I've been going to the Alameda County Fair since I was a kid, and I truly don't think I've missed a year. Even during COVID, when they couldn't hold the regular fair, they put on a special fall version instead. Getting to go to the fair in a Halloween costume was honestly such an awesome experience. I hope they do something like that again someday. I definitely have my traditions. Funnel cake is a must (always with strawberries ). Non-negotiables include the Sky Ride, the petting zoo, and the Model Railroad exhibit (ask about their scavenger hunt!). Before I leave, I have to stop at one of the old-fashioned photo booths too. I write the year on the back of every photo strip, so I've ended up with this little collection that's basically a timeline of my life at the fair. One of my favorite things is that it really feels like the community coming together, and the whole place has such a festive vibe. My dad has won a couple of blue ribbons over the years, I have friends who enter competitions, and I genuinely love walking through the exhibits to see what people have grown, baked, photographed, painted, and created. I always end up spending way more time (and money! ) than I planned, so now I just budget for it every year. The concerts have been incredible too. I've seen Bowling for Soup, Smash Mouth, the Village People, Flo Rida, and plenty of others over the years. Between the concerts, the demolition derby, the drone shows, the animals, the rides, and all the new entertainment they bring in every year, I usually end up going more than once before the fair is over. Speaking of food, the best (and most ridiculous) fair food appears every year. This year it was Spam fries. Did I try them? No. Did I absolutely stop to take a picture? Of course I did. Also, one year I somehow came home from the fair with a mattress. We weren't planning on buying one, but I guess that's just another Alameda County Fair memory. After almost 30 years, I still get excited every time I walk through those gates. I have to leave with my traditional photo strip, my feet tired and dusty, and already looking forward to next year. read more

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We went to this fair on July 11th, and it happened to be one of the hottest day ever!! If I remember well, it was 96 degrees that day! Before my granddaughter went back to Bellevue, we bought tickets online and went to this fair. It was quite a fun experience! We arrived early, and parking was a breeze, well organized . We headed to one most wanted attraction, the Alaska pig racing!! The benches were full, but some very kind people squeezed in to make room for us. It was quite a show, and the host made the crowd participate too!! Then the petting zoo, the games, the food, the snacks.... Expensive, but it was fun. Then the heat got to us and we went home. It would be so awesome if the weather was cooler so we can enjoy everything!!! Guess we need to come back next year. read more

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I've only been to the Alameda County Fair once, last weekend, but it was an interesting experience. First, I got free passes for donating blood, that's not the reason I donate blood but it's an unexpected perk. My wife and I went on a Saturday late afternoon. Parking is $15 (although I saw people park far away and walk in order to forego paying for parking) and there are staff/volunteers directing traffic to park as efficiently as possible. Again, I've never been to a County Fair before but it was I expected. - We saw a bunch of animals and got to pet some - There were various carnival rides and games - There was a diverse range of food including all the deep fried items you can imagine. - Different merchandise. Cowboys, live stock exhibitions, live music, etc. Between all those activities, it would be pretty easy to spend a lot of $$, but my wife and I were able to exercise some restraint to watch some of the acts and exhibits and not rack up a huge tab, plus I'm afraid of heights so rollercoasters wouldn't be my thing. read more

