This review is for Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls specifically. They really are the best cinnamon rolls ever! Huge, freshly baked, served warm, ooey and gooey, with the perfect amount of frosting (i.e., A LOT of frosting), surprisingly not too sweet, and the Tres Leches cinnamon roll was genius! Drenched with deliciousness. I'm drooling as I write this. The staff is also super friendly! If they're in town, you must go!! read more

Santa Cruz County Fair - Definitely get the Tres Leches!! - Festivals Near Me - Watsonville, California

I've been to the OC County Fair, Alameda County Fair, a bunch in the East Coast, and now this one a few times. I do enjoy the Santa Cruz County Fair, but it has its negatives and positives. Positives: - more local activities and exhibits (you can feel the pride!) - more little shops and carts - camels!!! - more agriculture (specific flower exhibits, specific tree exhibits, etc) - it has some of the same things you'd find at the other fairs, like the miniature pig races, a magic act, a Ferris wheel, some other rides, food vendors like funnel cakes and BBQ. Negatives: - no fireworks (like at Alameda County Fair) - high ticket price ($22/adult, $15 parking) - fewer daily promotions for lower entrance fees - smaller ride area (some fairs have 2 sections: one for older kids, one for younger kids) - smaller fair overall - fewer exhibits and shows (ie, no motocross, no horse racing) - no large concerts Overall it is very fun to attend with friends and loved ones, but it can be pretty expensive, and you don't need to spend all day here since there isn't that much to do compared to other County Fairs. I can't complain though... I always have fun here. read more

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Worst experience ever 2 hours to exit the parking lot. Completely ridiculous, even the sheriff departamento was involved this 2025 to direct all the vehicles trapped, cause the workers were useless. read more

It's fun- especially at night. Sights, sounds, people watching, food, music- it's the end of summer.

The fair was fine. It wasn't the biggest fair I've been to and it wasn't the smallest. It had everything you would expect a fair to have, and nothing unique beyond that. The issue I have is the price. This is, without a doubt, the most expensive "mediocre" fair I've been to in my life. It's definitely not big enough or exciting enough to warrant that price tag. It's not even in Santa Cruz, it's in BFE in some dust-cloud parking lot, so you're not there for the scenic boardwalk or ocean views. The price to PARK is $15. Outrageous, but not unexpected for fairground parking. The price to ENTER is $22 a head. Now, if this were the Cal State Fair, or the OC Fair (both exponentially larger than this), it would STILL be an eye watering price to just enter and wander around like cattle. But this doesn't hold a candle to those events. It's like going to McDonalds for a steak dinner, but being charged for a Prime Rib and two beers. To clarify, you're not paying $59 ($22 per person, $15 to park) for the middling fair food, that's extra. You're not paying $59 for rides, those are extra too. No, you're paying $59 for access to a bunch of crappy stalls set up to sell reverse mortgages to the elderly, cheap tshirts with the Santa Cruz boardwalk Ferris wheel on them (but remember, that's about 20 miles west of the dirt parking lot you'll be in, and you still have to pay extra for them), glowing plastic sticks your kids can hit people with while swinging them around in a fried-Oreo induced sugar high (you guessed it, you'll have to pay extra for that too), Turkey thighs you have to pay extra for, a scant few rides you still have to pay extra for, and some pretty sad little free exhibits. The animals were the absolute best thing about this place. They carried the lion's share of the weight when it came to "entertainment" or "enjoyment" factor. They are adorable and the only reason this scam isn't 1 star. Whoever is looking at this place and saying "wow, this will be fun" know that it might be a way to pass an hour. Two if you have kids and they keep running off into crowds forcing you to chase them. But for $59+ and whatever you pay extra for once inside, there are a million better ways to spend your money. Shorthand: this is a cash grab to exploit people looking for something fun to do, simple as. If you still want to go, power to you. Just be aware they're blatantly ripping you off ahead of time. read more

I always looked forward to this fair coming up. There is much to see and do here From the livestock to the bakery displays. Such fun to see the variety of decorated cakes and the variety of pies. Great entertainment from magic to hypnosis to rock bands. Something for everyone. Live those food booths. Cotton candy, pizza, Cinnamon rolls and more. Lots of fun rides for the kids and the young at heart. A great place to be read more

