Overall, a decent place to hold an event. I came here for Reptile Realms recently and this was a brand new venue for me. I didn't have to pay for parking, but from what it seems like, you can pay $20 at the school next door to support them in a charitable way or you can do fairground parking across the street. The event was inside the expo hall, which is, what I feel is a bit smaller than the other fair grounds I've been to, but it was the perfect size for the event and it never felt too suffocating or crowded. I also have to say that it's also the first reptile show I've been to where it wasn't overwhelming hot or humid, so the event hall had their AC cranked up, which is amazing. Bag check and ticket scanning went quite smoothly for us who had online tickets. The food available is what you'd expect, a bit pricier than normal, but it's not egregiously county fair level. I can't comment on other amenities that the fairgrounds has nor can I comment on what it's like to attend an event that's completely outdoors. read more

Not little kid/family friendly. All rides are 3ft (36in) req. So toddlers have 0 rides. Purchased a wristband for no reason. & there's no signs that direct to tickets/wristbands. Waste of $ read more

We went to fair this year 2026. Bummer car was horrible experience, guy who was handling it was giving more time to his friends and families while others are waiting for long to get their turn also he was letting his friends cut the lines ..very partial with them and not listening to anyother customer when we were raising this concern with him. Horrible guy... read more

Had a fun time army the fair, there are lots of buildings to walk in and check things out, one building was dedicated to the fair's history ,had lots of photos and memorabilia from the past. There are venders all over the place, I ended up buying a petrified sand dollar and a shark tooth while wifey bought two full length skirts. Lots of rides including a Bigfoot ride, ferris wheel, etc., etc. Anthony from our car club " muscle misfits " was DJ ing so we got to park a few cars near the DJ booth, over all it was a very nice experience 4 stars "took off one star because prices are absorbently high" read more

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county fair, very expensive and event area a little dated. Lack luster and not worth the $ of parking or entrance fee.

Went for the Dinosaur fair event. It was not worth the money. The parking was $20. The exhibiting was really small and had many errors like a wrong Dino species in the egg etc. read more

This review is for the County Fair. Parking was $20....admission was about $20. It looked like a ghost town. Everything was too far apart. I remember back in the day when you couldnt walk 10 feet and there was another booth of food or games or someone selling homemade crafts. Food was waaaaaaaay overpriced. It was such a let down. I dont understand why it is still going on. This is what it looks like when you buy fair tickets off of Temu or Wish read more

Dont waste your time or money. Good entertainment but no cover for metal bleachers. Too hot to sit and enjoy. Food is way overpriced and not good 10.00-Silva's linguica sandwich. Sausage was dry and bun was soft but too big for the sausage. $8.00-Hand dipped corn dog Hot dog was cheap and tasteless. Corn dog breading was salty and flavorless After two bites both went into the trash No good booths to browse at. No local artisans. Just cheaply made imported items. read more

Came here on opening night. I will not be coming here ever again. Here's why: Traffic to get here is insane and we came around 6:30pm. Parking across the fair was $10. admission to get in was $10 for adults (age 11yrs and up), we received a free youth ticket for my son so he was free other it would have been $5 for him. Ride price was ridiculous $1 for one ticket, the ride were all different, the kids ride started at 4 tickets, then you have the overpriced games, the basketball game was $10 for one ball, how crazy is that and the prize looks so cheap. As for the food expect it to be very expensive. An ice cream cone was $5. The farm animals was a total disappointment we only saw goats, rabbits, one horse, cows and chickens. I don't understand why people were selling stuff like it was a flea market. This whole experience was not what we expected, very sad for my kids. read more

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

Admission for two adults: $10 x 2 = $20 The two kids were free. Parking for 2 vehicles $10 x 2 = $20 3 hots dogs and a warm lemonade ( yuck ) = $30 Plate of tacos = $10 Cotton candy = $8 2 books for the kids from a vendor = $30 Tickets for carnival rides = $25 2 toys from a vendor = $15 $20 spent on carnival games for paltry prizes. Strawberry smoothie = $8. $196.00 total!! A total money pit. But why did i give 5 stars? Because the kids had a great time! Lots of animals like sheep , lambs , chickens and bunnies. A guy on a horse singing. Police everywherebecause of what happened at the Gilroy festival made us feel secure. The kids loved all the carnival rides. A huge area of oversized kid's toys. A reptile area with turtles , snakes and lizards. read more