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It's been a minute since I've been to the Alameda County Fair. I recall going one time with friends and just walking around and seeing the animals. This time we went because I won some tickets to the Wine Fest event this past Saturday, June 27, 2026 from 2-5pm which included general admission tickets to the fair as the event is located inside the fair. Just had to pay for parking and any extra food or activities. L O C A T I O N The Alameda County Fair is located in Pleasanton on the fairgrounds there at Valley Ave. and Bernal Ave. P A R K I N G Parking is on grassy area so your car will get dusty. You can pay online or in person at the parking lot. You can enter through Gate 8 or Gate 12. Also Gate 12 has a priority parking area which is $10 more on top of the parking fee but you can only pay in person and not online. We ended up paying for parking there and went to Gate 8 and easily paid with touchless card payment. And payment needs to be credit card no cash. T I C K E T S General Admission Tickets can be purchased online or in person. But again payment needs to be in credit card. I believe there's a way to transfer money onto a temporary card which you can use to pay throughout the fair as all payment needs to be in card not cash. If you want to attend any extra events like the wine fest, it's a separate ticket. Same with the concerts which is a different fee depending on the act. Make sure to buy tickets early otherwise you may not be able to attend the concert. A lot do sell out quickly. F A I R The fair is actually pretty spread out and sizeable. There are two areas for rides and games. One specifically focused on the younger kids and other for bigger kids. There are pig races, monster truck shows, as well as different stages for different bands which are free. This time they had two viewing areas for the World Cup which was nice. Lots of different seating areas. There was water filling stations and a lot of restrooms in all the different areas. There were also cute pygmy goats when we went. They had a cow petty area as well. W I N E F E S T Wine Fest was from 2-5pm on as specific day and cost $44. It was kind of pricey but you get a small wine glass and unlimited tastings. They gave you a little card to show you which wineries were there. But it would've been nice to have a list of what wines would be available at each of the tasting tables. We're primarily sweet wine drinkers and although it was nice to try out the other wines provided, it would've been better to know where exactly were the wines we'd be interested in. Unfortunately we found out only near the end when we hit the specific tables that had Moscato, Sweet Rose and Riesling and we only really had an hour left and we missed out on some other wines that run out by 4pm. We were there at the beginning but it did take a long while for us to find the actual table to sign in to get our glass. The folks at the tables sent us on kind of a wild roundabout adventure. It would've been nice to have large signs that pointed to the Check-in area. Also it would've been nice to have a map of where each of the tables were but it was pretty concentrated area which was nice. F O O D We didn't have too much food there but we did have a soft serve ice cream and some fries. The fries at the potato booth which served a lot of potato items were not the best to be honest. Even though they're freshly cut and freshly cooked, the oil tasted weird and the fries felt a bit undercooked. The soft serve was ok. Nothing wild to say about it except it helped with break we had from wine tasting. The waffle cone also felt a bit flimsy. O V E R A L L I don't know if I'd pay ~$20 for the general admission and then another $44 on top for the wine fest and then $15 for the parking. For the two of us that's a total of ~$143 for a day at the fair and that's not including food which was another $10 for the soft serve ice cream in a waffle cone and $10 for the fries which are on the low end of the food pricing. But it is a nice day out to enjoy some outdoor funtivities and I'm sure the kiddos would enjoy seeing the animals and playing. I would say, try it out at least once and see how it is. read more

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This is the wonderful county fair . It usually starts in mid June and last one week after July 4,2926 We came at 5:30 pm on July 3 th , Friday because today is a holiday . Weather is around 70 F with breeze and blue sky .Normal admission is $19.50 . Senior $16.50 . It was $11 on Thursday before 5 pm and $6 on selected Wednesday. If you like to purchase unlimited rides bracelets, the best deal is buy 4 for $84.70 This year it has a lot more food vendors than last year . There is a grilled meats kabab food truck , an Asian food shop and many more drinks . We love the Texas size grilled Turkey leg , jumbo sausage hot dogs . Garlic fries ( with minced garlic ) was $14 . We got a slushie ( I've with flavors ) for $6 and a funnel cakes with powdered sugar at the end . Love to see the small animals display ( rabbits , birds , reptiles, genies pigs , etc I enjoyed visit the made with hands arts building . We walled around to look at the award winning photos , pencils painting , crochet, miniature houses . There is. Alive show of a senior lady doing a cheese show ( craving a huge block of cheese into arts pieces) We came late and was sad to see all the farms animals were gone and the farm house was under maintenance. However , we still got to see the sheep shearing. The man was skillful . He shaved it in one minute minutes and the whole piece of wool came out like a blanket. I watched the little kids to ride the camel and pony . Also enjoy the bee hives performance with a man inside and explaining to us about bees . We love this Alameda county fair and have been coming every year for past 24 years . read more

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It feels like I came here on the hottest day ever! But I enjoyed myself nonetheless. Getting tickets and parking was easy. I bought everything online first. Pro tip: if your child goes to school in Alameda county, they get a free ticket through their schools' QR code. I immediately went on a water ride because I was so hot - tons of fun. We paid about $40 for unlimited rides, this does not include games. There's a section for teens/adults and then in the back there's a Kids Land. My children are younger, so they enjoyed that part of the fair the most. There's so many food and shopping options. I really didn't get to explore the way I wanted to. Next year, I may go for it and get a season pass. I did order a frozen lemonade - which was huge and delicious. There were easy to find bathrooms and info kiosk for phone charging. I was there for about 6 hours and not a minute of it was boring. I can't wait for next summer. read more

