This place used to be a really fun place to visit every summer. It has really gone down hill. The food options are not nearly as good as it was 20 years ago. Also, there are less rides and other things to enjoy. I would rather spend my day reading a dictionary then visit the Oregon State Fair again. read more

Wow. Just Wow. What a GREAT change to the OSF this year! Whoever was in charge def knew what they were doing. It felt so much more like a carnival than a dirty state fair. I loved the new ride layout and company managing them. I loved the way the food and vendor areas were laid out throughout the fair the entertainment acts throughout. I appreciated being able to take my beer/cider and drink it around the grounds as well. It was just a little more positive and laid out as well. I heard amazing things about the all you can eat BBQ that was onsite. I didn't get to try them but hope they are back next year. I also loved seeing that first responders and veterans and their families were given free entry. Very cool. I am actually looking forward to next year for the first time in a long time. read more

I was gettin' around pretty good for a while in 2007 as I was spending some time in Oregon, hoping to fit into a new life and got invited to the State Fair. I had a great time enjoying lots of cool exhibits, food, smiles, rides, getting snubbed by llamas and even goosed by a Holstein as I tried to have my picture taken with her. Lol. The hoodrat element typical at the Pomona and sometimes Sacramento fair, was absent while we closed the day with some really great honky tonk blues dancing. Cool! read more

I brought my girlfriend to the fair and told her how great it was all the years I went prior , but not this year , the set up was different my favorite booth were gone , still some good ones . Prices are getting out of hand for everything , we walk through everything twice trying are best to have some fun it's just not the same ,really kinda lame . We left , this was our fun day so much for that :( who ever organized it this year was not very good . Im sure lot of people enjoyed there selves , we just didn't see the same . I must add we had a Phil's lemonade(we love lemonade) so we said yes to a fresh squeezed $7 32oz lemonade, we paid for one with ice all the way to the brim ,that leaves you about 16oz of lemonade, ok you rip people off , now we drink some, it taste like hose water , oh I was mad , I wanted to confront them but my girlfriend just wanted me to eat the money so I did . read more

i was getting my vaccine here and i'm a minor. the lady let my sign for it when later i was told it was a FEDERAL CRIME. she straight up claimed she did not know the law and let me sign. she then also told us the wrong information about a second dose. we were not told that we had to check in, the line she told us to wait in was wrong, and she said it would take twenty minutes when instead i waited for two fucking hours. then she also made the appointment for a different day than we were told. they should not be in the medical field without knowing the fucking law. this place is a joke and i will not come back ever. your fair also fucking sucks too read more

The Oregon State Fairgrounds is hosting the Discover the Dinosaurs traveling exhibit this weekend. Took 6 grandkids. A ripoff! $12 each plus $4 parking. Definitely not worth it. Plastic moving Dinosaurs not actual size, no real bones and entertainment only for the very young. read more

In all fairness, no pun intended, I grew up going to the orange county and LA County fair and even the Midstate fair in Paso Robles California, so when I heard the word "state fair" I expected a real fair. This almost seemed like a Swapmeet more than a fair with a few shoddy rides and a people mover riding over the affair that looked like it needed an overhaul and a paint job, it was moving so slow that riders were getting bored. I went to a couple decent concerts, mostly artists coming up or has-Beens, the first concert I went to was Everclear and the audio was absolutely horrible. The second show was Becky G and it was a bit better. Then there was the dog show, I actually stood there for a good 45 minutes watching and waiting and hoping I would see something interesting or phenomenal and all I saw was a disorganized Group of people throwing objects over a pool and a bunch of dogs running and jumping but never catching the objects. It was sad and hideous. These people actually get paid for this? I am not joking, I would not make something like this up! I must have watched them throw 30 objects and not only did the dogs never catch the object but they never even came close, yet people were clapping over and over again like I was stuck in a bad dream with people who believe that every kid who loses in peewee football and Little League baseball should win a trophy! I was given 15 free tickets and parking passes but only ended up going two days and only for the concerts. I made my way around and bought a few over priced items just to show support to the vendors and I tried just about all of the different foods so I felt like I was going to explode and almost everything is deep-fried but oh well. I ended up giving away all of my other tickets to some people who really did enjoy it, so don't be too skewed by my review I have just seen a lot of amusement parks and fairs all around the country and literally lived five blocks from a very large swap meet in Los Angeles County that we would ride our bikes to on the weekends as kids so it is very hard to impress me. read more

Oregon State Fair - Becky G concert 2015 - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Site of the Historical 2016 National Antique Truck Show in May hosted by the Oregon Trail Chapter of ATHS and The Pacific Northwest Truck Museum read more

Not a lot to do. I guess it's fun to walk around for a little bit. Saw some cute farm animals. The rides available seen more like a town carnival than a culminating state fair. I was very disappointed. I thought there would be more vegetarian options available. I don't think I'll be returning next year. read more

Good luck! The $11 admission is ridiculous. The parking is okay if you are young and healthy but forget it if you have any physical problems. The shuttle offered is a joke. I bought advance tickets and that was a waste of money. The outside staff, are incompetent and that is being kind. There is a lot of good summer entertainment but the 2013 Oregon State Fair is not one of them. read more

