I love the state fair. admission for seniors is only three dollars, which makes getting old almost worth it. There are lots of free things to enjoy such as the table, setting competitions, the vegetable competitions and so on. I love the diced cream at the Oregon dairy women booth, which has been there forever. A real Oregon institution. Not to mention the bunnies, pigs, goats, and horses. read more

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I have loved the fair every year I've came. The food is amazing.(Classic fair food, what not to love??) Animals are adorable, and the rides are the absolute bomb. There are only two reasons why this is not a 5-star experience. Size of Bracelet Soda cups- You can buy a special fair bracelet, which includes unlimited rides, 3 games, and a medium drink. I had this happen last year: You see the 3 drink sizes on the ordering counter, but what they give you is NOT the medium drink. I don't think it's even 8 ounces. Alien UFO ride- This ride spins so fast while closed off, it feels like you are glued to the walls. I got stuck behind where it specifically says "Do not go beyond this point" because you could get hurt if you did. I couldn't move at all, and I was afraid that I would get hurt. Fair has been great and can't wait to go back next year! read more

Holiday Village Vendors were placed in a building with no advertising and no foot traffic. We were charged $350 for a 10x10 booth and everything was misrepresented to us. There is no Santa, no choirs, nothing to draw people in. It's absolutely embarrassing for the occasional person to walk through the door just to walk out the other door because the building is empty. Total bust and I feel ripped off! I want my money back. read more

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Coming from out of state and going here for the first time, I had a great time. Great exhibits to walk through. Awesome to see 4-H is still around. Lots of vendors to shop from. Food is abundant but pretty much all the same. One fairs food is the same at all it seems. Animal shows are always fun to view. The rides are fairly long lines as to be expected, but not terrible. Some of the kids rides had non working parts in the fun houses. Seems all fairs are raising the prices of everything. Save yourself the headache and just buy the unlimited ride bracelets because you will pay way more for ride ticket bundles. read more

Oregon State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

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I just recently moved to Oregon and all I've heard about is how great the state fair is, WRONG!! it wasn't even a fair. It was a food truck park that you had to pay to get into. Once you're in all there is is food trucks everywhere and you gotta spend a month pay just to eat. I am used to the LA County fair and the Orange County fair in California where they have rides and carnival booths everywhere. It is so fun. I would not recommend this fair to anyone and I will never go again. I mean, if you're a millionaire and want to spend $18 on a baked potato and have fun. read more

OMG I love this country fair in central Oregon. Made the journey to see REO SPEEDWAGON to ride out the storm and discovered a very well run fair. I saw a duck and a chicken and other assorted animals prior consuming a fresh made corn dog and other treats. Who doesn't enjoy a corn dog smothered in mustard? Once I moved past all the normal fair stuff I sauntered over to the amphitheater for some 70's classic rock. Great acoustics for a fair and the band was on fire so with fist in the air I jammed out to all of REO's hits! Needless to say I had an amazing experience for my day at the fair! Can't wait for a return visit! read more

Oregon State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

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I have been going to the fair for over 20 years on and off. I'm now in my 70's and have to use a handicap cart to get around. Until 07-11-25 have I ever run into a rude guest. The staff go out of their way to make it a happy event. On Fri. the 11th, shortly after arriving, a young man took offense to my military style pro-America ball cap. I'm ex-military. He made fun of it and they ripped it off my head and wanted to play, get it if you can. I did my best to go after him while yelling for security which are all over in plain cloths. The man took off and shortly dumped the cap in a garbage can. Several other guests saw what was happening and went after him to get a good description which they gave to security - which was on the scene in just a couple of minutes. I was later informed that security found him shortly and ejected him. Many years ago, alcohol was banned because some drinkers can be troublesome and the owners goal is to provide a happy family safe event for people of all ages. There is even a large play ground area for children. The Fair only has no rule that is unnecessary but like in my case, they are strictly enforced. Other than that, security mingles and goes out of their way to help everyone have a great time. All that is asked is no alcohol and be polite to all others all the time. Pre covid quite a few ladies would be topless and many got their boobs painted. I have personally never heard of even one that was not treated with total respect all the time. read more

Came from southern Oregon. Amazing atmosphere and people. Parking and entrance prices were fair. Food was bank, but we had a blast read more

Oregon State Fair - Fair - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

We had a wonderful time at the fair. The food was great and the games were fun. The prices were good, we really enjoyed ourselves. Can't wait to go back! read more