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IMHO Again, this year we gained fair admission through our food donations. If you don't bring food, you can pay a $10 donation per person instead, on this particular day only. In the past, the fair opened at 11 a.m. It changed this year to noon. When we arrived at the fairgrounds and paid for parking ($15 via credit card only), the attendant reminded us that we couldn't enter the fairgrounds until 12. We knew this and waited in our car for about 15 minutes before deciding to get in line with our food donations. We usually spend 3 hours at the fair, looking at the live animal exhibits and shopping the exhibition vendor halls, and eating overly priced fair food. This year we watched the pig races! There are aluminum bleacher seats surrounding the "racetrack" for a great view of the pigs. However, some children decided to stand right in front of the racetrack barring the view for some of us. One adult lady with umbrella joined them! Neither their parents nor those running the show, stopped them. Please people, show some consideration for others in the stands behind you! As we expected, the food prices went up. My husband's sausage sandwich was $15 plus tax. The portion was big, but the sausage itself was overcooked, and hard to bite into. I wanted to try a unique fair food item this year and almost bought a Korean-styled hot dog, $16-19, but I opted for a small corn dog, $9, and it also tasted a little dry. The best thing I purchased was a root beer float, $12. It was $11 last year. I had a nice chat with the lady who made my root beer float, about how to make it correctly without losing half of the roof beer from over foaming. There is a definite science to it to keep it from spilling over. She puts the spoon in the cup first, then a little root beer, then the ice cream, then slowly finishes with more root beer. That way you end up with a full cup...and your money's worth. Well, at least what you overpaid for it! LOL We still enjoy cruising the exhibition vendor halls but bought only one bag of Hawaiian Taro chips. There wasn't a lot to entice us to buy. We still had a good time but were done after a 2 - 1/2-hour visit. Yeah, we'll be back next year. read more

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Another successful "2026" fair that didn't disappoint. The fireworks display was magnificent, and hopefully they will bring it back next year. The fair was festive for the 4th and America's 250th. The fair runs till next Sunday, July 12, purchase tickets online or at the kiosk and the various entrances. The main entrance, next to fair office and across from the Ace train is the least crowded. The fair is cashless, so make sure you have your debit/credit card, and there are machines that turn cash into debit cards. The 4H cake booth accepts cash only, and this Thursday, July 9th is the last day for $3 food bites from 1-5 at participating vendors. Concerts happening this week check in at the clock tower for free bleacher tickets for certain concerts. I enjoyed the beautiful table settings, local art and photography, and the hobby and collectibles. These exhibits are my favorite as well as, the various shopping buildings. The last day of the fair is a plant sale, too. read more

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I love that this fair goes one way longer than all the other nearby county fairs. Got to go twice this year and see The Maine and Cheatcodes perform as part of their concert series! I hope the fair can continue to bring more bands/ pop punk bands in the future! I also always take advantage of the early bird ticket sales, which is only a $2 discount, but if you know that you go to the fair every year, might as well! I also always enjoy trying out new fair foods and grabbing the ones that we make a tradition to get every year. This time there was a pickle corn dog which was pretty interesting. My food recs have got to be the frozen banana, shrimp ceviche tostadas, and the Greek fries. read more

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We attended the Alameda County Fair on Thursday 6/25. Collective Soul was playing that night (and my husband was a fan). So off we went! We opted not to pay extra for tickets to the concert and gambled that there'd be seating on the bleachers (which is open with open admission tickets). We lucked out! Pro tip: visit the bell tower as soon as you get to the fair! They gave away wristbands that allow you access to the bleachers at show time. The show started at 8pm. The music venue was a great size even if you were sitting at the bleachers you had a great view. Another interesting thing for my family is that my son entered a piece of art to be exhibited at the fair. You get a free ticket to attend the fair if you enter... so essentially my 7 year old paid his own way in. The rides are pricey... which is par for the course. If we were staying longer (like on a weekend) we would probably splurge and get an unlimited rides ticket. But we paid $20 and he got to go on about 3 rides or so. Fairgrounds food is... also pricey. But there is something unique about a chocolate dipped banana or funnel cakes. I imagine had we attended over a weekend or during the 4th that there'll be a lot of things going on. But we went for the music and had a fun time! Highly encourage a visit and check out all the cool displays of art. Didn't know table settings was a category until I saw it. read more

I enjoy a good county fair , it was fun for the kiddos. This year they have camel rides which was cool. A cute pet zoo area for the kiddos and lots of food options and rides. My 10 month old deff enjoyed the fair with all the lights and toys hanging everywhere she enjoyed it. It's a little pricey on the tickets if you play a lot of the games or go on the rides. read more

Alameda County Fair - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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We did the Music events at the fair and they were pretty fun. I enjoy the different food options as well as their vendors.