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FAIR!!!!! (to POOR) Most likely my experience sucked because of two reasons. First, I've been going to the Orange County Fair (and less often, the Los Angeles) for years, so maybe I've been spoiled. I'm used to tons of international food options, but all I saw was BBQ and Mexican food ($11 for a flavorless burrito, with bad quality steak). Very difficult to find shows due to incomplete map, limited signage (where is Christopher Park?), no directories, and clueless workers (0:3 in helpful answers). [One parking attendant tried to con me out of $10]. The ground of the carnival area and the international* (Mexican) village was dusty, dirty gravel, so you'll need zapatos. The animals were far fewer than in OC's Centennial Farm)... no smallest horse or largest cow but maybe saddest rabbit (they were in cages marked Best Meat Category). The pygmy goats were a highlight...I had come for the goat races. My screenshot of the website listed goat races at 7, but they packed up early. Bah! Second, my timing may have been off since it was the last day of the fair. Vendors packed up early and the spaces were empty. It felt like "late at night, McDonald's ice cream machine is broken" in that regard. Because attendance was low they canceled both the Bird Man bird show and Hypnosis show. I had hoped he'd hypnotize me and make me believe something outrageous, like thinking the Santa Clara Fair was fun. Aside from a few photo ops, the whole experience was a big disappointment. It was less than fair. read more

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Fireworks! Awesome beautiful wonderful fireworks! Last night at 9:30 PM they started and continued for a solid 15 minutes! This was a highlight and I'd encourage coming out and supporting this "on the small side" County Fair. We got a senior discount and entry was 5 dollars. Parking was 10 dollars. In comparison to the state Fair, I'll take a county Fair any day because it's smaller and much less expensive without the mass crowds. If you go to eat fair food then I highly recommend skipping the greasy lukewarm korndogs and going straight to the Pupusa tent for a freshly made to order thick corn tortilla stuffed with beans and cheese. Probably one of the most delicious things I've ever had besides my grandmother's cooking! Yes, I bought a korndog that was as long as my forearm because I love anything on a stick but it was awful and not even close to being hot. It was barely warm. After a few bites I tossed it because it was cold and super greasy. Then I had a Pupusa - ah, so much better! We had fun walking around checking out the rides and winning two cute stuff animals. The animals in the barn were fun to check out too. You'll be amazed at the variety of beautiful rabbits that are there. The goats are playful and friendly too. It made me sad to see such low attendance for a Friday night which was obviously due to the Gilroy tragedy. For those of you with concerns, there was heavy security getting in and a good amount of security and sherrif presence so please don't let what happened discourage you from having a good time. If anything, attend to show your community support. read more

First time ever to this fair and was quite disappointed. While parking was somewhat easy to find and quick the $15 that is charged to park was quite ridiculous considering what you walk into at the fair. For the concessions: Food options were sparse and the court area was not well designed to state which area to go to. Food was okay. Didn't try all stands. However the pineapple "bowl" stand was disappointing. I've had this stand at OC Fair and it was far more superb in portion size, presentation, and overall taste. Shop Stands: The shop stands were okay. Not very much there. One location which was a jewelry station was nicely set up, prices visible and the owner was very helpful. Otherwise all other stands were not engaging nor appealing. Rides: I would trust my life on these rides. They look like they are about to fall apart. Overall the $15 to enter the fair grounds is outrageous considering what is presented. Also the livestock stations looked not well kept and the poor animals were so hot! I would honestly pass. There are other fairs/festivals to go to in the Bay Area that are far better than the Santa Clara fair. read more

S/O and I have been to many fairs throughout California and by far the Santa Clara County Fair is the absolute worst. So here we go, everyone had to get in line like little children where "security" rummages through your belongings and uses metal detectors to help identify any weapons. They wouldn't even let people in if they were carrying pepper spray. Hmmm aren't gun free/weapon free zones a prime location for the bad guys? I don't know, I'll let you think about that one. The fair didn't have any directories, had little to no vendors, and goats (no variety folks, just goats). The whole fair was just oddly spread out. The carnival ride and games were sitting on gravel so be prepared to inhale dust. The place was just dead. No one wanted to be there and I'm sure most vendors wrapped up early on Sunday to leave E$$J. Shows? What shows? We were there for a good amount of time and didn't hear or see any of the upcoming shows. The Santa Clara County Fair is such a joke. Never again. read more

