County Fairs in general can be fun or can be a lot of fun and this one takes the cake. Nice way to conclude a busy work week or start the week with friends. Being this my first one here really enjoyed it. We hit the shopping pavilions first since we got there 10 mins after the door opens. Offers a variety of goods from clothing to household goods, baked goods and other stuff. After an hour of briefed walking we grab lunch, it wasn't a challenge for the three of us to decide were to hunt but that darn turkey leg did looks good though. Two opted for the traditional gyro, fries and soda at the Gyro stand and the other opted for chicken kabob. Whoever says Ventura County Fair doesn't have healthy yummy food stands/vendor options on their menu aren't real "foodie." Thirty minutes passed our tour commence and hit Livestock were you can pet bunny, feed the chickens and other small or big animals. None of us really realized time was drifting away and it was time for some good ole country treat. My party of three for sure embodies what I think as "ethnic & eclectic" individuals. Dove to the idea of having a cold one, the other one choose to have red wine while the other treated himself an ice cream to sufficed his sweet needs. On to the next exhibits: photography of all sorts- b&w, humor, landscape, amateur to professional. Floriculture is were we hit next: Arrangements and Roses, gardeners & landscapers' forte or aficionados sanctuary. An all-day excursion. Just before we decided to head back a quick stop at the shopping pavilions was indicated to fulfill our days worth we bought chocolate ginger bread cookie & chocolate chip cookie for $5. Samples of kettle corn, warm caramelized/candied almonds were also given out to try; so good I asked the sampler to hand me another one and settled to buy a medium size almond for $8. Lets just say hardly anything left just before we got back to the car. This may have not been as elaborate as other county's but the crowds are nicer. Friendly staff, fun rides, games, exhibits and food are pressed in one at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Will be here again next year. Admission is $12 per person Parking $10 per car Fair's website at www.venturacountyfair.org Today's weather played a major factor nice and breezy. Mild weather, PRICELESS!!! read more

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This place has so much potential (how many other fairgrounds are right at the beach???), but it is a dump! It's in need of repair in so many areas and could use a huge overhaul. Beautify the grounds, fix the buildings & restrooms, clean it up. Take a trip to the Mid-State fairgrounds in Paso Robles for an excellent example of how incredible & beautiul a fairgrounds can be. read more

I went to the California Car & Cycle Show to perform and check out the rides. Had a great time even though it was freeeezing. I only go to the fair about once every 5 years or so. I find the clutter and overpriced mediocrity to be too much for me to squander on...even if I am an 805 native. -Rayce #TheLifestyleNotTheLabel read more

Ventura County Fairgrounds - I don't always rap...but when I do, I stand on speakers and rock it hard. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ventura, California

fair 2011 Yeah its fair time what can you say it only happens once a year like you already know. so i was so pumped to go this year i have been going for the last 3 years and you can say that's where the happiness ends first off still like that you are able to get a free rides to and from the fair and don't even have to deal with there parking due to having a small lot. and the fireworks and the fair food. this year felt kinda strange from other years cause this time i was not able to get my deep fried oreos and candy bars cause i wasn't able to locate them the stand that i would always get them from was not even there like they where for the last 3 yrs. i did see the deep fired kool-aid but didn't get it. you would say its basically its a dough nut mixture with kool-aid inside so i was like Na aww the one thing that i always get and with is yummie in my tummy was the spiral fries covered in nacho cheese sauce and chili beans. anything that is covered in cheese sauce and or wraped in bacon is a win win you can never go wrong with me i feel the one thing that kinda killed my fair experience this time around was that they raised the admission to get it in.. from it being $10 last year to $12 this year. yeah i know that ever thing is overpriced but i don't mind over paying on the fair food due to its once a year but not the admission read more

Ventura County Fairgrounds - Mm fries cheese and beans - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ventura, California

Bring cash: parking, entrance and all food concessions did not accept debit/credit cards. read more