Quality/Quantity - Our annual family tradition. We also try to time it for the donation day, today we supported the Humane Society; see pictures. Very consistent fair. Excellent, 6 stars, as we come every year. Fair foods are a treat. Free shows and amazing bands; they are a good way to take a break from the heat. A little of everything for the whole family. I also like that the prices are "regulated," so I do not have to "shop" for the lowest priced booth for my beer, LOL. Extra plus that there were so many different areas to buy alcohol! They even have a wine bar, see pictures. This year's wine bar was by McGrail; a winery I am thinking of joining. Today was the Humane Society promotion and $1 rides until 5pm. They also have season passes, but one day is plenty. Special concerts for extra $$ - See website. Horse racing. None today. Dining at the track - Sky Lounge & Terrace. Fastrak for rides. Rides are/were extremely short, is it due to the $1 ride days? Or because these rides are for very young kids? Some of my favorite highlights of the fair, not in any order: Turkey legs. Caramel apples - For my daughter Many different promotions to cater to all. Can food drive, $1 ride days, $2 food bite days, concerts, etc. Contactless and mobile options. Wristbands for rides. Atmosphere - Something for everyone. Easy in and out parking. Plenty of parking, especially since we get here early. Got a space right up front! Plenty of clean restrooms. Color coded map, see pictures. Mobile charging stations. Petting zoo $$. Kids' areas - Quite a few kid areas and shows. Service - Good, plenty of ambassadors and security. Plenty of employees and volunteers. Shuttle from the parking lot to the entrance if needed. Price - Parking - $15. Rides - $1 until 5pm. Admissions - Donation to Humane Society. Owner Comment - Glad you are back. My daughters' band used to play here annually, so after being the "groupie" loading and unloading all the equipment, we got to enjoy the fair for free. :) read more

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We went on the July 4th weekend and last weekend. Both visits were okay. The parking was $15 each day. You have to pay for entrance tickets and rides. We got the unlimited rides for $47 a day. All the rides were kind of old and worn. The wait wasn't that long. The food was okay. Be aware of which food stalls you get it from. Some food stalls were reasonably priced and good. Some were overpriced and not good. The shows like monster truck and racing pigs were free and fun to watch. There's also a lot of indoor vendors to see like gardening, school art, commercial stuff. Overall, a fun experience but probably wouldn't go back again next time. read more

My heart is still full from an all-around amazing recent experience at the Alameda County Fair. Noting the fair ends on July 6, we had an open Saturday before summer weekends begin to fill to enjoy something new and different in our own East Bay backyard. So grateful we did! There's a little something for everyone at the Fair. The weather wasn't too hot over the weekend, but we did prep and pack a few items suggested: a cooling towel, stroller fan, comfy walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, chapstick, light jackets for evening, kiddo snacks, hand sanitizer/wipes, etc. Really preparing for a day out in the sun and a cool evening with a breeze. To note in prepping, the Fair is cashless and you can grab your tickets/parking pass ahead of time online and save to your digital wallet for easy entry/barcode scanning. There is also lotsa content/programming/entertainment if you may not be a ride or game enthusiast. This go-around we didn't do any Fair rides, but we did grab some tickets to play a few Fair games and came back with a few fun photos, memories, and stuffed animals for the kiddo. For those with kiddos, there's a cool new barn area where you can see newly-hatched chicks and other farm animals like a cow, horse, pig, goat, etc. Next to this open "barn" there's a small petting zoo you pay a couple bucks for feed (they accept cash for this) and it's free to enter and pet the animals/take photos. There's also small pony riding (probably for a fee), pig racing, and also an indoor critter area with reptiles, bunny rabbits, and more. There's a new margarita tent that's super fun with yummy and fresh-off-the-grill tacos, music, and a vibrant atmosphere. There's a few stages throughout the fairground with live music and entertainment (we watched a country group and were apart of a comedy show), and several bars throughout the fairground as well. Food-wise, the Fair has so many fun (and large) options. A few things our group ordered: tacos, a gyro, cheesesteak, huge baked potato with customizable toppings, corn dog, a curly fry brick, sausage on a bun, deep fried Oreos, and froyo. Check the entertainment schedule if that's up your alley for evening. We grabbed seats on the grass area outside of the stage (they have TVs set up for those that don't buy concert tickets) to enjoy the music. We jammed out to a Taylor Swift Cover Band. There's also evening drone shows I believe, hot air balloon moments, and more. The website should give ya all the info you're looking for. Hope you're able to enjoy the fun for all that a Fair is and hopes to accomplish! We sure did :) read more