5 star rating but remember it is still a fair. I spent 8 hours there yesterday, was cloudy so that helped keep cool and not get to sick from the rides. My favorite part was the hypnotist, free shows and free to be in the show! Most everything is free once you get into the fair including the concerts all through the day and the bigger one at the end. Rides, games and food aren't cheap however. My recommendation is to buy online the week before the fair opens because wristbands and entrance fees are discounted. It was $5 or 10 tickets for one ride, $35 wristband makes up for itself after 7 rides plus you get 3 free games. I personally only rode four rides because I get sick easier so getting 80 tickets for $40 for both my boyfriend and I made more financial sense while our nephews got the bands. They also had the best petting zoo I have ever been too, the animals look happy, healthy and clean and were really calm despite all the people. They had a zoologist bring out reptiles and amphibians and talk about their biology/ecology and let everyone touch several of the animals. The animals were well taken care of by people who were well educated and knew the animals needs. There were crafts, STEM booths and old timey typical fair things. I enjoyed every minute. Tips for planning for the fair: Bring bottles for refilling water, plenty of fountains near restrooms and I would bring healthy snacks because all I saw was fair food and it wasn't cheap considering the quality. They didn't check my backpack, so wish I had brought more food. read more

Had a great time until I came across an especially rude vendor at one if the bars. It was very hot so thought I would get a cocktail. I visit the US every year from the UK and am actually a US citizen, but live in the UK. Because of my accent one of the vendors took it upon himself to be extremely patronizing and wouldn't accept my ID. Told me in the USA I had to carry my passport with me, which isn't true, especially as I am a US citizen, buy hey he just assumed incorrectly. Who carries their passport with them everywhere on vacation at the risk of losing it? The guy tried to intimidate me, was very rude and when I walked away, called me back and served me anyway (because my husband has already been served so I gave his drink back and walked away and didn't pay) It put a downer on the whole day. The things the guy said to me were incorrect and if they are going treat people who they think are non US so rudely, they need to get their facts straight before rudely telling me lies about what I should and shouldn't do. read more

I love the Fair. Been going to this fairgrounds my entire life and I love going every year. Even though I am now too big to ride any of the rides, I still enjoy going and looking at all the exhibits and eating all the awesome fair food. Can't wait! read more

I went on opening day and got in for only $2. The Styx concert was spectacular! Unfortunately it's getting to be expensive to go otherwise. It costs me regularly $8 to get in since I'm not a senior citizen yet, plus $5 to park your car. The food there was delicious but very expensive. It cost $7 for a hamburger and $3 for bottled water for example. Least you are still allowed to bring your own food though and that is good. The rides are quite expensive. The fair lift ride is still quite a bargain though. It lasts up to 30 minutes if you get the complete round. I'm sure the reason the prices are so high is that it costs a lot of money to run it. For example, the carnival has to rent the space, pay their employees. pay for liability and other insurances, transportation of all their equipment and personeel, maintenance of all their rides and other equipment, setting it up and tearing it down after the fair is over, and many other expenses. I probably won't be able to attend quite as often as I used to since my pocket doesn't always agree, but still plan to go when it does agree. read more

If you have kids and like the carnival part of the fair this review probably won't help you because I don't have kids and never go through the carnival at any fair. This year's fair (2012) was better overall I think than last year. Prices are high but parking is free. The best food is the Scones and the ice cream cones at the red barn. This year I did something new to me. I visited the art village and bought a bare piece of pottery and glazed it myself. After painting the glaze on they have people there to put it in the fire for you and you come back and hour or so later to pick it up. It was very cool. I also enjoy watching the dog shows going through the petting zoo and looking at the rabbits and horses and catching a few other shows and concerts. I almost never go into the buildings were all the big vendors are, I find it annoying. The outside vendors are much better, more local and more non-profits are outside as well. The photography salon was the only thing I was very disappointed with this year. It was so much smaller than in previous years and they didn't have as much space as they have in the past. That is something I've always enjoyed, looking at local photographer's work. read more

Had a great time at the fair. We go most years, mainly for the entertainment. Though we missed seeing Funny-man, Joe Stoddard this time around. We'll be back! read more

The fair was pleasant and well-organized but I was irritated by the absence of benches scattered around for a place to rest once in awhile. I was particularly annoyed by the fact that the pretty little map they hand out shows where the buildings are but does not say what is in them. There is no convenient way to find anything. read more

I understand that Fairs are money pits but I used to have a great time. The Oregon State Fair has really declined over the years. For example: A few years ago. the Pavilion had Al Yankovic (Super fun), the following year Rock & Roll display (OK). then some kids game stuff (Meh) and this year EMPTY, nothing... The outdoor theater once had the Gentlemen Jugglers/Roberto the Magnificent on stage, following year they were just performing in the walkways, following year nothing...this year I see Roberto wheeling around on a unicycle giving directions. SAD, he is a fantastic performer. Each year less and less... the classic car show??? I've had more cars in my driveway! Flower show? They should visit the Sonoma County Fair to learn from. The quilts were displayed nicely. Quote from Dog Jumping Guy: "Only in America could I make a business jumping dogs across a pool." that was fun for about 30 seconds. Last year the Olate Dog show was fun, only dog jumping this year. Even last years booklet is now a sheet of paper. Parking (handicapped) was good. Food was the usual. Vendors were nice. read more