100 never looked so good. After a two-year hiatus, the LA County Fair returns, kicking off its 100-day countdown today to its Centennial anniversary celebration, which begins May 5, 2022. And Fair guests had better loosen their belts because they have two years’ worth of Fair food to catch up on.
Fair fans can get a jump on tickets as season passes and general admission for 2022 go on sale today at www.lacountyfair.com.
No doubt everyone is looking forward to experiencing the LA County Fair once again. And when the Fair says it’s back, they mean waaaay back as it prepares to commemorate the past 10 decades of this beloved Southern California tradition, which began in 1922. The Fair is going “Back To Our Roots” – celebrating the nostalgia and simpler way of enjoying life that was the Fair’s foundation at its beginning in a beet and barley field in the heart of Pomona.
“We are thrilled to welcome back our guests and vendors to what is certainly going to be a sentimental return to the LA County Fair,” said Walter Marquez, President and CEO of Fairplex. “We’ve heard from guests how much they’ve missed the Fair. When the gates open in May, we will be back in the business of making memories.”
The Fair shut down during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to COVID-19, which also required Fairplex to trim staffing to a fraction of its usual team. As a result, this first fair back has been planned with just a handful of team members – just like the very first fair. That, in turn, has required Fair organizers to focus on the elements that are most essential to creating an extraordinary experience for guests.
“So we are taking it Back to Our Roots – great rides, relevant agricultural demonstrations, shopping, community and food,” Marquez said.
Dates for 2022 are May 5-30, opening with a Cinco de Mayo celebration and ending with a bang-up entry to summer on Memorial Day.
The Fair will pay homage to its past with an exhibition in the Millard Sheets Art Center, featuring special archives from its and Fair fans’ collections as well as artists’ interpretations of the Fair’s Centennial.
The Flower and Garden Pavilion is themed “Cheers to 100 Years,” celebrating the Centennial through floral displays and vignettes. Returning is The Haunt Show exhibit, which will feature its 100 Years of Monsters museum.
Ray Cammack Shows returns for its 36th year with nostalgic carnival rides like bumper cars and the Tilt-A-Whirl as well as new century favorites. And, of course, there will be food, food and more food.
MacPherson’s Ice Cream returns for its 100th year, having started with a small food stand at the first Fair in 1922. Legendary Hot Dog on a Stick will feature a retro food stand with employees dressed in historical uniforms. The Fair is also looking to bring back other old-time favorites – stay tuned for more!
Returning for the first time in many years, Future Farmers of America students will show their animals in a new ring at The Farm.
The countdown is on. See you in 100 days.
Want to be a part of the 2022 Fair?
As a tribute to the last 100 years of the LA County Fair, we are organizing a centennial exhibit in our Millard Sheets Art Center building, and we need your help! Direct Message us (via Instagram or Facebook) your photos from the last 10 decades of the LA County Fair (with the date included), or send us a photo of your collection of memorabilia for your chance to be displayed at the 2022 Fair! 📣
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