Our Top 7 Fair Hacks

August 22, 2014

Going to the Los Angeles County Fair can feel like something of a mission, especially when you take into account the kids, the crowds and the endless amount of activities to choose from. Here are our top “Fair hacks” to help you save time, save money and enjoy a great day at LACF:

Los Angeles County Fair Hacks


1. Use the online map: Our interactive LACF map is available on our website and lists all of our big attractions for the year. You can plan out what you want to do and see where everything is located before you even get to the Fair.
2. Buy tickets online: Skip the long lines when you purchase tickets online or through one of our partners. We have some amazing special offers this year including discounts on admission and ride wristbands.
3. Use MetrolinkDid you know Metrolink has a train stop that drops passengers off right at LACF? You can board the train and get dropped off at the Fairgrounds AND receive discounted Fair tickets when you purchase online. This year, Metrolink is extending operating hours until 12:20 a.m. on the weekends, just for the Fair! You can view full details on their website.

4. Arrive late: It might seem counter-intuitive to not be at the Fair right when the gates open, but it’s actually better to get here later in the day when it starts to cool down. Many of our new attractions are only open in the evenings (Luminasia, Zor, Grinding Gears nightclub) and you don’t want to wear the family down before LACF really comes to life!
5. Use shortcuts: Avoid the crowds and cut across the infield to get from the Farm to the carnival! New this year, you can avoid the crowds on Broadway and go directly from the carnival using our new Farm Road. You can shop, eat and say hello to the Budweiser Clydesdales too!

Sea Lion Splash 

6. Stay cool: It’s no secret that LACF can get pretty warm but we have plenty of ways to cool down. Spend some time shopping in our air-conditioned expo halls, watch the Sea Lions Splash show at Beneath the Sea, indulge in Dr. Bob’s Ice Cream and find one of our shaded areas to rest, refresh and people watch. You’ll be ready to hit the next show/ride/attraction in no time. (P.S. Did you know we have a Sparkletts water station that gives out free water? Find them near the Grandstand.)
7. Save money with the LACF season pass: 1.5 visits to the Fair and the season pass pays for itself! If you plan on attending the Fair more than once this season we highly recommend buying the season pass for unlimited access to the Fair during operating hours. Our season parking pass works the same way! There’s too much to discover in just one day.
BONUS: Stay at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and receive free admission for all registered adults, plus a delicious breakfast buffet and free self-parking! If you’re looking for a fun staycation or are visiting us from out of town, we highly recommend this option. Click here to view Sheraton Stay n Play packages.
We hope you have an enjoyable visit with us at the Fair. Only a few days until we open and we cannot wait!
What are some tricks you use to make your visit to the Fair more fun? Tell us in the comments below!  

3 Comments

  1. I have attended the L A County Fair for many decades. When I was in Second Grade, a memorable reason to go to the Fair was to see a PURPLE COW (a real cow), and the displays of citrus used to create pictures was fascinating, but that is now gone along with the citrus groves of Pomona, Claremont and Covina which we once drove through along Arrow or Foothill on Sunday drives.
    The Art Building, now renamed for Millard Sheets, had amazing exhibits of paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir when opportunities for seeing such works in Los Angeles County were pretty rare. I knew a lot of people whose PRIMARY reason for attending the Fair was first to see the current art exhibits and then check out the livestock.
    Nowdays, if one checks the Fair publicity on the Internet or articles in newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, there is no mention whatsoever of the Millard Sheets Art Center, and that was also the way it was last year, and previously.
    How can this be, year after year, with declining fair attendance thanks to the heat we now face?
    Since the days of Millard Sheets and then Richard Petterson, the Art Gallery was an introduction of the Arts to many Fairgoers, in addition to being a primary reason for many visitors to go to the Fair.
    So why is the Art Exhibit now such a big secret?

    • We absolutely love the Millard Sheets Art Center and fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into the exhibit each year.
      We plan to cover the exhibit this year on our blog, Instagram and other social media channels… we don’t want to keep this hidden from our guests.
      Thank you for your comment and we hope you enjoy what we have to offer this year at Millard Sheets.

  2. As long as you keep raising the price of tickets your attendance will be dropping for the ,last forty years I have been going to the fair not this year last year I bought a season ticket for 24.99 this year it 29.99 I will miss it

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