. They don't have the trailer with the multiple stalls and hand washing station outside. Just a line of port-a-potties. When it's late, there is no light and try not to gag because it's gross. This isn't the quality it once was. The kids had fun because they don't know any better but, adults should know the good days where it seemed like the people running the show cared about the whole experience. read more

I haven't been to the 50th state fair in a long time but boy did prices go up a LOT since I last went in 2011 LOL Parking at Aloha Stadium is $9, and you need to purchase a card to load up your scripts. Admission changes by the date you're trying to go - weekends are much more expensive than weekdays. They also only had like half the rides this year, and it was hELLA crowded. Not sure if it was mostly locals or tourists, but many of them were also not wearing masks (given, we don't have to wear masks outside anymore but I wish they would've at least encouraged it in some way) Funnel cake was $6, plate lunches averaged $13-15. The workers did a good job keeping the place clean which I admired, and there were helpful workers at the entrance to help you with the cards. Reading the reviews, it seems like the prices just keep increasing as the years go on :/ read more

For $109: Parking Admission for 2 adults and 2 kids under 40" 3 quick turns in the Ferris wheel for 2 Caterpillar ride for 2 6 minute monster truck "show" after 20 minutes of waiting and listening to the MC push merchandise and stupid flags on us 3 games 4 bottles of water and 1 order chicken tenders Lastly, the petting zoo for the 4 of us. The petting zoo was probably the best deal in the whole fair! Cows, chickens, goats, ducks, pigs, donkeys, and even llamas! Wasn't happy with the quality of our time there, the workers didn't even seem like they wanted to be there and they really rushed the rides! Won't be going back next year, not worth seeing my kids go from so excited to super disappointed because EKF wants to rush us through just to take our money. read more

I 100% agree with all of the other 1 star reviews. 9 bucks to park. 6 bucks per person to get in. 100 bucks put on our reloadable card and for that my daughter played 4 games, 3 rides, and got a bowl of horrible looking Kraft Mac and Cheese..it was sitting way to long. I had to stand in another line inside the fair to reload our card so my hubby and I could eat. The machine would not take my 100 bill and the credit card machine didn't work. It was frustrating and honestly I feel ripped off. I'm not cheap and know it's gonna cost some bucks at a fair, but we hadn't even eaten yet and the games were just to much to play if you still wanted to ride any rides. The rides aren't in the greatest shape either. My daughter went on the large swing that rolls around high in the air and I was holding my breath the whole time. In all honesty I just can't go back next year and waste more of our hard earned money. Like everyone else said, I'd rather go to Dave and Busters...and it's air condtioned! read more

You could easily spend $100 on admission, snacks (we got 2 funnel cakes and a corn on the cob), petting zoo, and games for two people. I can't even begin to imagine how much families are spending. -- You pay for parking $9.00. --You pay for admission via Fun Pass (60 credits = $6.00) --Most of the games are 30-45 points ($3.00-$4.50). --Food items are probably starting around 80 credits. For reference, my corn on the cob was $8.00. Some of the plate lunches were up to $20.00. --You pay to enter the petting zoo: $3.50 --You pay an extra $5.00 to buy feed if you want to feed the animals. I saw a worker sweeping up the fallen hay off the ground, which it might be possible they are reusing the hay to resell to people. That's just my observation. --If you go on a night that has a concert, you'll also pay extra to enter the concert. --Check online if there are discount days, or when they have half off games. I hate to sound cheap, because I'm not if the experience is worth it. I'd hate to see families wasting their hard earned money and not getting their moneys worth. The kids rides were at most 30 seconds. 30 seconds for $3.00-$4.50. Just take your kids to Chuck E Cheese. read more

We decided to check out the fair with our friends since it's been forever and a day since we've been there! Sunday Funday! 12:30pm...Got parking ($1 per person) nearby the entrance. Bought $50 worth 500 credits in the digital Fun Pass Game Card. Entrance fee was 30 credits ($3) per person. ? Rode the Ferris wheel (30 credits) It was very relaxing and enjoyable with our friends company. Not crowded at all! After, we walked to the Games and Prizes. Played the (Throw a Ball at 3 Stacked Bottles), (Get 2 Basket Balls in a Row), Dime Toss, Darts, Ring Toss on Soda Bottles, etc. We must've spent $100 because we reloaded the $50 card twice with $20. And the Dime Toss was a Cash Game so we spent at least $10 worth of Dimes. We walked happily away with my Giraffe and baby elephant stuffed animals and 2 lanyards. Rode the Bumper Cars too. That was my fav!! Had fun for 3 hours. It was getting hot and humid so we bought water bottles for (25 credits per bottle) Had a great time! read more