I was very disappointed at the fair. It was smaller than I expected and not much to do. The advertising said it was bigger and better. I was looking for artisans in the exhibition halls, but there were none. For $15, i thought it was expensive. Parking was another $15. Not worth the time. It's definitely not the same fair I remember going to as a kid. I will not be going back. read more

Tickets: General, $8. Senior/youth, $5. Children under 4, FREE. Food: your standard, overpriced fried arrangement of desserts (snickers, twinkies, etc) and delicious funnel cakes (bacon funnel cake is always the way to go!). Of the more interesting things served were alligator nuggets, frog legs, deep fried burritos, ribbon fries, and chocolate covered bacon. This year it was cool to see venders such as psycho donuts from downtown sj and bowl of heaven from mountain view! Attractions: not too much, they do have a schedule you can check out and they have various things that happen throughout the day, so try not to miss the more interesting ones such as the seal attraction and pig races! On top of the scheduled attractions, they do have some things that you can see any time of the day such as the barn yard of large animals (consist of just pigs, cows, goats, and sheep) and a barn yard of small animals. Other than that, not too much to see. Oh, but my favorite stand would be the one where they do leather bracelet engravings (like Disneyland) and can write your name on a grain of rice!! This little shop is my favorite because they have a huge arrangement of different bracelets/jewelry, dream catchers, and other crafty things. Games/rides: pretty expensive. There are two Ferris wheels, a two seater that's more open/feet dangling and then the 4 ppl seater that's enclosed and has the better view of the whole park. They have zip lining here! It's not high and not long so I definitely thing it's great if you haven't been zip lining before and want to start small before you grow yourself to try the higher/longer ones. It's 10$ for two zip line rides for one person. All in all, it's not the greatest fair and not something to come from far away to see. However, if you're local and have nothing to do, it's definitely great for an easy hangout with the family/friends for some good times. read more

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OMG! ahahahahahahahahahahaha This place is a joke! It's so, so, so sad. I told my husband SEVERAL times back in April-May that I wanted to experience a county fair again. I saw an ad on a billboard and instantly started reliving the days of old. My mom and dad would plan days/evenings for the fair. The exhibit halls would be jam packed with booths, we'd get freebies, we always got our annual free i.d. card, the delicious smell of food would make our mouths water, the concerts were fun....Man! I loved me some county fair, ya'll. Granted, my county fair days were in Kern County (Bakersfield, raise up!!), but all county fairs are the same.... UNLESS YOU COME TO THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY FAIR! What gives, Silicon Valley?! My honey purchased tickets via Living Social and we were sooooo excited to go. What a let down. The poor caged farm animals...the honking sea-lions, the encaged Capuchin monkeys...HOT MESS. Then the food. Ugh. Maybe it's because I now know what's in those corn dogs, and 2 foot long weenie sammiches....maybe it's because I don't like a toothless meth-y man swirling my cotton candy...I don't know, but the food was turrible, ya'll. I'm talking gross. My husband and I shared a, wait for it, foot long corndog. LOLLLLZ I always hate eating hot dogs/corn dogs in public, but my husband and I tried to stay hidden as we ate our musty-crusty day old corn dog. Then we decided to get garlic fries and deep fried zucchini. *womp womp* The fries were limp, the garlic tasted like shredded paper, the fried zucchini was beer battered, so it looked and tasted terrible... The food was bad, bad, bad. THEN! THEN the hypnotist and the magician. LOL The exhibit hall was virtually empty. The vendors looked sad and depressed and I couldn't blame them. When you first walk into the fair the majority of the "shopping" appears smack dab in front of you a la Swapmeet style. Then the people...Santa Clara County's finest showed up, ya'll. Not. That was the best part. Watching all the people. I'm not giving up hope. I know there's gotta be a county fair experience like the days of old (howza bout the 90s, ya'll?!), but it's definitely not this broke-down-sorry-excuse-for a county fair. If I could give zero stars I would. read more

