The
California State Fair By Tracy
Cameron The
California State Fair is a much larger version of many local
county fairs that all counties participate in it. I always enjoy going
through the building with the county displays and looking for my
county. I enjoy talking with my children about the different counties
that we have visited during our travels. Unlimited ride bracelets are now available every day of the fair, which is a great if your kids are going to ride a lot of rides. You just need to bring in the coupon from specially marked 12-packs of Coca Cola. You can still get the unlimited ride bracelets without the coupons on Fridays and Labor Day. Tuesday was Kids Day and kids 12 and under get into the fair for free. They can also go on rides for $1. Kids Park offers a fun family environment. Kiddie Land rides such as the Little Dipper roller coaster are perfect for young children under 48”. My kids are getting taller so they are starting to enjoy the rides in the midway more. There is an area with animal races and two stages, which include children’s entertainment such as bird shows, juggling, comedy, puppet shows and more There are many activities for children. The California Forest Center provides year-round opportunities to learn about harvesting and reforestation, and gives free seedlings to everyone at the fair. I love to go every year and get mine. Camp Smokey is an outdoor exhibit with forest critters like Smokey the Bear, Woody the Owl, and Sparky the Fire Dog. The Children’s Dairy Center is in the Livestock Pavilion and lets kids learn about the dairy cattle and dairy goat industry. Kids can actually milk a cow or goat. There is also a lot of other livestock for the kids to look at, and the farm has tractors for kids to explore. The California Ranchland outside of the Livestock Pavilion is divided into “ranchettes” that include the Petting Farm, Bunny Trail, Tractor Pull, Feed Store, Goat Milking, Gobbler Gulch, Pot Bellied Pig Ranch, Roping arena and more. Each ranchette has interactive activities for children. There is a variety of food so that everyone can find something they want to eat. Chicken Charlie’s has fried chicken and deep fried Twinkies. My kids fell in love with deep fried Twinkies four years ago and have to have one every year. You can watch salt water taffy being made at Jeanne’s Candy. Be prepared for the heat as it gets very hot in Sacramento in the summer. Wear a hat and make sure to pack your sunscreen. The fair will be open on Mondays this year. Gates open at noon Monday-Thursday and 10am Friday-Sunday and Labor Day, and close at 10pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 62 and over, $6 for children 5-12 years, and free for children ages 4 and under. Parking is $8. This year’s state fair is August 15-September 1, 2008. If you like fairs this is a must for fun things to do with your children. The next smaller County Fair will be the Placer County Fair held at the Gold Country Fair Grounds in Auburn, CA. California State Fair 1600 Exposition Blvd. Sacramento, CA (916)263-3000 http://www.bigfun.org © 2008 Tracy Cameron | |
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