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A couple of weeks ago we took my daughter to the 50th State Fair. It's her first time ever going to this fair. The last one she went to was the small fair they had in Hawaii Kai during Spring Break. Ever since that carnival ended, she's been asking to go to another one. We kept telling her that the next carnival is going to be in June. So we finally get a chance to go. It's at Aloha Stadium and there's tons of parking, which is great. It's a short walk from the parking to the entrance also. Everything is automated when you get to the entrance. You buy your tickets from a booth instead of customer service with a person. You get a card that has all of your ride tokens on it. It's kind of like going to Dave and Busters. Rides are pretty expensive. A tip would be check their schedule. Sometimes they offer cheap ride times or days. All rides are cashless and ticketless so all you have to do is go up to the scan machine and scan your card. Workers don't take your card, they just stand there and make sure you're scanning the right amount of time for how many in your party are going on the ride. I'm sure it's a lot better for them because they don't have to deal with the money anymore. They just monitor and make sure all people are on the ride safely. We didn't go on many rides because my daughter is too small. But while walking around I found a wallet. I thought about picking it up but I didn't know where there was a customer service tent or a help tent. I was thinking if it were a small fair then they could broadcast it, but it was just too noisy. They should have a Lost and Found tent or something so people can turn in lost items. After riding the Ferris wheel, my daughter needed to use the bathroom. They only have port a potties there. Kind of gross but she had to go. This experience for her is ingrained in her head forever. She was pretty disgusted by the toilet. Every time we talk about the carnival she says "dirty toilet". Oh wells, can't be helped. But I bet she will try harder to use the bathroom before going to the carnival next time. Overall, good rides for kids but more customer service needed read more

Arrived at 12:30pm little after they opened. Luckily, I got parking at the entrance of the walk way. I was so blown away how things have changed. It's been over 10 years since I came to this event. Instead of the traditional tickets for entries, rides, games, and food they use a Fun Pass card (like a gift card). They have machines at the entrance to purchase these cards and input the amount of credits you want or reload. It equals to $1 for 10 credits. These machines are also located throughout the fair grounds. As you enter through the chute, you hold up the card to a hand held portable box that reads the card and deducts the entry fee of 30 credits per person. All the rides, food booths, and game booths have these same portable box. The rides averages 30 credits. A new ride called "Speed" has long arms and a small amount of seats on each end cost 100 credits or $10.00 per person. The good thing about being early is that, there are no lines at anything. We were the only ones on the Ferris Wheel. It was scary terrifying, lol. Prices have gone up for family entertainment and in my opinion, it's way out of affordable range. We did two rides and some games. We came home with 2 dolls and spent $120.00 unknowingly. We didn't even have anything to eat. Oh, we did have 2 bottles of water for 50 credits. As far as restrooms, there were portables labeled for men and women and a family one. But they had no sanitary area to wash your hands. I'm taking away a star for that. That's important. As much fun as we had, I don't know how people can afford such entertainment for there families. But I guess that's what it's all about, spending quality time with friends and love ones. read more

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It's been 5 years since I last attended the 50th state fair, but gosh the prices spiked up and the quality of the fair has fairly declined. The workers look to angry or pleased to be there. When I was a child, I had the time of my life. Don't have to worry about money and everything else. But now being in my late 20's, I think about how I spend my money on food, activities, and shopping. My stomach sank to the ground when I saw the prices. You pay $5 for admission. Expensive. Even the parking cost $7 per vehicle. Before it was $5 per vehicle the last time I came. At the entrance, you need to purchase a fun card which covers for the admission, rides, food, and games. It cost $20 for 200 credits, cheapest you can spend on your fun card. But remember that you can easily spend most of your credits on rides and will have to reload money on your card. There are reload stations throughout the fair grounds as well as credit checking machines. Looking at the food prices, they weren't reasonable. Over 100 credits for a plate lunch of lechon. The pictures made the food appeared average and not very appetizing. They had a $25 ride bracelet that allows you to try 10 rides. But they did away with that and the scripts for a card system.They should of kept that because it made coming to the fair more worthwhile. It cost 33 to 100 credits per ride with Speed ride being $10 or 100 credits to ride. My poor bf had to refill his card so we could purchase a bag of cotton candy. It was 60 credits and I only had 54 credits left. He had no more credits. The typical rides such as the ferris wheel, wave swinger, and the bumper cars seem to rust over the years. Apparently, a rider on the ferris wheel threw up in one of the car so the worker ended up dumping a bucket of water to clean the that car. That sight made me feel nauseated. No wonder why all the gondolas weren't filled. Some people either had a heavy meal or just wasn't feeling well. Attending the fair with my bf was enjoyable but the prices and the headache of refilling the card was ridiculous. In the future, I don't plan on attending the 50th state fair again. I rather spend my money at a theme park. read more