This fair is so different from the usual fairs you go to with rides and fried foods. I started going to this fair because a good friend of mine is really involved in the whole production-- She has 2 of her donkeys that are showcased in the petting area for kids and adults to feed and pet. Let's start off with a list of what makes this fair different from others: *Much more of a community feel here. They have parades with people driving tractors through the main street! *Pig races-- Where else can you find these little piglets racing around? And then if you want to take a picture with one of them, you can do that too. *Camel rides- They had 2 camels that kids and adults could ride on. *Pie-eating contest- Yup, anyone can join for free and the winner gets a plaque along with bragging rights for an entire year. *The best home made fudge and cinnamon rolls. Seriously? Don't take my word for it and try this stuff for yourself. I'm not a big fudge fan but the couple that makes these every year had me when I sampled up their Red Velvet Fudge. Cinnamon rolls that are so good the line is always about 20 people deep throughout the day. *Livestock auctions- I didn't even know that people could do this but they auction off lambs, goats, cows, and other animals. *Art on display by people in the community. *Baking contest where people submit their cookies, cakes, bread and whatever yummy thing they deem good enough to enter. All the winners get blue ribbons next to their baked goods and they are on display for everyone to see. *Contests for biggest pumpkins, best produce too! *Horse racing where riders get timed to see how fast they can drag their partner through the dirt on a rope as they sled along with cowhide underneath them. Yup, this is too much fun. I hope this gives you enough of a taste to come out and try to experience this for yourself. I had a good time and most certainly will check it out again next year. read more

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Such a great local event in Santa Cruz! I look forward to it every year! The only cons is that the parking, tickets and food are very expensive. There is so much fun stuff here for the family. Let me start off from the beginning, as soon as you walk in. When you enter at the main entrance, thats where all the rides are. I personally don't like fair rides, so I have never tried them out. If you keep walking, you will see three big buildings. These are definitely worth checking out! One of the buildings is filled with the best vegetables, fruits and baked goods and you can go around and see who won each category. The other two buildings are filled with arts and crafts. If you keep walking, you will see all the delicious food vendors. They have something for everyone: Italian food, Chinese food, Mexican food, giant corn dogs, deep fried artichokes, loaded baked potatoes, funnel cakes, hand churned ice cream, churros, slushies and more! My favorites are definitely the deep-fried artichokes and the Mexican food booth is very good too. They also have plenty of souvenirs in this section if you want to buy something. Another thing that's fun to visit is Yesterday's Farm. It is an old fashioned little booth where kids (and adults) can make bread dough by hand. There are also lots of farm animals, horse races, pig races, a reptile house and a bug house. On select days they have shows going on and interactive events. Some nights they have monster trucks and other awesome stuff. Overall, if you are in town when the fair is happening, definitely stop by! read more

ACRES OF DEAD GRASS AND DIRT (2.5 stars) This place was in buttcrack nowhere. Expect driving forever through farm-lands. This review is in regards to the SantaCruz Mud Run. Regardless how crappy, it was only fun because I did it with two close friends. 1) Registration = $65. The money funds the local schools in the county. Kind of pricy for this kind of event. I guess it's for a good cause. 2) Parking = $10. I thought this was garbage. Should be included with registration. 3) Organization. I like how there were different running times. Also kids course was separated from the adults. Secure check-in for belongings, snack booth (cash only), and parking were organized. 4) Course. "Mud run" was the incorrect description, more like "dry a** mud run" "barely any mud run" "dead grass and puddles of dirty water run" "what mud - mud run". Don't think this comes close to the level of mud like the The Spartan Run. The kids course had more mud than the adult course. We literally ran zigzag and around the fair grounds. No consideration for free water available before/during/after the race - it's hot out here in buttcrack nowhere. All that money put in for registration and they're too cheap to provide water. The course was easy. The net climb was a bottleneck and thank god I was #2 up and over. I huse... Sorry left my friends behind. Had fun going down the "water slide" at the end, water slide was a plastic sheet over a hill with someone hosing it. Imagine a cheap version "slip 'n slide". Finish-line?!?! WTF. The end was dead - you run back to the beginning and you wonder "is this it". There was nothing to identify the end, not even a staff member. Nothing!!! 5) Cleaning Stations. The website should have just said "ONE HOSE". Sorry, that's. It not going to fly when there are groups of people. Since there was barely any mud, there was barely anything to clean. Changing areas really means "public restroom" or "in public next to your car". Will I do it again? No. I'd rather do the real deal. Until the next review.... read more

I really love going to the fair and this one kept up to why I love fairs. It really has a strong community feel to it. A lot of the art exhibits had so much heart to them. The Alaskan pig races were so cute! I've never seen a pig fly before and this was the first time I've ever witnessed this "Dumbo" exclusive. Another gem was the free tours of the "Rogers" house. Saw some kids do some talent shows. I really had a great time here. Getting out of the parking lot was long, but I just thought to myself. Hey I just had a great day, why am I going to let this bother me? So I didn't let it. Admission: $10 Parking: $5 read more