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Terrible omg ! Still waiting in line for the fair to be open ! It's already going to be 2:00 pm and still waiting this terrible

Well maybe would have liked if we could get there. Parking full so we paid $10 for another lot and a shuttle bus that was supposed to run every 15 minutes. 150 people in line and a small school bus showed up. We would have waited 45 minutes just to get there. Bad planning and it was senior day. Very disappointed read more

Awesome time with my family the wrist band day was the best day to go my kids had a ball will return next year the fire work show was really short maybe next year I'll be better read more

Ventura County Fairgrounds - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ventura, California

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So much fun! My friend and I took advantage of purchasing WOW tickets ahead of time because we knew we'd be at the fair a lot for the concerts. Tips: Take the shuttle. It's free. You won't have the hassle of driving there and searching for a parking spot. The buses are clean, have seatbelts and the drivers are friendly, helpful and nice. To get through security quickly, open your bags as you get there, bring only unopened water bottles and be patient. The Security workers are there to keep us safe. Make sure you try the Mexican corn on the cob. It's so good. Bring Tums because there's so much delicious food at the fair it'll be very difficult to stick to your healthy eating plan. Corn dogs - omg! Garlic fries. Strawberry cheesecake crepes. For savory they do offer healthy options like crepe filled with mushrooms, spinach, etc. Concerts: My favorites this year - Styx, Martina McBride, Evelyn Champagne King, Emotions and Daughtry. They were so good! I wish Evelyn Champagne King sang longer. It didn't make sense that she was the first and not the last to sing. She was amazing!!! Layer your clothes. Bring jackets. The wind really whips up during the concerts and it gets very cold. The kettle corn and almonds in the concert area are not to be missed! See you next year Ventura County Fair! read more

Perfect place for a beach day! Plenty of sun, the surf is good and the sand is fairly free of bird droppings = all of which are the perfect equation for a few hours of California fun. If you get there early enough, park along the frontage road and it's free. If you don't make it in time to nab a spot, it's $2 for the whole day. Bring a chair, a towel, sunscreen and your headphones. The rest is self-explanatory! read more

I have been going to the Ventura County Fair with my granddaughter for 7 years now. This year was very disappointing. The cost of food, games, bull-riding, sand art, and parking have all going up. I think the extra money is being used for security which I understand considering the times we live in. They have metal detectors, backpack and hat searches. Unfortunately, many fun features were missing. No bungie jump (I understand there was a mishap last year), The old guys playing fiddles on the pick up truck were not there, and I couldn't find any chickens! Several years ago, they eliminated the Gypsy Time Travellers and that was disappointing also. In addition, they reconfigured the seating for the pig races so they could share the seating with the dog races. So the people in the center bleachers were not facing the right way in either race. I have experienced better and I'm going to have to rethink going again next year. read more