Out of all the fairs I've been too this yr this fair really stands out and very surprisingly too. THe price is very very good . I knew I'd have to pay for parking . I was a little nervous about that but 5 bucks ain't bad and my money went to help out the school system anyways. This is my favorite fair. They had guinea pigs, tons of guinea pigs. They didn't just stand out by having guinea pigs but they really rubbed it in by having soo many of them and they also had some out of cages to pet also. No other fairs I went to this yr had guinea pigs, I was very disappointed so thank you Santa Clara fair for fulfilling my desires. They also have wine tasting , very good wines. The wine area has another one of my favorites in it and that is KARAOKE!!!! Woo hoo!!! I did kryptonite by three doors down. It was a special request from a special lady. They have sea lion acts which I thought were very awesome and unique for a fair too have. They have captain jack spareribs doing pirate acts, juggling, magic, and ventriloquism. They have tons of wheels to spin for prizes, things too samples plenty more animals too see, tons of rides to go on, and games that aren't too hard too play. The get the ball in the bucket game was easy for me. Its a great crowd, I loved this fair. The impression I was given is a definite I will be back . The food here is really good too, they have psycho DONUTS! they also have alligator, they even have some of the best garlic fried. I even saw a hypnotist here, sorry guy but there's just no ever fooling me read more

This was my first year hearing about the Santa Clara County Fair, but I guess it has been going on for quite some time already. Whatever the case, I decided to bring my family along with me to check it out. Instead of paying $8/adult, we were able to get a Groupon deal of $16/4 adults. Still had to pay for parking though. We came on Saturday around noon. The place seems quite small from the outside/when you first step inside, but it is actually decently large. Of course, this is no big county fair, but for what you pay, this is a great experience. There is a building for small animals, and they are so cute! Lots of goats, bunnies, chickens, and even some cats! I spent a long time here just awwwing over the adorableness of many of the animals. My favorites--the velveteen rabbit that I got to pet (so incredibly soft) and the little kittens up for adoption! There is also another building for large animals, including lots of sheep, pigs, and cows. Other interesting things going on are the auction, a reptile exhibit, and a sea lion show. There is lots of typical fair food (think fried and unhealthy, yum!), but quite overpriced. In the very back there are amusement rides and games--I didn't play any, but it did seem like many people won prizes. One booth of interest was the spin the wheel by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lots of people lined up for a chance to win 4 free tickets to the aquarium. We tried twice and were so close. Overall it was a great experience, especially for that price we got! We spent around 3 hours there. It seemed like more people were coming in on our way out, so possibly there were more activities at night. read more

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It was our first time to go to this fair. Everything went all ok and I gave the sea lion's show 5 star. However, the ferry's wheel ruined our whole experience. It was 8:30pm when we were about to leave. My two boys wanted to ride the ferry's wheel. We happened to have 8 tickets left so we thought it was perfect for them. We waited for 40 minutes to get our turn. And one of the staff running the wheel pointed a height scale hung next to the stairs and said my younger one was not tall enough to ride with his brother. I offered to ride with him but then the guy told me my older boy couldn't ride by himself, because no single riders are allowed. I wish that sign was hung in front of the wheel where everyone could see it before they wait in line. However, it was hung in that corner where only the working staff could see! My husband was waiting on a bench about 50 yards away - i thought since we were not riding, we didn't need two adults standing and waiting in line with the boys. But I couldn't call him loud enough because of all the noises between us. So i asked the guy if I could get my husband to ride together with us - because if I ride with one boy, the other boy would be left behind untended. I couldn't believe the guy said no to me. It would not take me more than one minute. And what I asked was not to hold on to wait for us, what I asked was he could let the people behind us get on the ride first, and when I got my husband back together, he could let us on without wait again, because the three of us had waited after all. He said no. His attitude was so arrogant, inconsiderate and heartless. I believe he will be childless for his whole life. read more

The price is right and the weather is ideal at the Santa Clara County Fair. Parking is $5.00 Entrance is $8.00 Seniors. $5.00 Most of the food located in middle aisle as you enter from the front. Samples: Garlic Fries: excellent crispness on the outside Puffy light creamy center Garlic seasoning is subtle but present Chicken Kabob: Tasty teriyaki flavoring Moist inside Charred marks outside Feeds 2 if snacking RIdes selection is small Livestock barn is mostly sheep, goats, pigs, cows. Poultry examples limited. Baked goods display was small but interesting. This years fair did not have corn on the cob. They did have corn in a cup. Solid afternoon of eats and entertainment. read more