50th State Fair - View from the top - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Haven't been to the 50th State Fair in awhile so thought its time to go check it out. There's been some changes, first there's book scripts for rides anymore. You load all your money on a card (like dave&busters) and it will concert to credits. You use that for rides, games and food purchases. Minimum to get the card is 200 = $20. A ride like the Zipper costs 60 credits or $6. There's no big tent with all vendors that sell orchids and other stuff like they did before. You just pay your admission (10 credits). I kinda miss that, you check out some local items that you can check out and buy before you leave. Anyways these some familiar attractions like the swings, sizzler, zipper, Ferris wheel, and the fun house. Some new ones that spin upside down which looked like fun. They took out the swing boat ride which I was disappointed. With the 50th state fair being going on for so long, you would think they keep certain attractions and just add on so it gets bigger. However feel like it's smaller. Missed the roller coaster that they had too. Food is of course expensive, a poke bowl was the cheapest item and was still small, was $10. Eat before or after you come. Games, never change so you can have some fun there. I'm hoping that the fair changes cuz some local people doesn't get to experience the better rides that the mainland has so the least they could do is make ours good. read more

Horrible! Waste of money and time. The parking fee was $9, and then I had to buy a fun pass for $20. $20 for 200 pts to spend on rides and such didn't sound so bad. Then I found out that in order to enter the fair, they charged our card all of our points just to enter! So we already had to pay to recharge our fun card. Then my girlfriend and I enter, and the games cost anywhere between 40-60 points to play, and they only provide 1 ball for to knock down milk jugs and 1 basketball to shoot. We ran out of points so fast. The workers seemed miserable and hated life, the rides were mediocre. The 50th state fair seems to only want to rob you of your hard earned dollar. Not like how it use to be when I was a kid. 2023 was a horrible experience for the fair. Go dave and busters and save your money. read more

I went to the 50th state fair July 1, 2023 (Saturday) with one of my friends & I must say it's EXPENSIVE! So first off the parking is $9, and then you have to buy a fast pass, but I had one from the previous years so I was able to reload quickly. Then we went in and I must say we got to ride all the rides we wanted and there were barely any lines, which was nice! After we grabbed Nachos & tacos and that was $35! Then after we wanted dessert so we went to dipping dots and that's $10 for one! I had fun but it's not really worth the money if you ask me. They need to add new rides and lower the prices. read more