The fair was fair. Expensive, but fun none the less. I took off work early on a Thursday to take the kiddies. It was unlimited ride wristband day after all and who wouldn't want to ride carni rides, eat junk food and drink beer till you puke*? There was no wait to get in at 1PM. Someone asks you immediately if you want to sign up to win something before you get to the gate. "No thanks, I don't want my name on any more stupid call/email lists than it has to be." Kids under 6 are free. BONUS! You walk in and you immediately see the kids zone to the right, with kid friendly rides. Steer to the left for the bigger kid's rides. (We stayed on the right.) You also see a long cooridor of Junk food vendors straight ahead with exhibits flanking each side and barn animals at the end. They do the whole theme-park thing where they offer to take your picture before you get all hot/sweaty/drunk/disgusting to buy when you leave the fair.** My impressions: Beer, everywhere and it ain't cheap either. It also isn't bad beer. There was Sierra Nevada, Stella and others that I would love to drink if I wasn't with the kids and I had lots of cash to burn. You can't go into the buildings with beer. They've got ladies checkin. You probably can't ride the rides with beer either, but I didn't try. *** There are no healthy food options except for maybe corn on the cob. But that's the fair for you. I got a Turkey Leg + Corn + Churro + Icecream + Lemonade. The family shared everything. The kiddie rides were fun for the kids and appeared fairly safe. The operators weren't the type of people I'd have over for dinner but they were very helpful getting the kids locked inplace. We took a break from the rides and explored the exhibits and the animals. We saw the balloon guy (We had seen him at the AV fair) who he was very entertaining for the kids to watch. While my wife and daughter went through the crafts, I took my son on more rides to get the most out of that wrist band****. I figured out that with all the costs added up we averaged about $20/hr while we were there. You could spend less if you stay longer, but 4 hours was enough for us. We couldn't leave without the enormous Pink Dolphin and Spiderman balloons to remember the trip by. So, all in all I'd say that we enjoyed our time. It did get more crowded as the day went on and I started to get a "Disneyland Headache" from exposure, dehydration, junk food, walking too much and standing in lines. FYI: People we know said that dollar day was mobbed with a wait to get in. Finally, this is the last weekend! Footnotes: * No Puking was involved in this review. **We did it just for S&Gs but didn't even look at them when we left. *** No rides for me thankyou. ****The wristband cost $25 and each ride was about 3 tickets or about 3 dollars. read more

Does anyone else notice that they charge more $$$ every year but the entertainment seems to be dwindling??? and really.. they should at least change up where they put the booths... i mean seriously i could go through that place blindfolded and still end up with a) beer b) roasted corn c) donuts d) curly fries with a cholesterol fest of melted cheese smothered all over them and still manage to never find a clean bathroom when i need one... I guess for the first time in my life i was kind of "over it" this year. Maybe next year I'll try Mid State. read more

The 2009 fair was pretty fun. I actually haven't been to the VC fair for quite some time so it was nice being back. Played some midway games, got on some rides, but I guess the big thing for me that day was eating weird fair food. Strawberry beer. Deep-fried strawberries. Cheesecake on a stick. Banana tower. Chocolate covered bacon. It was good times, but I guess all that weird food plus a ride on the tilt-a-whirl made Sarah and me rather nauseous. Plus, I forgot to eat the mini donuts this year! Drats. read more

Once a year... yea why not... the 7 year old loved it! We just followed him around. I suggest you go when the have the wristband specials. It's a great deal. You'll save some money because those individual tickets are .75 a piece. Finally tried the turkey legs! Man, they were juicy. I thought it would be dry. Try to stay till they close too, because the fireworks show is awesome! Your body pounds everyone one goes off. read more

Ventura County Fairgrounds - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ventura, California

I wait 355 days/yr for this. no joke: buena h.s. funnel cake. those big corn on the cobs cinnamon rolls roasted almonds food from the buddhist temple bbq sandwiches strawberry beer (*please see oxnard strawberry festival) animals the ferris wheel and fireworks vintage-style photos those guys walking around in costumes that look like they're riding horses (you totally know what I'm talking about) oh, how I love the VC fair. read more

Dog Show weekend w/ the family... Labradoodles!!! So sadly, didn't see any labradoodles. We must have only been present for "small dog session." I would strongly caution everyone to be mindful of the large grass area that was used as a large "bathroom," especially after the next rain...those won't be mud puddles you are splashing in! The grounds themselves are excellent!! Heard that sections of it are being renovated/rebuilt this year. A good thing - especially for the animals! read more