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I only go to the Alameda County Fair for one reason the Monster Corndogs They are always cooked to perfection, and I love mine super well done. It's become a tradition every year. While I'm there, I enjoy grabbing a cold beer or maybe even a margarita, and sometimes I treat myself to a fried Twinkie. The food is always part of the fun! What I really love about the fair is the atmosphere. The vibe is amazing, there's always something to see and do, and it's a great place to spend quality time with family. The Alameda County Fair never disappoints and always makes for a fun and memorable day. read more

Probably great if you're a teenager, but 6 flags would be more fun and cost effective. The animals were no longer there the day we went so all that was left was rides my older one could do and younger could not, even with a 55 dollar wristband. Probably fine if you like to drink as well. Just not a lot of value for cost. Many better options for families in the Bay Area however. The stars here are for the one lady at the squirt gun game who had a great vibe and made all the kids feel included. Stark contrast to most of the staff, who are largely teenagers themselves. read more

I love coming here every year. Sometimes more than once a year. We went on weds and saw too short concert as well. Carnival rides for onlt $1 till 5pm is a good deal! Only thing is, the lowest amount to buy was a $20 wrist band (17 tickets + $3 processing fee). I wish there was a $10 one. Could not ride 17 rides. I was getting dizzy and tired of the rides after 10. But it worked out, because then we were able to do the ferris wheel one more time at night for night time views. There is so much to do at the fair. I like looking around the different booths and seeing the random crafts people sell. The petting zoo is always a good time as well. Feeding and taking pics with the animals. They changed the set up on displaying the cows, sheeps, and pigs. It looks a lot nicer and cleaner with safeway brand sponsoring. I enjoy watching the random shows throughout the day. We saw acrobats with juggling, the alaskan pig racing, and a canine trick show. The food is always a good one. I like the pastrami fires. The corn dog was a miss this year. Too dry and too much breading vs hotdog. My all time favorite is the funnel cake. A must have whenever you go to the fair. Too Short performed really well! Not sure if it was appropriate for a family fair, but we definitely enjoyed it. He was funny and entertaining between songs as well. Nightly drone show at 9:30pm is always nice to watch too! read more

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Thank you Mark Y. for the tickets. My mom and relatives ended up going on the hottest day. They were not able to go around the whole area because it was super hot. I went with my boyfriend on a Saturday. The weather was nice and not so hot. We came here to eat lunch. My boyfriend got the chicken teriyaki bowl and I got the lobster roll with fries. My boyfriend also got the lemon Italian ice. Food is pricy and so are the drinks too. We ended up taking a picture at one of the photo booths. 4 poses cost $10. I found a vendor selling some Labubu clothes. I got a crochet outfit for $10. read more

The prices are extremely high, and everything seems to close far too early. I really hope you consider keeping the restrooms and food areas open longer. I personally enjoy walking around while my kids are playing or enjoying the rides , but it's difficult when so many areas shut down quickly. Additionally, there needs to be more variety in the food options. Everything feels very repetitive, and it would be great to see more diverse, ethnic choices available. Another concern is the behavior of some staff or individuals trying to attract customers. There were instances where people were rude and made mean jokes, trying to pass it off as dark humor. It didn't come across well and made the experience uncomfortable. I also noticed that many of the ride operators appeared to be Hispanic. This isn't an issue at all, but I do hope that all employees are being treated fairly and that there are proper protections in place for them, especially given current concerns around immigration enforcement. Overall, these issues took away from what could have been a much more enjoyable visit. read more

First and last time coming to this fair. False advertising and no response when I reached out to them. They were promoting $5.50 tickets on a Wednesday along with $1 carnival rides. It ended up being $1.18 per ticket and each ride needs at least 4 tickets ($4-$5+ per ride). The math ain't mathing. On top of that, parking is $15-$25 if you want preferred parking, and the food/drinks (as expected) is expensive. I got a $7 lemonade and it was nasty... could have at least given me a fanta?! Sure, these attractions are expensive by nature, but I felt scammed coming here. It was also hella crowded for a midweek and hot af. Only thing I did appreciate is how long the rides are. They do at least 4 rounds, which was fun for my daughter. But was it worth the effort to bring my family of 4 and money? Hell to the no. read more