$5 parking and $10-12 admission to the Fair - pricing is still reasonable and you should definitely check the web site for package deals and buy your digital tickets in advance to avoid standing in line. Everything else is ridiculously over-priced. It's free to walk around and see the animals and exhibits, and there is definitely a lot to see (piglets!) Our favorite is the draft horse events which happen at least a couple of times a day with different hitches and carts, etc. But, at some point you are going to get hungry and thirsty (according to the Fair web site "Food and factory-sealed non-alcoholic drinks are allowed" and you can bring an empty water bottle into the Fair and refill it at various free filling stations, if you prefer not to pay stupid-prices for a 16oz bottle of water.) Unless you are an expert picnic packer, we suggest you go out the yellow gate (get your hand stamped for in/out access) and go across the street (Portland Road) to Don Juan's for really great, reasonably priced MX food (shrimp tacos!). read more

I had just arrived in Salem after a 6 day relocation trek across the states. We could hear the music from my brothers house, a short distance away. We rested up and decided to make a night of it on Saturday before Labor day. Our first stop was for food, so I ordered, and we all sat down to enjoy our dinner before getting on the rides. The next thing I know, my wallet was missing! After several hiccups in my trip, including a broken down RV, the thought of losing all the cash I had and my driver's license pushed me over the edge. My sister in law told a nearby security officer what happened, while I sobbed frantically. He suggested I call to report my card lost or stolen and check the Lost and Found. Our trip came to a halt as we made a beeline to see if it was there. Upon describing it, it was handed over, cash and all! Apparently, I'd left it on the bleachers when sat down to eat, and an honest person turned it in. I was stunned and pulled myself together, with my confidence in humanity and fate restored. We resumed the fun we came for, and our girls hit the rides. Despite the scare and mini meltdown, the night turned around and we all had a good time. read more

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after paying exorbitantly for a wristband for both me and my husband, rides were consistently filled to a maximum of 3/4 full and frequently around 1/2 full, artificially increasing wait times. despite the fair closing at 11 pm on the day we went, and after standing in line for 40 minutes for a ride, the ride was suddenly closed with no explanation of why at 9:45. this is, by far, the most egregious fleecing of customers I've ever seen and if I could have demanded my money back, I would have. I cannot recommend going. if you do go, I recommend only buying limited numbers of tickets, since you're not going to get as much use out of them as you think. read more

2024. it was the worst year out of all. i have been going since 2013. what in the tarnation happened to the fun rides?!! and dont even get me started on how this is more of a county fair than a state fair. please even county fairs have more options. food is expensive aswell, no one is paying 8 dollars for a bag of cotton candy?!!!! and the fights that always happen every year? can security actually do their jobs and not let physical stuff happen? no one wants to see fights or panic and cause a scene. do a better job oregon state fair. read more

I've lived in Oregon for many years, and the Oregon State Fair has been recommended many times over the years. For some of those years, I didn't own a car so it was impossible to reasonably go to the fair. This year I decided to go, as I pre-purchased tickets well in advance for a discounted rate. My favorite part was seeing all of the prize-winning animals. I am a big fan of birds, and while it was disappointing that they didn't have doves this year, they had lots of pigeons and various game birds. If you wish, you may even purchase some animals, and I was really wanting to get the 1st place rooster (too bad the city I live in doesn't allow chickens.) Food is expensive of course, but considering the low admission I did not mind. I tried some Dole Whip, deep fried cheese on a stick, and fried pickles. Everything was good- though I was disappointed the fried cheese was American and not cheddar or even pepper-jack. I think just about every restroom I visited was clean and not busy. Parking was a breeze. Then again, I went on a Wednesday morning instead of a busy weekend, so your mileage may vary. Everyone was friendly, the walkways were clean, and I got out spending under $100. A good way to spend a day, and cross off another item from my "Oregon List." read more

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Ok, so I'm aware enough to expect heavy traffic and nothing but carnival junk food, however they have no traffic officers whatsoever exacerbating traffic to nightmare proportions, one of the teenage parking attendants apologized for it w/o me even commenting. That in itself makes the experience a never again. Then after all that, it wasn't even that crowded inside. The animal pavilions were meh... cept for the team horse and wagon competition. Smoke filled the air from all the food concessions, junk food of course as expected, but the air quality was bad. And the prices of the food...insane! A slice of cheese pizza $10, a burrito $17 and a plate of 6 hamburger sliders $25. Suffice to say we ate and drank nothing. The shoppers pavilion was filled with vendors straight out of TV infomercials. Never been to a more dismal unappealing State Fair anywhere and will not return. The Clackamas County Fair is a bit smaller yes but worlds above the Oregon State Fair. read more

Parking is easy I was there for an annual event not the fair. The place is kept in great condition and updated. I was really impressed with the ease of parking and the event space. read more

Oregon State Fair - Oregon First Taste - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