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The worst county fair haha. So small & not much to see/do. So make sure u come with people u enjoy being around! I came with good friends so it was still fun. I got a seal to kiss me and my bf to kiss my other cheek, getting a sandwich kiss!!! That was my favorite part. But the hypnotist was lame (and totally fake). Not many games or rides at all. And they charge $10 for the big ride!! Seriously?! Least it's only $8 to get in. 5 hrs max here. 3-4 to be realistic. read more

I should have checked on Yelp first. We got a free child's ticket, but $10 to park in a dirt lot, $10 for adult entrance. $30 each for a wrist band but if you aren't 48-54" you can't go on most rides. So I measured my kid on one...it said 48", then the next ride she was too short because the signs are slightly off...ugh. I sat on a ride and I was wet...geez I hope that was water. When on ferris when I see a guy fixing it below. When we were done I looked down and had dirt all over my legs from those dirty rides. Food was terrible. We got a turkey leg. The garlic fries looked bad...as our neighbors had those. $100 we could have done something else. read more

Came for the yearly Jurassic Quest. I enjoyed this event, went around 5:30/6. Still were a lot of people but not overly crowded. Majority of the dinosaurs are inside and majority of the kids activities are inside. I enjoyed reading the facts and all about the dinosaurs. Overall, will go to this event again in the future. read more

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This is all about the kids. 5 stars for the kid's entertainment. They will not care about all the gripes I'm about to list below. This really is not enjoyable for the adults. * The food is way over priced, they had two beers to choose from and they were not even consumable imo. * The games are a scam. And when you do win you win a 10 cent price. * This rides I would not trust. * The place is dirty dirty dirty. * Most of the staff are apathetic to whatever job it is they are supposed to be doing. * The security is a joke. I had a pocket knife in my pocket and the security waved his magic wand all over me and it did not even detect it. * What passes for entertainment is tantamount to your uncle's garage band. But I digress. You get the jist. read more

Read an article recently in the Mercury that said the Santa Clara County Fair as we know it is no more. They won't have the rides or the carnival stuff anymore. They are cutting back drastically on the food options and the fun stuff like the booths and shopping areas. They'll still have the livestock/animals...guess they are going back to their roots. I am so sad...RIP original Santa Clara County Fair. The last few years as others have said, have shown the fair in a dark shadow of it's former glory. The fair officials seemed to try a slew of different things to try to restore interest in the area. I remember the past years, when you had to pay to get into the fair and pay for parking. The last few years we went, they alternated between free parking/paying for fair, pay for parking/free fair, and can't remember if they did a both are free...but they tried. We have been going with my youngest sister since she was 10. She's now much older, but she still goes with us every year. Or rather 'went' with us. We eat caramel apples and amazingly large corn dogs. Share sundaes and garlic fries. Feel like you were taking your life in your hands when you got on any of the creaking, rickety rides, but somehow it was fun anyway. We would all shower when we got home because seriously, the fairgrounds is pretty nasty...but we didn't care. We even got henna tattoos a few years. Don't know exactly what happened to the Santa Clara County Fair or why people lost interest (kids more interested in gaming than carnival rides?) but we'll miss it. Glad we went in 2007 as that was obviously the last time we'll ever go. *tear* read more

Went to this place twice in the past year and was very disappointed with both experiences. Parking Lot: The parking lot is such a hassle to go in from. I went to an entrance that looked like the real entrance. However it lead me to the building next door and the parking attendant only let cars out. So I had to drive back onto Tully Road and it took me forever as so many cars blocked up the right lane, whether they are trying to make a U-Turn or coming from 2 street lights away. It probably took me about 30 minutes just to get my car through the gates. Once I drove in, I was scared to death for my truck. So many pot holes, glass, and other sharp items throughout the parking lot. So many factors that can ruin my tires. I was so relieved that I drove away with no damages. Facility: This place just doesn't look the same as I remembered as a little kid. Very old buildings, no central hangout location, and not enough chairs to sit. The low light of this place are the bathrooms. They are so dirty as each urinal was completely wet on the floors. Some of the urinals were even broken. Not sure if they flushed properly. I would only go to this place if the event was worth going to. But for an event like Vietnamese New Year's, you are far better off going to Grand Century to celebrate. Easily 2 stars. read more