Alameda County Fair - Not $1 carnival rides but $1.20 per ticket. Each ride is at least 4 tickets... false advertising - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

2025 Two corn dog stands this year. Both all beef. Of the two I tried, I like TJ's the best. The breading was the right amount of crisp and sweetness in the batter. On a second visit the TJ was fried a bit too long and wasn't as satisfying. R&W uses Miller dogs and Wrights batter. For my taste I wished it was a bit more crisp. I read more

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Just an update since I haven't gone to the Alameda County Fair since 2022 - it's hot hot hot so hydrate as there aren't a lot of shaded areas. A few people even brought umbrellas. There are a few new water filling stations which came in handy for filling your water bottles (if you can find them even though they are on the map - I asked the person at the Info station to save time). I only had 5 1/2 hours so tried to catch all the entertainment with my 7 year old granddaughter. We were able to catch 7 entertainment venues but it was tough because many are scheduled back to back even though some shows are scheduled to perform several times a day. Didn't have time to catch any rides - lines are long and it's a minimum of $20+ for 17 tickets. So if you want to try and see or do it all - grab the schedule from the Information booth and a map so you can catch it all more efficiently. There was too much for us to see and do. The raptor show is relatively new (appeared last year) - about birds and see them fly, pet an owl at the end. Also new and unique are the camel rides - $15/person and $10 for photo. If you are watching your budget - check which dates have discount admission and in regards to food - the vendors do charge different amounts (ie. I found funnel cakes for $10 at one place and $12 at another if it makes any difference to you). I also found that the Pineapple/Strawberrt/Mango whip vendor is only available at one location for $10. I found the entertainment enjoyable - the pig races are cute, Alley Cats A Capella group was fantastic, Roberto the Magnificent (silver medalist at Juggling competition. My only regret is not having enough time to see and catch everything. read more

I have not visited the Fair in about 8 years. I went yesterday right when it opened. It was very hot but there were areas of shade and the fire dept had a tent set up with misters. Everyone was helpful and the exhibit buildings Were air conditioned with friendly knowledgeable volunteers present. Camel rides, goats, rabbits, snacks, music, tram ride and of course carnival food. The wine tasting tent was nice and cool With a good selection of local wines. Went with a friend walked around for a few hours did 2 miles plus and had a fun time. The later it got the more crowded it was so not a fan of crowds we left. It was a pleasurable experience. I learned from a friend it's easy to volunteer so next year I might give it a go. read more

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We had a work team event at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for Horse Racing. It was a Friday event, so the place was not as busy as it probably is on event dates and weekends. The property was HUGE, I got lost for awhile trying to find my way in. There are massive buildings everywhere, huge parking lots, a golf course and an RV park on 267 acres in Pleasanton, CA. Once I found the parking lot, there was a trek to make it to the Race Track. Be prepared to do a lot of walking around this facility. The company booked the Sky Lounge which included a really nice buffet lunch, my company also provided us with $50 in game money and an open bar. Unsure how much the tickets were, but the food was good and we had a great time. I don't gamble, but have tried before and picked it up pretty quickly. I lost and won, overall walked away with some of the money I was given. The fun was in competing with my coworkers and seeing who bet on which horse and how they placed their bets. It was a good time and would like to come back for one of the bigger festivals, fairs or events. read more

Alameda County Fair - Buffett meal in the club - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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We had just found out the fair opened 6/13, we hadn't been in years, so we went. Cost $15 for parking, $19 for a ticket, 16 for seniors, but I didn't see that until after I paid. 3 bucks, coulda bought a cup of ice. It's pretty much the same as it ever was. I would have liked to see more animals but we got our fix. There were a lot of birds including some really interesting pigeons. We happened upon a pig race. That was fun. Pretty fun night. I recommend. Great time. read more

