Discounts and Deals:
The Frugal Fairgoer's Guide

The San Diego County Fair is over for 2009. We had tons of fun, and we hope you did, too! We have left the information about the 2009 Fair on the Web site so that you'll have an idea of what it's all about. Much of this information will disappear at the end of 2009 when we will have the re-designed Web site featuring the 2010 Fair theme. Please check back in April or May, 2010, for updated information on activities at the 2010 San Diego County Fair.

Budget a little tight? We'll show you how to save money and still enjoy the Fair. Click where you see colored text to find out the details on these programs.

Save on admission!

• Save $2.00 on adult admission tickets: Albertsons also offers adult admission tickets for $11.00, two bucks off the $13.00 regular adult admission price. While you're there, you also can buy regular-price senior ($7.00, 62 and older) and children's ($7.00, ages 6-12) tickets, and bypass the ticket line when you get to the Fair!


Download a list of Albertsons stores participating in this promotion. [PDF format]


• NEW (as of June 25): Visit the Chula Vista Nature Center, come to the Fair for free! — The Chula Vista Nature Center is a living museum that offers a rare view into the natural habitats of Southern California. It features birds, land animals, and sea animals in one of the last remaining salt marsh wetlands on the Pacific Coast. To draw attention to this local treasure, the Fair is offering you free admission now through the end of the Fair July 5 if you visit the center. Just bring your admission receipt from the Nature Center (dated June 25-July 5, 2009) and present it at the Fair entrance gate.
  
  You can also visit the Fair first, and then visit the Nature Center. When you come to the Fair, save your ticket stub. Present it at the Nature Center ticket window, and you'll get a free child admission with each paid adult admission, now through Labor Day (September 7). More information: www.ChulaVistaNatureCenter.org



• NEW (as of June 20): If you have been laid off work and are receiving unemployment benefits, you can come to the Fair free on Monday, June 29. We also are extending this offer to our fellow State employees. Please click this link for more information, and be sure to read the questions and answers at the bottom of that page.



• Come with your friends! Save on admission when you come with a group. Please see the Group Sales page for details, and gather your friends together for maximum savings!



• Come more than once! Buy a 3-day pass at the ticket window for $29.00. It's good any three days of the Fair, and it will save adults $10.00! (Adult regular admission is $13.00.)



• In the military? Buy your tickets on base and save!



• Save by buying admission & ride packages! If you like the rides, these ticket packages will save you up to 43 percent off the at-the-window prices. Click the link for details.



• Read and get in free! Children 12 and younger who read 10 or more age-appropriate books, and have that verified by a teacher or librarian, get free admission any day of the Fair. (Regular child's admission is $7.00.) Click the link for details.



• Tuesdays are Kids Day! Children 12 and younger are admitted free on Tuesdays, June 16, 23 and 30. (Admission for ages 6-12 other days is $7.00.)



• Enter a Home & Hobby or Kids' Best contest: Enter one of our one-day Entry Department contests, and you get free admission to the Fair. Click the link for details. (Not all contests offered at the Fair offer free admission, so please read the additional details.)

Save on parking!

• Free parking: Park free every day at Horsepark, on the corner of Via de la Valle and El Camino Real, east of Interstate 5. The Fair's free shuttle buses run from 9:00AM until midnight every day the Fair is open (1:00AM on Friday and Saturday), and drop you off in front of the O'Brien Gate. On weekends and July 3, we also have free park-and-shuttle lots at two additional off-site locations. Click the link above for more information.



• Ride the train or take the bus: Amtrak and the Coaster stop at the Solana Beach station two miles from the Fair. North County Transit District (NCTD) shuttles run between the station and the Fair's West Gate. From Escondido, take the NCTD express route with no stops between Escondido and the Fair. Click the link above for more information.

Save on food!

• Bring your lunch: Yes, it's allowed! No alcohol, glass containers or metal knives of any kind. All beverages must be in sealed containers (but you can bring an empty container, such as a sippy cup, to use once you're past security). We'll even hold your lunch for you in Guest Services, first floor of the Grandstand, until you're ready to eat at one of the designated picnic areas.



• Fridays are PennySaver Value Days. The PennySaver coupon book, free with your Fair admission, is packed with over $500.00 in discounts, two-for-one values, and other savings from more than 60 Fair vendors.



• Come on Taste of the Fair Tuesday. Every Tuesday, you can buy $2.00 taste-sized portions of some of your favorite Fair foods, such as corn dogs, fudge, fish tacos and cinnamon rolls. Check at your favorite food booth to see what their offering is for Taste of the Fair Tuesday!

Save on rides!

• Save by buying admission & ride packages! If you like the rides, these ticket packages will save you up to 43 percent off the at-the-window prices. Click the link for details.



• Come on Pay-One-Price Ride Day: Want to enjoy the rides all day long for one price? You can, each Wednesday and Thursday during the Fair. Buy online and take advantage of special online-only Pay-One-Price Days! Click the link for details.

Enjoy the free attractions!

• Enjoy the exhibits: All the Fair exhibits are free with admission, including the this-year-only "Music Mania" Exhibit, presented by Jeffrey Scott Fine Magnetics; the flower and garden show; all the animals, gems, art, photo, home and hobby displays; woodworking; and much more.



• Enjoy the shows: We have entertainment all day and long into the evenings on eight stages, plus daily animal or motor sports shows in the Chevrolet Del Mar Arena. Nationally known entertainers are featured nightly on the Heineken Grandstand Stage. Most of the Grandstand shows are free with admission to the Fair, and all entertainment on other stages is free with admission.



• Your Fair ticket is good for free admission to Surfside Race Place at Del Mar, the Fairgrounds' race book facility. You can place a wager on horse races from all over the country, then watch your horse cross the finish line! Surfside Race Place is open every day the Fair is open, except Tuesdays.