Parking There is ample parking surrounding the Kamehameha Lot (where the 50th State Fair is) at Aloha Stadium. Parking is usually a reasonable $5/car and there are many parking attendants around that will point you in the right direction and/or help you find a stall. Efficiency Scripts were always required for rides but now they require scripts for both rides and food. I guess this is an efficient process for them and safer for the food vendors not to be handling all that cash but it's kind of a hassle for patrons to have to stand in yet another line just to get scripts to turn around and stand in another line to get food and drinks. It was definitely an inconvenience for me when all I wanted was a drink and I had to stand in a long ass line to get scripts instead of going straight to the line for drinks and just giving them a few bucks. Live Shows There is always some type of live entertainment at the fair which is nice. Last year, they had a stage in the middle of the fair where all the benches and food vendors were. This year, they had a tent next to the animal performances where the stage was. They had a nice children's choir perform there the evening I went. In addition to the live singing, they have a petting zoo and animal performances. Last year, there were lion shows and this year they have seals and a grizzly bear named Tonk that does tricks. They have multiple shows throughout the day/night and they're free but to get good seats, you have to get there early. Price Like everything else in Paradise, the prices have gone up over the years. This includes the entry fee, food, games and rides. Most of the games now cost $2 and the prizes aren't that great. The food is pricey as well. I paid $10 for a huli huli chicken plate, about $6 for a candied apple and $4 for 2 spring rolls. Food The fair has their normal food booths that sell pizza, nachos, cotton candy, funnel cake, burgers, fries, etc. Then they have additional food vendors that differ each year. This year, I was really looking forward to getting roasted corn but that vendor wasn't there. Instead, they had a Thai vendor and also a couple of other vendors that sold huli huli chicken and poke. There weren't too many choices like the previous years. Rides and Games The 50th State Fair still has a lot of the classic rides like The Zipper, Bumper Cars, Ring of Fire, the Ferris wheel, etc. and they also have a few new rides as well. In previous years, they had bungee jumping for their featured "daredevil ride" and this year they had a contraption where 2 people sit in a pod-like chair and get launched in the air like a slingshot. The games haven't changed much. They have the games where you pop the balloons with darts, horse race by rolling balls into the holes, shoot the stars and try to get rings around the Pepsi bottles. Most prizes are various sized stuffed animals. Dollar bills and dollar coins are accepted for games and you can easily get change at the numerous booths around the games. Variety and Size I guess when you're a kid the 50th State Fair seems huge and there are so many things to do. Going back as an adult now, meh...I'm not so impressed. It's fairly small; you can make your way around the entire fair in no time. Most of the rides are the same from previous years which can be nice since patrons have their favorite rides and games they can return to but they get old and change can be good. Overall, the 50th State Fair is a good place to take your family, especially for first-timers for the experience. If you've been to the fair in previous years and decide not to go this year, don't worry, you're not missing much. You'll also give your wallet a huge break if you decide not to go but it's a good place to take your kids as the fair is not around for the entire year. read more

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To be young & to be a kid again!!, I miss those days!! The small kid days or the young/teen days. Yesterday's visit to the 50th State Fair sure brought back wonderful memories of my kid & young days!! I loved the carnival growing up, this was what I couldn't wait for every year. nothing to worry about, even if it cost money!! but now as parents, whatever makes our kids happy but with a price!! We stop by here as part of Father's day celebration. My daughter suggestion, since they had a Storybook Entertainment. This is the reason. Prior to going, I checked out the EK Fernandez website. Thank goodness they have all the info.! I got all my answers, took some notes, & got ready to head out. Here are my TIPS: ( for saving a few dollars- since every savings help!) 1. check their website for events/specials. free admission, Pepsi Sundays, Military day, etc. 2. Good time to go to the fair- before 6:00 PM, admission was only 1.00. 3. Street parking if you want to save 5.00 & walk in to the fair. We were short on time, so we parked it in the lot. if not, I would look for street parking & walk in. savings of 5.00 + we get our exercise. =) 4. Purchase the wrist band, comes out cheaper!! 10 rides for 25.00 - ( which comes out to 2.50 per ride) my 2 kids shared this, so they each rode 5 rides. This is enough for them!! Too much spinning made them sick!! 5. Unless you have to, avoid purchasing food We went to go eat dinner after, I know eating @ carnival would cost us more $$!! I hope this TIPS will save you a few dollars. =) I noticed a few rides, I remember my childhood days. The names has changed, ex: music express- they have a new name. Area 51, I forgot what this ride was called before. I enjoyed watching the kids ride, It makes me happy!! - they are happy & having fun!! @ my old age, I'm not able to handle the rides anymore. =( sad face!! I'm glad the fair has many entertainment(s) for everyone to enjoy. I missed the grizzly bear show & circus, if I knew sooner, I'd come to the fair in May. Sunday's show: Storybook Entertainment. They had Disney Characters with small show & picture taking along with a surprise guest: Iron Man. This is fun for the kids!! My daughter at 17 enjoyed this show!! We didn't play any games or checked out the petting zoo. Stop by, bring your kids, let them have fun!! before the 50th State Fair comes to an end!! read more

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It's a fair. You've been to them before. Games, rides and the like. Except each ride cost AT LEAST $4 per person, including per adult if you are going on the merry go round with your kid. Parking $9, entry $6 per adult (reasonable), but the costs just never end. Essentially $20 at least per ride per family. Hard to enjoy if you don't have money to burn. read more