Alameda County Fair - Such a sweetie! - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Went for my very first time in July of 2026! Plenty of cool food vendors, very fun to go around see all the different snacks to eat. Considerable amount of benches to sit and garbage/recycle bins for convenience. Rides are pretty fun, me and my friends had a good time on them. HOWEVER what takes away two stars for me, is a MASSIVE safety issue I notice with the ride operators. We went on the Tilt of whirl, with the carts on this ride, it covers your whole cart if it's facing away from someone, so me and my friends get on, and we decided to put our lap bar down, about 5 seconds later the ride immediately starts, not one operator came to check our lap bar. So I don't know if the ride operators only look at the carts that they can see just by standing in one location due to the carts having a big cover on the back. I know it may not sound like a big deal, but you have to consider the fact that no ride operator came over to check if we were buckled in properly, not even an eye-check, if we didn't decide to put the lap bar down ourselves, or if we were like 5 seconds late to putting down the lap bar, the ride would have started and our lap bar wouldn't have been down. Every other ride we went on, the ride operators made sure we were good to go! It's 100% the principle of it, you're a ride operator, your only job is to take 60 seconds of going around and making sure people are buckled in PROPERLY, and pressing a button to start a ride, what if I decide I want the ride operator to buckle me in or out my lap bar down? Sometimes I like to do that, that's their job is to make sure to manually test the lap bar to make sure the person is strapped in properly. I shouldn't lose my life because a ride operator didn't want to walk an extra 10 feet to our cart to check us. I know tilt a whirl isn't a crazy ride by any means, but again, it's the principle of it, every ride operator, no matter what kind of ride, even if it's a 10 seconds ride with no dips and is for 8 year olds, do the simplest thing and make sure people are safe in your rides, you never know what could happen, the craziest things can happen. I'm writing this review to hopefully spark a more strict protocol to where ride operators here are absolutely 100% required to check ALL carts to make sure everyone is buckled in properly. I hate reading stories where people die on rides because a ride operator couldn't take the extra 10 seconds. read more

The fair is big, but it is not much different from the smaller fairs/carnivals around. Only core difference is the main events which is at night time or on weekends. Prices for the fair is expensive. Entry, Parking, and food is a bit ridiculous. $19, $15, and variable. One of the more expensive foods I saw was turkey leg for $22. I did encounter a few problems at the fair. Issue 1: The fair does not accept cash as payment for food. The only bypass to use your cash is to reload a temporary debit card at a terminal. I did not know about this until my nephew (8 y/o) encountered an issue. These temporary debit cards are pretty much reloadable gift cards. It's targeted for rides but it is not advertised well that it can also be used for food. Other than the temporary debit cards, you can also use your own debit/credit card though but this does create some friction if you or your friends/family don't have one. Issue 2: The refillable slushie vendor booth by Hussong's Cantina is an asshole. One of my family members got my nephew one of the tall novelty refillable cups at one vendor. There's an offer where if you buy these cups, you can get a refill for $4 flat at all booths. My nephew stopped by the slushie booth by Hussong for a refill. My nephew was refilling his cup but was yelled at by the employee for not paying first. My nephew is in the wrong for this but he's also a kid. My nephew went up to pay. He's told it's $4.41. He pays $5 in cash, and get told it's not accepted and to get one of those debit cards. The employee tells my nephew to leave since he's holding up the line. The employee helps the next guest but talked shit about my nephew in spanish . Dick move by the employee, we went to another booth later in the day where the price was $4 flat. read more

Visited the county fair with my children July 8, 2026. The food was super expensive. The quality of the food was very low.. Minimal food choices. I had the Korean corndog. It was $19. It had no flavor. We also had the $23 cheese nachos The cheese was watery and had very little flavor. The games were $10 for each game. My recommendation is to pack your own food. read more

Anyway, this is a nice place to visit, but I will not purchase wristband if I know this ahead.(every purchase is non refundable). Their pricing is ridiculous. They charge admission for children over 32 inches tall, yet kids at that height aren't allowed to ride most attractions on their own. Only three rides are suitable for smaller children, and parents are required to purchase tickets as well in order to accompany them. Who would pay full admission just to stand around and ride a few attractions with their child? I enjoy the rest part of the fair. read more

Bay area staple! Where else will the Cali natives cosplay as cowboys and Southerners? Okay okay, I know we have a huge ag community out here too... lol I love the fair. I've been so many times with family and friends. So much to do, see, and eat. Granted, the food is getting pricier by the year ($17 for an agua fresca!!!) and not always great (deep fried everything), it's part of the novelty that I begrudgingly accept. What to do... Rides, booths, vendors, art walk, petting zoo, exhibitions, food trucks, shows, concerts, everything! It's just a smorgasbord of opportunities. Wear your sunscreen. Activities to observe all throughout its run, day and night, weekdays and weekends. This year, my friends and I saw the tractor pull. So wild! Loud! What a cultural experience. Lots of local vendors. But be aware of drop shipped items and AI art these days. I try to only support vendors that are creating their own items. This year, I came away with only a small woven keychain. NOTE: Buy tickets and parking online ahead of time! It used to be cheaper online, but now seems to be about the same price. Either way, much easier to have the QR code popped on your phone than have to worry about wifi/payment onsite. read more