Good clean fun in a stunning setting. This is my first fair in California and it was a lot of fun in a laid back way. Enough for all ages to see and do but not so large or crazy or crowded. Safe enough for families with younger children. Police and security were out in abundance, which gave the festivities a sense of security so we could relax and enjoy ourselves. Favorite experiences: Going during opening day, $1 admission and feeling the excitement of 1st day! Staff and crowd were friendly - liked mingling with locals. Ferris wheel during sunset was magical FREE big name concerts Listening to the family that told me to buy the presale tix. Worst experiences: 1. Rides and games were $4.50 (6 tix) minimum. You'll be hard pressed to find anything under that. 2. Timeshare vendor sales person tactics. It has to do with what they don't tell and what's NOT in the fine print on the back of the paper you signed. There are blackout dates, a 60 day waiting period before you can use the freebies AND you will be charge for a no show! They didn't tell me any of this until I called the 800 to book my free trip to san diego. No can do until 60 days after I find time to drive to san diego and then bother to come back. Not cool that they don't tell you this before they take your credit card info. 2. Driving to the fair lot and waiting in traffic for 30 minutes... only to be the turned away because the lot was full. 3. Rides/games were expensive! $4.50 of tix needed to throw 1 dart! You must be kidding me! Next year I'm buying 10 of those presale tix (10 bonus tix per sheet). Food vendors, in order of most to least favorite that I tried: The good. 1. Old West cinnamon rolls (must get the frosting!) - longest line Friday night among any vendor including rides! 2. Roasted corn booth adjacent to rock climbing wall takes the prize for the most unusual item, mexican corn (chile, cheese, lime, mayo, cilantro). Had to come back for another. 3. Dip 'n dots are still good! 4. sweet potato fries The bad. 5. Turkey leg vendor in front of stage near rides. Meat was dried out. 6. Funnel cake vendor next to turkey leg vendor in front of stage. Way undercooked dough is yuck! 7. Churros by the fish and chips/chowder place. Churros were hard as a rock. 8. Fried hotdog... not as novel as it sounds and tasted worst than regular hot dog. read more

AHHHH THE FAIR!!!!!!!! I love love love the fair. I love it. I love all the fair food like roasted corn, giant baked potatoes, spiral fries, and mini-donuts. I love riding on the Zipper and flipping it around so many times I think I'm going to throw up. The fair makes me feel like I'm a kid again. I missed it last year and, sadly, I will probably miss it this year too. BOO. The concerts are usually really good, and they're still FREE! which is awesome. Admission to the fair is only $8, so if you can see a good band, that's a pretty amazing deal. But be careful: It can get crazy and very crowded towards the front. You should go on the special days, when you can get a wristband and avoid paying astronomical ticket prices for the rides. AND you should get an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. YUM to the tenth power. read more

I come here almost every year for the Ventura County fair! Parking is $10 during fair time and $12 for entrance. They've got all the usual suspects of fair foods, rides, shows, and games for decent prices. Most places only take cash, but they've got a few ATMs lying around. It's a pretty big fairground with open space outside and inside several buildings, which are awesome because they have indoor bathrooms! The Ventura County fair is my favorite! read more

Wonderful fair. Walk don't drive. Eat drink have fun. Listen to the music

The Ventura County Fairgrounds is a great venue for hot rod shows, racing, concerts, gun shows, dog shows, swap meets and of course the Ventura County Fair. Unlike other fairgrounds in SoCal, the Ventura County Fairground has the location advantage. It's in a prime location along the Gold Coast, with wonderful ocean breezes to keep temperatures nice and cool in the summer. It's also a great place to view the Channel Islands and gorgeous sunsets in the evenings. The facility itself isn't huge, but it's more than adequate for Ventura County and includes a nice flat track for racing, animal pens and corrals, large Quonset huts for vendors and displays, not to mention various stages for performers. The parking at the VCFG is huge, and includes an overflow area behind the horse racing building. However... Despite all the accolades, I do ding the Ventura County Fairgrounds two full stars. One, their parking policies and prices have gotten worse over the years. In the past, motorcycles were given a free pass and designated parking near the gate. The purpose for this was to free up full-size parking spaces for more cars in the lot. A few years ago that changed, and now the County charges full price for motorcycle parking, the same as cars and they've removed the designated area. Even though you can park 4 motorcycles in one car space, they still charge the same. Consequently, many bikers I know protest by using one full car space per bike now. I don't blame them. If they're going to be charged an arm and a leg, they may as well use the entire parking spot they paid for - right? Poor decision on the part of the County, which has backfired on them. The second poor VCFG decision was to ban dogs from the park a few years ago. I was informed by an employee that this was a knee-jerk reaction to a single incident where a dog owner didn't properly control their animal. Rather than simply deal with that one bad apple, they shortsightedly punish all dog owners by instituting this draconian policy. Very sad... If it weren't for these two items, which are both easily fixed by the County, this park would be a full five stars. read more