DO NOT ALLOW DOGS (except service dogs) into the fair! This is ridiculous (and I love dogs). There were so many dogs there on Labor day- this is a biting/lawsuit waiting to happen! I saw 1 dog being walked thru the ride area and all the loud noises were scaring this dog- so sad to see. I saw another puppy poop in the middle of the middle of the walkway where items are sold and the clueless owner had no idea (I actually told her she needed to pick it up) She had NO poop bags! The fair is obviously charging so much for the venders that there were maybe 1/3 less vendors than usual and food prices reflected that! You people that operate this venue need to really re-think things! read more

So no parking control, 30min to go 1/2 a mile. No one running the show like most State operations and events. Get it together Salem. Stay home if you are not patient. read more

After having visited the last two years, I give the Oregon State Fair a 3.5 stars overall. In 2018, I went after dark, and it was not worth it. Not only do you miss out on the shows and animals, but it's way too crowded, the lights are glaring, the lines are twice as long, and the card machine in the ticket booth wasn't functioning properly, leading to transactions falling through. This meant the tickets we bought wouldn't register on the card. We had to return to the ticket booth in order to have them rectify the problem. The second time around was better, as we went early in the morning on Labor Day (the last day of the fair). The traffic was pretty bad coming in but there was still plenty of parking. One of my favorite attractions was the livestock (llamas available for hugging!). The one gripe I have, as a bunny owner, is the conditions in which the small animals are kept. They are housed in tiny wire cages without any hay, and the wires cause visible sores to form on their feet. It was a sad sight. Another favorite was the Creative Living area! Lots of cools crafts and activities are showcased there, so make sure to check it out. The pig races were adorable, I just wish there wasn't so much talking, and for there to be more seating. Same goes for the seals. There were MANY food stands, and most seem to be super expensive for what you get. Is this really fair food? The only thing I would recommend is the deep fried oreos, which, although were $6 for 4, were worth it for the experience. The ticket prices for both rides and admissions seem reasonable enough. The rides are fun, and the lines move quick. If you're going to go on more than a few rides, the bracelet might save you more money in the long run. read more

https://youtu.be/Jtncp7kuG2U Kiddie rides at the fair/carnival of 2021 those were all the rides for kids, there was livestock and sidewalk toss kind of games that were to complex for my size of children, but here's a video of all the baby rides (my kids are 3 years and younger) read more

Love the goats. Wish the pig races were on a bigger track. Lost my hearing at the seal show. The livestock area is rich with knowledge and new discoveries. Enjoyed meeting breeders. Big Jim foods served me a dry cold corn on the cob for $5.00. The Japanese comfort food cart ahi burrito was delicious . The whole experience was ok. read more

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Just about everything you might expect out of a fair. Animals , fried food, crafts, chinsy rides, crowds. I am one of those evil Californians who came to ruin Oregon. As a result , the LA county fair is the standard by which I judge all other fairs. I do not expect the same caliber concerts or even a half dozen exhibit halls. Still, I am shocked that the cost for just about everything (except parking) is the same here for half the options. read more

I love fairs!! I'll admit though it's been about a decade since my last one, but in that time relatively nothing has changed I mean come on Salem it's 2018 time to update some of these buildings especially the restrooms so that women can have access to toiletries and such while at the fair. The prices are reasonable $50 for a all day ride pass that includes one medium drink and 3 midway games. The free entertainment was amazing We saw Zuma Zuma and watched the tractor pull. The arena for the tractor pull is not ventilated enough to run 12+ souped up diesel trucks my throat still hurts from the smoke. The layout was easy to follow loved how they grouped everything in sections that are easily accessible. The staff were all friendly. Definitely will try to make it down to the fair more. read more

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We had a great time at this years fair, it was nice to be out again. The fair itself was fun they do a great job in making it feel like an actual fair. The food prices are sky high, $10 corn dog was pretty high but honestly it was really good so not a big deal! I felt like we were entertained very well as we walked around. I recommend this years fair! read more

not that good this year 2024 there's nothing much to do here there's a lot of booths to buy stuff but but it's boring and costly if I was you are thinking about this forget coming here for it's a not like it always have been read more

How FAIR is it? Heh heh heh so here we are for the second time! At the Oregon State Fair! And it was awwwwwee-some! Again.... There is so much to see and do for the whole family and just when you think you're done looking around, there's always another thing to see and do. There's a lot of different breeds of cows, sheep, goats, alpacas, pigs and also chickens, duck, pheasants and e-I-e-I-ooooooo. Too much to remember and post. There is also so many different variety of food and snacks to choose from. Yes, what is a Fair without any rides! Rides! Rides! There are so much to choose from. I came last year and got a Sloth. Well, I gotta go they have a pig race starting soon and Wilbur is there.! read more

Coming from a small state, this fair was Out of Bounds large. We just kept walking and walking and walking. Everything you can think of you can find there. Carnival Ride, shows, tons of food and other things. Just make sure you have a good amount of $ cause things are not cheap. read more