Plenty of parking. Here's a shuttle that takes you to the front from the parking lot which is nice. Like a typical fair, they charge an arm and a leg the moment you arrive from parking, admission fee, over priced food and rides. It's hard to go on a discounted day as it's usually get pretty crowded. Concert line up this year was great! Def avoid on hot days! read more

We come to the fair every year and we tried the giant mozarella stick and the curly fries with birria! I believe these were new items and we were excited to try them! There's nothing like fair food! We also wanted to try the Hot Cheetos pretzel and the Mac n Cheese balls but they were sold out :( read more

Alameda County Fair - Curly Fries with Birria - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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7/3/25 Going to the Alameda County Fair is a tradition for our family and it's always a good time! And you already know the highlight is the food! This year we got: Bucket of Cookies Giant Mozzarella Stick Birria Curly Fries The Bucket of Cookies were delicious! Hot & fresh out of the oven and such a great shareable snack! The Giant Mozzarella Stick was yummy too! Great coating on the outside with the melty mozz on the inside! The Birria Curly Fries were alright. Til next year! I like the Alameda County Fair. - @beebslikes read more

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I always love coming to the Alameda County fair. Ther s for rides well worth it if you are going to ride a lot of the rides. They went to the rides and I went to the shopping area. I did do a little stop and listen to Jimmy Ashley and a few people got up and danced. I also went to see the rodeo. There is all kinds of different foods to try. I did have my traditional corn dog. I did try the cheeseburger this time but it was ok. I bought some cotton candy. The next thing we watched was the drone show. It was great. I cant wait to go back next year. read more

Alameda County Fair - Safeway Barn: baby calf 6/28/25 - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Waste of time and money, one of the worst festivals ever. Charge $15 to park, $25 to get in, jump houses for kids additional charge per jump house, nothing else for kids. Food vendors ok but not enough for the crowd, merch vendors mixed - some very cheap, some ok, a few excellent quality. Set up for eating was awful - picnic tables spread across open asphalt pavement - no umbrellas and not enough seating for the crowd. Hot!!! Families were sitting on the sides of dirty concrete planters or dirtu steps trying to eat. Everyone was trying to find a little shade. Inside the buildings where merch vendors booths were located the AC was either non-existent or not keeping up. Never will I take my poor mom to this again. The organizers should be fired. read more

Food is wayyyy over priced for what it is but that's expected. The rides are fun. We opted to pay extra for the fast pass unlimited rides bracelets. They are $50+ each bracelet, plus add your general admission and parking fees. Some of the snack we got were as follows: Curly cheese fries $20 (they were cold af) 4/10 taste. Funnel cake $15 cooked pretty well 8/10 taste. Fresh squeezed lemonade cup $20 plus $5 refills. Pineapple drink $18+ Corn in a cup with mayo and cheese $9 7/10 taste. Ribs bbq plate $30 comes with fries and coleslaw 10/10 (best thing at the fair). Water bottles $5 each but much needed. Overall it's an experience for the kids and come with a hefty bag to spend for eats and drinks ;) read more

Alameda County Fair - $15 funnel cake - Festivals Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Alameda County Fair is located on the Alameda County Fairgrounds every year around mid June - to right early July (around after July Fourth usually). Parking is in their lot (paid parking), unless you could find nearby parking (no parking in the neighboring plazas - they may enforce it some days?). Evenings are usually pretty packed. They have various food, merchandise, and games (tickets required). Some of the games require more tickets and I feel like we spent a good amount of money on tickets and were only able to play like 4 or 5 games. I always look forward to the turkey leg, but it depends on who makes it because sometimes it comes out a bit dry. They do have a couple of boba stands I tried too, which were not my cup of tea. read more

The 2026 Independence Day fireworks and the arrangements made by the county were mediocre!

It's a fair. It's exactly what you expect a fair to be. Nothing special about it, the exhibits are average, the food is (expectedly) overpriced and not at all healthy for you, and the rides are... ride-y? I really don't have any unique thoughts about this place, but if you want to go to a fair, this is as good a place as any to do it. read more