A vast improvement over the LA County Fair, although the same general principle of nickle and dime one to death is in effect. If a child is too small to enter an attraction unattended then the parent shouldn't be charged entry - that's 9/10ths of a star deducted. The line for the shuttle bus shouldn't be longer than the line to get into the Fair - that's another 1/10th of a star deducted. Find the place near the Pepsi(tm) stage with the corndogs and get an Italian sausage on a bun with onions and peppers. Or find the Pink's stand. Or get some tri-tip. Or get some kettle corn. Or get copious beverages. Or do what we did and get 'em all, then get the hell home because trouble's a-brewin! $8 per person. At least my wife didn't drag me back out to the LA one. 4 stars. read more

Currently at the Art Laboe love jams concert. Paid extra for VIP tickets but no point cuz u can sit where ever you want. Not cool. Worst concert ever. U can't have any food or drinks inside other than water. Security is lost & this is like a hall w/ a lot of chairs. Negative read more

Ventura County Fairgrounds - Artlaboe Love Jams concert. I had high expectations - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ventura, California

Last time I went to this fair was back in 2009, it was overpriced, and no surprise it is still today. The fee to get in might as well be free to all, since the food vendors charge Disneyland prices. Seriously, cheapest drink they had was a can of WARM soda for three bucks. The times on the rides were over before I got settle in my sit. On one of the kid rides , a child started crying, and the guy stopped it so the kid could get off, but then had all the other kids get off after only ten seconds, me and some other parents asked to keep them on and he said no and walked away to smoke. The merchandise and games they have were airport prices, and more than LA / SD Fair. The music acts they had were good (Huey Lewis & the News / Chaka Khan) but sitting was hard to get and people were smoking an assortment of stuff around the no smoking sign. The animals & horses all looked (were) sad in there tiny hot cages. Having a "no flash" sign would of been helpful to those who do not know better, if you didn't want the animals going crazy. We were in and out in under 2 hours (til we went back for the concerts). Unless you're ready to burn two hundred dollars for foods & tickets for 3 people, you're better off going to an amusement park. San Diego Fair is three bucks more AND so much more stuff and free things to do & get. Also the shuttle at the mall is horrible, we waited an hour for a bus we all were promised to come in 15mins. Yes, it may be free, but a ETA sign would be helpful. read more

Ventura fairgrounds is spacious enough and holds a bunch of events through out the year. Parking isn't as chaotic here as it would be in Los Angeles or bigger cities, and even when ti's full and you have to park in the dirt lot across the street from the parking lot, it's never a far walk to the entrance. My favorite memories here were for Warped tour, as the climate isn't ridiculous compared to inland cities. You have the beach right next to the fairgrounds as well. Organizers do a good job for events here. Plenty of security and staff. I've had some great times here while I was still living in LA, even though it's only about an hour and a half drive, the vibe is so different and more relaxed. Ventura locals, enjoy your fairgrounds! :) read more

I love the Ventura County Fair never had a problem in anyway. Close to the ocean. Lots to do, crafts, art, shopping, rides, animals, shows and of course soooo much food! I drive up from Valencia and my kids always enjoy themselves. Lots of choices for rides for all ages. Deep fried everything. I never have been a fan of Fairs till I can to this one. Worth a whole day. read more