Do not come unless you plan on not eating and using the bathroom. This year, they're using chem toilets without an outside running water/sink to wash hands. If you think about all the workers ie food servers, they more than likely did not wash their hands after going... read more

50th State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I really love the 50th state fair I'n 2023 please come back for this year for 2024 but the rides that I really miss was area 51 black out and speed I wish those were all back this year read more

I want to make a quick comment on some of the reviews I read about the fair. First of all, if you plan on saving money or being cheap, DON'T COME HERE! The fair is about having a good time with your family & friends so stop worrying about $$$ yes it's going to be pricey, but that's the case with events like this. Secondly, it's going to be crowded, that's kind of a given. It's the biggest fair on the island and there are a lot of people here! The fair was a blast. I'm not much of a ride person, but I did go on Area 51 and it was awesome. The saucer spun you and the faster it went, the harder you get pinned to the wall. I saw people go upside down, push themselves toward the ceiling, and all sorts of random stuff. Be careful when you exit the ride, i felt pretty dizzyyyy! o_O the games are my favorite. You get mad props if you can win the giant bear at the lay-up basketball challenge. My favorites are the dime toss, water gun, BB gun shoot, and all the balloon dart games. The prizes are decent, though it's gotten better over the years. The lamest one i saw were the hello kitty dolls at the horse race :( it's a big game and pretty challenging, but hey if you win, you get a tiny itty bitty hello kitty doll!! Woot congrats! You can find plenty of other things to do as well like the temporary tattoo parlor, petting zoo, circus shows, lots of food vendors, occasional live music, and the many rides that I failed to mention. Have fun! read more

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Simple review as they're the only show in town so if you want to go to a state fair, this is it... Been a long time since I've gone and while there was reminded why I don't go very often. o. Too expensive for anything you'd like to do from rides to games, or eat from food to drinks. $6.00 for a 32oz soda in a plastic fair cup and straw is simply stupid. But you get to refill it for only $2.50. Yay?!? Also saw a whole chicken plate was $21. Yikes!!! o. $8.00 for parking. More than UH football. Good thing I drive electric. o Mostly same old rides tho to EK's credit, they do seem try try to get a new one every year. But $10 for a 1&1/2 minute ride is just too much. Will we go back next year, prob not unless the kids want to go and odds are they won't. They're in their 20's and not too interested in that kind of stuff anymore. read more

Located at the aloha stadium. plenty of parking for an $8 fee. I lovvvvve the carnival and anyone who doesnt like it is crazy haha. the 50th state fair is a fun place for kids AND adults!!!! they have food, games, rides and entertainment all in one place :) kids 40" or shorter is free entry BUT cant ride anything lol super fun rides and it may get very crowded with long lines but always worth the wait. fun games to win prizes along with ono food. BUT, super pricy!!! haha we spent $100 to play games, no rides just games. yikes! so $20 equals to 200 points, seems like alot but alot of the games are 30 points or even higher so then you need to refill your card again haha anything to make the kids smile right? haha the hours are until midnight! so play all night haha read more

When I think of a fair...I think cheap thrills, good food, and a great time. Unfortunately the 50th State Fair has fell short of all of that for years now. It seems like the prices keep going up, the food is not good, the bathrooms are disgusting and have no light at night. This year they did have some other options of food besides the regular pizza, hotdog, burger, fries, and pretzel. I saw a southern bbq Mac and cheese station which looked good but I didn't try it. I did try the taco station which was not bad but the carne asada fell very short of amazing. When I see videos and pictures of other carnivals around the world, most of the time the food is the highlight! We can do better than this! Maybe we should have a different company run the fair...time for a change! If you have children..of course they will have fun. This is all we got in the summer time, I just wish the quality of the event and the food was better and I wish everything would be priced more reasonably..we live in Hawaii it's already expensive to live here!!! read more

50th State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Nevermind the tiny venue and crazy expensive food vendors. I lost the Fun Pass card with about $20 in it. So, not paying too much attention, I went to one of the reload only machines to get a new card for $20. It ate my $20 bill without distributing a new card. Went to couple of employees , only to be accused of lying. Never again! read more

Overpriced and nothing but disappointment throughout. Long lines for rides that lasts 90 seconds. Food was overpriced and very little local food venders. And carni cheeseburgers were not even being sold. Wtf!?!? EK Fernandez should be ashamed of themselves. We've been going for many years and this will be our last if improvements aren't made. We'll stick with Punahou and Mililani. At least they have better food and more local venders. read more