I now have a pretty good idea that you can deep fry just about anything! Even a Cheese Steak? Well I didn't go there (the Cheese Steak, that is), But I did go to the Fair this year. It was crowded and overpriced and full of people stuffing their faces with just about any conceivably bad for you treat. All in all it was pretty fun but because of the heat, I would recommend going at night... They had the usual contests and we did see some pretty cool art including a bicycle converted into Falcor that would have been at home at burning man and an amazing painting painted by a 6 year old. We saw animals and puppies and even a robot that looked like it could be my mechanical brother! We played games like the water squirting race and I won a tiny prize for knocking over some cones with a soccer ball. We rode the Ferris Wheel which I would recommend as you get a pretty cool vantage of the Fair from above. The highlight for me and what I felt was the best bargain at the Fair this year was the craft beer tasting area. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery and Corallitos Brewery were both there offering a 4 pour tasting for just $5. The brewers were on hand to talk about their beers and they even had a home brew demonstration going. Give it a try for something to do over the weekend but avoid the heat and go at night! read more

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We went yesterday to see the car races. It was my first time. We got there at around 8pm. I'm not sure what time it started but, it was definitely before 8pm. Before we paid $15. per person, we asked what time it would end, the young lady made us believe it was at 11pm. But, It actually ended at 9:15pm. So, we paid $30. for one hour. Not cool! Next time we are going to ask specifically what time the actual show ends. As far as the races go- They were fun to watch. You may want to take ear plugs. read more

Made it to fair this year, just the two if us no youngin. The experience was more relaxing. In the past we never made over to the livestock area even though it's our favorite part of every fair we attend. We were a little disappointed ... The participation was slim compare to other fairs in the area. The dedication in keeping up with the pens was gross. But over all... The food was great! Sausage dog, fried zucinnies and a steak sandwich with fries. read more

This is a pretty nice place and has lots to do! The reason we came however was to enter in the horse show that was being hosted at the time. The the horse stalls are ok but need work in my opinion but will do for the time you're there. Now the grounds are very dry but I don't blame that on the staff/groundskeepers, the drought has really taken it's toll all across California. Over all though i'd recommend visiting! Y'all will have a great time! read more

Santa Cruz County Fair - Getting ready for the horse show! - Festivals Near Me - Watsonville, California

It had been 5 yrs since I had been to the fair.. And I Must say I was missing out!!! Food was great especially the tri tip dinner..the shows were great!! (We went on monster truck night) and we ran into everyone and there muther(didn't misspell it) So it was fun and it had a family feel to it The drinks are small and u need to get a bracelet which costs even more so I suggest getting ur drink on in the parking lot read more

This is what an old time county fair is all about. Great exhibits, fun & tasty food, happy people. A must visit !!! read more

Santa Cruz County Fair - Let's eat some smoked BBQ...YUM! - Festivals Near Me - Watsonville, California

-1 Star for the INSANE wait to get out of the parking lot on the weekend. It took almost an hour to escape, and we totally cut corners, weaved through parking stalls to get ahead...you name it. I feel bad for the poor chumps who actually did it the honest way. Probably took them twice as long. read more

This is a great outdoor venue. Free parking for handicapped people, but the handicap parking is pretty far away from the entrance.

Saw the ad on Fun'n'Cheap and was expecting lots of farm animals, since they had the pig and turkey race, but after getting there, there was barely any animals. The whole fair was over-crowded and over-priced. Pay for parking, pay for entrance, and all you get is mostly stalls of inanimate objects. I have to admit the videos are deceiving to entice our little one to ask to go, but this will be the last time we go. The kiddie rides and deep fried food, we could have got at Great America or even Boardwalk. Why drive this far for just regular fair stuff? Cuz, Watsonville needs your cash too! That's why. read more

Fair was awesome love it every time just missed all the snakes I remember one year they had a alligator that was so cool bring it back

The fair it's self was really fun, prices were reasonable but I was hoping for more fried foods!!

A nice,enjoyable,relaxing county fair. The food is a little bit pricey but i understand that they have to make it profitable. The opening day bbq was tasty.it was fun to see the livestock but i wish there were more cattle. I think maybe they should provide a cooler environment for the poultry as they seemed to be stressed with the heat inside the building. The displays of old farm tractors and farm equipment was great also the old cars. That area was much more organized than in years past. Overall, the fair is a great experiance and i would reccomend it for all. read more

Looking forward to the fair starting this week. They have great fair food, lots of livestock, a cute and silly seal demonstration, lots of foods and crafts. The way fairs used to feel. There is a large display of antique engines and vehicles. It's great place for kids and grown ups. read more