Livestock and a few run-of-the-mill carnival games/rides pretty much make up today's Fair. We decided to go yesterday because we heard Tommy Tutone and Flock Of Seagulls were going to be there. After finding out they wanted $25 a head, we turned right around and headed out. Red, White and Moo??? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGG... ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz read more

The Santa Clara County fair is a wonderful community event, and I'm glad it's back! We've been to the Alameda and San Mateo county fairs which are quite fun as well. Santa Clara's fair is different because it's smaller and more local, which makes it a more relaxing event, especially if you have kids. There's a lot more room for a little kid to run around and take his time looking at the animals. The farm animals there are happy lambs, goats, cows, pigs, chickens, and rabbits (and..cats?). This year there was also a petting zoo with an assortment of very friendly pets and a reptile area, including one huge tortoise. There's fun entertainment like a sea lion show and dog races, and of course, the exhibitions of various arts and crafts from local kids. Tickets and parking are inexpensive and easy. I can't wait for next year's fair! read more

This fair gets smaller and smaller each year. Now maybe because it was opening day they were still setting up some of the stages at 5pm when I arrived (it opened at 1pm). Or maybe some of the vendors/exhibitors hadn't set up yet. I only went because they were offering deeply discounted admission on opening day to commemorate the 75th annual fair so thought I'd check it out. Each of the buildings with vendors, livestock, judged home arts were not full at all. You have a pretty good chance of placing if you want to enter something in the Home Arts categories because there's not much competition! All in all I got my $0.75 worth, would definitely not pay $10. Santa Clara County Fair has seen its better days. Lots of heavy duty security/law enforcement present in the aftermath of last weekend's Gilroy tragedy. read more

This is by far the saddest fair I have ever been to. What happened to being "excited" to go to the fair and getting a corn dog and some cotton candy??? Well, that doesn't exist anymore apparently. I came here this past weekend and it was a ghost town! There were absolutely no lines for the rides! There were very few people there and a couple of kids. that was it. There were a few food vendors and of course they had the classic black and white photo booth for $40. Overpriced! The corn dog has definitely went downhill. Especially when you're paying $6.75 for a darn corn dog!! It didn't taste as good as it use to, as a matter of fact, it wasn't good at all! It was very greasy and just gross! One cool thing they did have was a huge inflatable ball (like the ones you put your rodents in), but kids size. So you pay $8 for this "attraction" and crawl into this huge ball and you're playing on water. Imagine feet all of your face. Oh lets not forget the sweat too. Its just a ball of germs! They still had the animals but it was inside the big convention room. Can you say STINKY! They should've had the animals outside like they use to! I'm so disappointed and I hope that ONE DAY, the fair will be as lively as it use to be. read more

My family had a great time today at the Fair! The organizers promised the Fair would be bigger and better than it has in recent years, and they delivered. It was SO much better than the last time I went in the early 2000s. It's more compact and shorter than it was in its "glory days" but it felt good to be there and it seems like things are on the upswing. Highlights: Wine Tasting from Santa Clara Valley wineries, the big Expo Hall very nicely converted into a barn for the big animals, the small doggie races and the pure 1980s silliness of seeing Wang Chung in concert. "Everybody have fun tonight! " Food Tip: Search for the local stuff! The Santa Clara County Grange is still selling strawberry shortcakes from fresh locally grown strawberries at a booth in the old food court - one of my favorite food memories as a kid attending the Fair, and tastes just as good as I remember! A local Portuguese restaurant also had some tasty linguica sandwiches for sale. Would love to see even more local food next time! Looking forward to the 2014 Fair and hoping to see it grow even bigger! read more