We were here for the Harvest Festival, October 2012. I'd never been to the Ventura Fairgrounds prior to this. The location is right off the freeway which we found very convenient. It's also right by the beach so there was a cool breeze. Parking was sufficient for the festival but I was wondering if there would be enough parking for larger events. Overall a very nice area. read more

No water flask allowed in! You have to be kidding me! Wake up, we are in 2017!!! I have a kid and I want to give him water! Just filled it (40oz) and I now have to dump it because of your "funny" rules! Never again. Won't make the effort to drive all the way from LA! read more

Great fair but don't waste your time or money on the lobster mac and cheese. They used imitation lobster which really is fish with mac and cheese and a few langistinos for $14.00! Get you kettle corn from the little red shack on the midway not the one by the Seabreeze stage. It tastes better and cheaper. read more

This year was our son's first experience at the Ventura county fair he's 3 and has special needs. Our son was so excited to be at the fair and excited to experience this whole new scene he wanted to go on a ride witch I believe it was the caterpillar he was jumping up and down with the biggest smile when approaching the ticket guy I explained to him that my son needed me to ride along with him and that I am his advocate his response was very disrespectful and rude he didn't seem to care he denied my son from ridding the ride! He told us to leave I didn't care to spend extra money for him to ride the caterpillar because my son was very happy but unfortunately he did not allow us on the ride he told us he did not care and that we needed to leave everyone there on the ride was just looking at us not knowing we had every right to ride this ride and was upset having to wait for us to leave . I was very discouraged I felt discriminated by this young man who didn't seem to understand that my son needed supervision. It's very hard living in a society with ignorance and it's very sad that our children with special needs have to live among people like this man! I will not return to the fair and hope that other kids or adults never have to go through this because it's hurtful and we all should be treated equally! read more

Went for the gem faire today (and tomorrow). Mother is obsessed with moonstones. Alas, they had them but not as she desired. Busy place. There was a junk hunt event taking place in the next building over, but it was paid entry while gem show was free entry. read more

Standing in the zipper ride and watched the fair dude use a water bottle to splash out the vomit in one of the zipper carts! Then started the ride and the vomit chunk landed on me! So gross and unsanitary!!! read more

For a small county fair, the Ventura Fair is one of the best around. It goes for over a week and has lots of different activities and performers each day. The fair food is really good and is one of the reasons to go. They have the usual tents of gadgets to browse and also different animals and shows as well. read more

ventura county fair is the REAL DEAL. its patronized by miller-lite drinkin wal-mart employees in elastic waist jeans, slutty fake-tan groupies in school girl outfits and teenagers looking to start trouble and make out. you can fill up on corn in various forms, buy an as-seen-on-tv miracle product and get strapped in for a carnival ride that makes you believe in god for the few moments that you are yelling for him to show some mercy and save you. there are so many great things about the fair, it would take me days to list them (turkey stampede? a litter of piglets?? sweet corn with chilli powder and tapatio???) not to mention the sausage fest, in the most literal use of that phrase. pinks, italian, polish, whatever your heart desires. the rides are amazing, the animals are adorable and the whole place smells like heaven. and the best part is its by the ocean, which is a beautiful place to watch the fireworks from. so much fun, i wish it would never end! read more

BUYER BEWARE!!! The lady selling the 10 ft cell phone chargers. They're expensive and they don't work. Very upsetting that so far away and can't get back to turn it in. read more

The food locations were moved a bit. Wednesday night I got a big fat delicious smoked turkey leg from the 'turkey kiosk' inside the SeaBreeze Stage location. They are on left side of stage closest to midway. Warmed it up the next day, delicious. So, Thursday night on our way out, I picked some turkey legs from a vendor 'WoodPit BBQ', on the Main Street, right next to the children's dell. They had a large banner advertising 'best' turkey legs. I was looking forward to enjoying a repeat from the day before. I warmed up the smoked turkey. What a disappointment. The meat was salty, overly brined, a poor attempt at 'smoked'. The meat was so dry, overly cooked, I almost chocked on the first bite. I went back Friday to get my money back. They gave me some excuse about the receipts from the day before, and monies not matching up. The best they could do would be to replace with 'fresh' legs. That too was a mistake. Though these were not dry or overly cooked, they too were sickly overly salted. Not sure why they would advertise 'smoked', instead the turkey should be labeled as salted, or triple brine. Awful. Yuck. read more