Luckily we caught the deal day...$2 admission & all rides were $2..which kind of backfired because the lines were very long...AT LEAST 100 deep BUT was lucky enough to go in early and get on 3 good rides (sling shot, fire ball, zipper) so it was worth it--$6 out of my pocket for 3 rides (the sling shot alone is $6/coupons on a regular day) I also agree with the others who wrote about the over-priced funnel cake & whoever wrote that it'd be better if more of the parking lot was used for the fair is also a great idea! since I've been to a few in the mainland I give the rides & food 2 stars. even though Oahu is small the potential to really $$$ is here. More food booths, especially fair type foods all throughout the area, not just 1 for burgers, 1 for pizza, 1 for hot dogs..etc...but the atmosphere itself is very kick back...ONLY IN HAWAII :) all in all....good fun w/great company is what it's all about. read more

50th State Fair - Sling shot - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This fair might seem terrible compared to some on the mainland. But this is Hawaii... we have beautiful tropical beaches, lush mountains and the best weather ever. Who cares if the fair isn't the best. So yeah, Minnesotans... go ahead and brag about your giant wonderful fair... but at the end of the day, you're still in Minnesota and I'm still in Hawaii, lol! Either way, I don't go for myself, I go to see the smiles on my kid's faces... and it doesn't matter how big or small the fair is, their eyes still light up when they see all the rides and hear the music and smell the funnel cakes. And they have fun on all the little rides that have been around forever. There's just something I love about the fair in Hawaii. It's small and fun and it's just... so... Hawaii. Good family fun! read more

50th State Fair - What could be better than a light up bubble gun? Nothing. - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

RIDICULOUSLY overpriced. While not even trying to sound cheap or dramatic, this "State Fair" was incredibly expensive. Even for Hawaii... I have been to many different fairs in my life, and have not once felt like I was being cheated out of my money like I was last night. The "fun card" is probably the worst way to run a fair. It only makes sense for the owner, as it helps them overshadow the actual price of everything. We were first shocked at the price of parking. $9. I have never had to pay for parking at a state fair before, but we overlooked that. THEN we were shocked that purchasing a fun card doesn't even count as admission. You HAVE to purchase a fun card to get in, but then you can't get in to the fair until you scan the fun card for the admission price (Which comes out to $6/person I believe. It could be more, I just can't remember). Then all the rides, games, and food are insanely overpriced. As an example: If I remember correctly, the Zipper ride was about 65 points per person Each point is equal to $.10. That's $13 to ride ONE ride for two people. The swing ride we went on was even more points, and it was literally 30 seconds long. It's absolutely astonishing to me that a fair could be charging families this much money. A few more things: - The petting zoo isn't even included in the admission price - The food options are minimal, expensive, and disappointing - There are no sanitary stations anywhere I understand that the company running the fair wants to make a profit, but it's sad how much price gouging they do when families are just looking for a nice outing. I have no idea how large families can afford this on an average Hawaii income. Although we had as much fun as we could, it was not worth spending over $100 on two people for 1.5 hours and only riding 3 rides and trying some overpriced fried food. All inclusive ride wrist bands should be standard at a state fair. Minimum. Overall, I would recommend skipping the fair and going to Dave and Busters as an alternative, because you get way more fun for your money. read more

It's that time of year again and they are still allowing the 50th State fair to run the same way at the same location and with the same vendor providing rides and activities, another "Rip off" of Hawaii people! Please post your reviews good or bad especially if you go to the fair and experience the price gouging of everything from parking to food and rides. read more

I wouldn't even call this a fair. More of a big carnival. The reason why I am rating so low is because of the card system and the language that was playing on the rides. You have to use the card system to buy anything even your entrance into the place (50 credits. Which is equal to 5 dollars.). They should just use cash, because the lowest pricest thing there was 25 credits. I had credits still on my card but could not empty the card due to credits being under 25. They would not let me have a refund. If you go to a fair on the mainland you will pay cash for everything so you don't have to worry about putting your money on a card that you can only use while at the fair. The music that was playing on the rides(which was loud) had a lot of cussing in it. There are kids at the fair ( ages 0 and up), they do not need to hear that kind of language or music. I am disappointed by the fair here on island. This was my first and last time my family will be attending the fair in Hawaii. read more