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I would give it a 0 star if I could. I grew up in Santa Clara County and the SCC Fair was 'The best 10 days in August' with 2 kids days and 3 family days and 1 senior day. There was so much to see it too more than 1 day! There were acres of livestock to view and Thousands of exhibits to see. This was all in the 60s 70s and up to the mid 80s. The SCC Fair used to be equal, if not better than Cal Expo! Now, it is a mere shadow if its old self. Very sad. No Grandstands. No Sheep & Swine pavilion. No cattle. No horses. No pigeons. No rabbits. No chickens. No showcase stages. No train to take you around. No carnival that took a whole day to enjoy with a special Kiddie rides area. No jams, jellys, cakes, quilts, handmade items, home cooked items, garden showcases, flower showcases, fruit, vegetables to judge and see who won the blue ribbons. No 'Howdy Neighbor'. I'll just have to remember the good old days when Santa Clara County was THE BEST FAIR IN THE STATE! read more

I speak for my experience alone because I went with an awesome friend of mine, and sometimes that makes all the difference! Anyway, this was the first time I've ever gone to a county fair--another friend of mine who raises goats mentioned it to me. The animals were the best thing for me, and I love awing over adorable animals... so if you're not into cute furry, feathered, or scaled creatures, I can't imagine much else to do. :P But my friend and I really enjoyed looking at all the animals and we were able to make a lot of conversation about them. There were rides of varying terror, though my friend and I didn't ride them. Many people also lounged out in front of live music. I always saw kids soaring up and down the bungee jump and inflatable slide. As for food, I would say it has subpar variety, but not bad--the usual funnel cakes, deep fried _____, BBQ, etc. Just nothing wacky, I think. I can't speak for the taste because I'm a raw vegan. The commercial expo and booths lining the pathway to other venues were also pretty standard "artisan" stuff... except... the anime booth! /geek They had actual Japanese imports of plushies, keychains, jewelry, etc. I was impressed, though I wish Japanese imports in general were less pricey... Had a great time but, as others have said, it could have been stellar. I'm just happy my $8 wasn't a dud. :P read more

Part 2 coming up Can't say that I knew Butler lived in the bay area. I imagine I knew that long ago, but it was cool to think that All those traveling Butler amusements are based in the bay area. There was so much food to enjoy, we people seem to think event food on a paper plate or cardboard basket rivals 5 star restaurants, which I have commented about before. Any 5 star just means 5 $$$$$. I think there needs to be a 5 mileage symbol because I got a lot for what I spent. And I'm going to mention things I was looking for but couldn't find. It's not so much a complaint as, if you know anyone connected to these vendors, let them know we are requiring their presence again: the Icee booths, yes shaped like the cup; Iowa Tenderloins, where were you? More food on a stick please! Also, can there be a deal where the food trucks get together somewhere? There's room for it and that would be awesome for them to represent. And it would be constant business for them for the week. And bud for beer? Where's my PBR draft or tallboys? And I suppose I have to mention miller, although I don't drink that anymore. I spent a lot more time looking at the contest displays in the arts and crafts and the livestock. While people stopped going to the fair, there are kids all over the valley that still make their projects to be shown. They deserve a bigger audience. I enjoyed reading their project descriptions, brought back so many memories of school projects that I wrote as a kid. All the dioramas, descriptive essays. There are so many skills like making preserves and honey that I thought I should learn how to do. I appreciated the livestock a lot more. There are a lot of kids and their families that have the opportunity to raise animals that us city fold don't get to experience. I think I'd develop an attachment to the anomals and would have trouble selling them to market. All in all, I was very happy I went. I would have gone again, but money has been tight. I appreciated going a lot more and marathoner it after night hit. After a couple of decades I still decided to not carry around a coat all day to freeze my arms at night. I relied on those warm cinnamon rolls. Was that booth there? I didn't see it. Bring that back, too if applicable! read more

First day opening and it was very empty.. Luckily we got the pre-sale tickets for $6/adult because it was a waste of money ( +$5 for parking) Maybe it was the fact that it wasn't populated but there was so little to do there. I felt bad for the animals (ponies, llamas, pigs, chickens, rabbits, baby llamas etc.) Especially the Monkey Hut, not sure if there were actual monkeys there but the sign said there was. Poor monkeys had to listen to deafening loud music blasting from the speaker on top of their exhibit. Unless you're taking kids, don't waste your time!! read more

Gone for many years, always amazing experinces In 2012 they're going all out. read more