I truly love this fair! I've grown up going to it every summer and never realized how lucky we are to have the Grandstand shows included in the fair entrance which is, for now, still under $10. I'm not happy that carnival rides and the entrance fee has gone up so much but it's still not horrible if you plan right. I enjoyed getting in free on Senior Day because I went with my mom and grandma. It was especially nice because that was the day Trace Adkins was at the fair. Love a country concert, especially at the Fair. I also enjoyed the Wednesday $1 day where if you came in before 3pm you only paid $1 for the entrance fee. Awesome idea! That day I enjoyed checking out all the Photography entries, the always beautiful Horticulture building, the animals, a $2 mini cupcake, $2.50 half dozen of mini donuts in the commercial building, and a $3.50 Hotdog on a Stick. It was a great cheap fun day. And yesterday I enjoyed the rodeo (love the rodeo) and a couple carnival rides (finally got on the Ferris wheel during the fireworks show!). I'm always sad to see the fair go because it's just a fun place to walk around and people watch. There are so many memories here for me. read more

Been going since 2008 and it is always a lot of fun for myself and the kids! gotta get there early or late because there is a lot of traffic to get into parking lot. They also get great entertainment for their concerts and this years line up sounds good again. Fireworks are also a lot of fun and of course there is all of the rides, yummy food and things to buy. We like to go thru a lot of the exhibits too. If you text FAIR to 69852 they will send you updates on ticket specials and a lot of other great things. If you live in the area take the train....a lot of people I know say it is the best because you avoid the parking and the station is right there at the entrance....especially good after a long day of having lots of fun! read more

I have been going to this fair for over 30 years. It used to be a good place to take the kids - entertaining, inexpensive and even educational. Now that the kids are grown I enjoyed going for the clean air, the local displays, and especially the variety of foods. I had not been there for a few years and when I went last year I noticed that everything, especially the food, was a lot more expensive. Had been away from it that long? Anyway, I went again this year. After choking on $10 for parking and no discount for seniors or disabled, I made my way to the ticket booth. Cool, no line - I must be early. I have always liked to eat my way through the day so I went to one of the first stands and ordered a churro and the girl asked for $3.50!!!. WTF? I passed on that one. Then I started looking at the other vendors. $8 for a beer??! $6 for a hot dog!! $4 for a 16 oz. lemonade!! A small bottle of water was $3!! Are you ... kidding me??! I decided I wasn't all that hungry after all. The rodeo was OK, at least for someone who does not follow it. But they clearly did not have the top cowboys or animals there. The commercial building was entertaining with some interesting booths and gadgets. They used to get some reasonably big name entertainment, but I guess that costs too much now. The last straw was when we wandered through the midway. I was not interested in the rides, but noticed the good ones were now $4-5 each. Yikes! I thought I might throw some darts or try a shooting gallery just for nostalgia. But you can no longer just go up to a booth and lay down a dollar or two. No.. now you have to buy tickets to play the midway games. I guess the organizers want to control every dollar spent there. What's next, tickets to buy food? The rides and games were all mostly empty on a Saturday afternoon. Hmm, I wonder why. Instead of a showcase for local business, farmers and artists the fair has become a way for the organizers to gouge the visitors for every possible dollar. I stopped going to the Renaissance fair because of the prices and low quality of the entertainment. Sadly, I will not longer be going to the Ventura county fair either. They have priced me, and apparently many others, right out of the park. Oh well, there are street fairs and those are still free. read more