Pathetic excuse for a fair. The exhibits, vendors and entertainment is almost nonexistent. To see the band scheduled to play was an additional 30.00 per person. One of the exhibit halls that used to be filled with crafts and homemade goods had a jumpy castle and nothing else. A hand scrawled note taped to the door stated for 6.00 you could use the castle all day. This was on Saturday night, no less. It's filthy dirty, sticky and ugly and nothing to do except eat greasy crappy food or go on overpriced rides. Another exhibit hall had just a few food entries and barely anything else to see. Who's ever running this thing should be fired. There are plenty of other fairs in California and abroad that are good examples of what a fair could and should be. With a minimal amount of effort you could have emulated that. Someone is to blame for this mess. This county deserves a better representation of our agricultural history and our current technologies. There could be so many more interesting things to see. Every year I think it's going to get better and somehow you make it worse. Shameful. I will never go back, and I speak for my family and practically every one else I know. read more

Went to the Santa Clara County Fair for the first time. General admission is $8 and parking is $5. It's a nice way of exhibiting home town fun. There is a huge variety of entertainment so something is bound to interest you. Enjoyed the 4H small and large animal program. It's even educational - 4H students often put up informational posters about their animals (ie. various breeds, anatomical diagram, what they eat and produce,etc.) The animal race (small pigs and ducks) was cute and funny. People demonstrating square dance looked like they were having fun too. The sea lion show was fun and educational. They have options for you to pay and take a photo with the sea lions and even play with them. Capt. Jack Spareribs (comedian, magician and juggler) entertained the kids. Most of the musical entertainment at the various stages were enjoyable too. The hypnotist was entertaining. You can hold a live snake in the Reptile exhibit. We missed the robotics competition - held on a different day which would have been fun to watch. "Little Hands on the Farm" is great for little kids - hands on interactive and educational fun while learning about animals on the farm. Food - lots of usual carnival choices but pricey - bottle of water was $3. Rides - tickets were $1 each - with discount if you buy more. Reasons for not giving 5 stars: 1) Not enough shades for seats at some of the various stages. Some of the benches were so hot from the sun that you could burn your legs if you weren't careful. 2) At the ticket entrance they have a sign that lists what is not allowed inside the fair which includes no outside food or drinks - not even bottles of water. We brought 2 small plastic bottles of water and had to toss it in the trash. That was a bummer. We've gone to the; Contra Costa County Fair, Alameda County Fair, Solano County Fair and San Mateo County Fair over the past years and none of these fairs have such restrictions. (They also state no gang related attire such as red or blue.) 3) No "In and Out" privileges Overall - simple home town fun for a day. read more

In a word, SMALL. I came here with the awesome groupon deal of two tickets $8 and to me, the price was fitting for quality of the faire. It is loads smaller than the Gilroy Garlic Festival, the Alameda County faire, and the San Mateo county faire. Not that this was a bad thing, as it made seeing all the exhibits very convenient. Parking it kind of disorganized as you have a nearby school offering 5 dollar parking in its lot, as well as an unmarked official lot where the flea market usually is. The official lot is also 5 dollars but you would have never known as it isn't marked anywhere. Entry was easy and painless as was the general flow of direction through the faire. They had a sea lion encounter station where you could pay $25 for time to play + personal picture with a sea lion. That, I felt was rather unique. Other than that, the food sections consisted of your typical fried faire foods and the buildings stuffed with livestock. FYI, the fried artichoke is more like 80% fried batter, 20% canned artichoke. Why I expected anything less, I don't know but I guess I like to be optimistic. The Strawberry Lemonade though, was AMAZING. You can get a small for $5 or a large for $6. The large is much larger but I got the small for fearing I would just be overloaded with sugar, but oh how wrong I was. The lemonade and strawberry was perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. It really was the perfect refreshment for a hot day. The shopping section is rather lackluster and is missing even your usual ShamWOW or cutlery stations. The educational sections were fair, full of energetic volunteers eager to show off their knowledge of various reptiles, bunnies, and cats. There are other highlights for kids like a weiner dog racing contest, a kiddie tractor trailer pull, kiddie bungee jump, and that awesome hamster ball in a kiddie pool attraction. If you have nothing better to do, it won't hurt to stop by for an hour or two. It's fun for the kids and a good way to take a step outside. If you're not satisfied with all the fried faire foods, you can go to the nearby Boiling Crab just minutes away(I did, and it made my day). read more