So much fun! We took our toddler, infant and drove out to the Faire in Salem this past Monday. They have a lot of food options (very large square of food by the carnival games)- from everything you could want fried (Oreos, cookie dough, everything!), to more healthy things, like fruit, salads and yakisoba veggie noodles. We went to see the baby piglets, they were the main attraction! There is an awesome toddler area, a really great Farm Stand row for kids to milk a fake cow, pick fake chicken eggs and "sell them at the market" and we got to see the clown show (Jest in Time), which our daughter thought was hilarious! Overall, highly recommended! You'll see beautiful livestock, can catch a show, eat some food, and even though it was super duper warm outside, there were places with shade! Oh yes- try and catch an Alaskan pig race! Our favorite, Strawberry #5, won! Go piggy go. read more

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This has to be the best fair I have gone to! This fair has it all: plenty of rides, lots of shows to watch, and all the foods to keep you from going hungry! The only ride I chose to go on this time was a relaxing one/way chair lift ride across the state fair with a festive view from about 40-50 feet up! The sun was setting and despite my girlfriend and I being terrified of heights, we enjoyed the 10 minute slow ride across the busy and energetic flow of visitors from below! The best part, aside from the beautiful sunset, was go over the food stands and being enveloped by their rising smokes My girlfriend and I went to as many shows as our little feet and legs could allow us to go to! Cooking demonstrations with Simon Majumdar was mouthwatering. The Robot competition was exciting to watch. The pig race was hilarious. The dog jump was adorable. The hypnotist was mystical. And many more (I thinking running out of characters here ) The food was amazeballs! 'Nuff said just kidding. You gotta try the Dairy Women Ice Cream, it's to die for! The churros were thick and not too sweet. And corn was juicy! Didn't get to the deep fried snickers and turkey leg tho We would go again! read more

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We went here to see Styx! We both hadn't been to a State Fair in years. Not much has changed. There's a reason why I've not been in years!! We parked on the street for free, which was nice. Rides were really expensive, and they were short too! $20 got us two rides. Roller coaster went around 1 time only. Tilt a Whirl best one there. Lots and lots of crappy fattening food. No wonder people are so big there! No offense. Just tons and tons of unhealthy food, which is why we ate before we went in. The restrooms were somewhat clean though, and the concert venue was ok too! We were in a place at 7pm where the sun wasn't shining in our eyes though! So the concert was worth going to!! Was good to at least check it out again after so many years! read more

Ordered our tickets online for everything but parking. What a joke. Got the runaround on getting the bracelets because all the sudden the scanners weren't working. Spent $35 for air lift tickets for our family, and the lady at the window to cash in the tickets was the rudest ever. Said she didn't even know how I got those and that she wouldn't honor them. I had to literally search out a person in charge to try and get it figured out. Needless to say I gave our airlift tickets away because by the time we got it figured out we had 30 minutes left. Everything costs a lot of money, as we spent over $300 and it definitely wasn't worth it for the runaround we got. Definitely not going again for a longtime. read more

I loved my experience at the Oregon State Fair. I suggest starting your day with a trip on the lift so that you can see everything the fair has to offer. The carnival rides were not busy when I went, so I was able to ride as many rides as my stomach could handle! The concert tickets were extremely affordable and my standard ticket still got my pretty close to the performer. I highly recommend this event for any family! read more

I was a little underwhelmed. I'm used to going to smaller County Fairs, so I thought a state fair would be a bigger deal. Be prepared, the food was terribly high priced. $9 for Curly Fries, $5 soda, $9 funnel cake. I did like the tram that you can ride from one end to the other, it was fun to see all the sights from above. But that was $7 for one way. We enjoyed the music, we went to the concert in the evening and that was nice. I wish i hadn't spent $68 for a VIP seat, the sound was horrible. It seems like waiting for the free seats is a better idea. There weren't very many vendors. I thought there would be a lot more to see. 0therwise it was pretty good. read more

Oregon State Fair - Aerial tram - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

This was my first time at the Oregon state fair and I thought it was so much fun! favorite things at the fair: bought some home made jewelry, ate deep fried cheesecake (so yummy!), pet the barn animals, watched the hypnotist show, played parlor games, rode the Ferris wheel and flying chairs, people watch. You can save a few $$ by bringing your own bottles of water (it is so painful to buy a $3 bottle there). Barter with sellers! I saved 20+ dollars on a couple sterling silver rings and thought it was reasonable purchase. Buy your admission online for $6 instead of $8. Also look at their website for any deals, I bought a $35 wristband for unlimited rides and 3 parlor games. If you buy this same wristband at the fair it'll cost you $50! Have fun!! read more

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Love to go to the state fair to see all the animals in one place. Also like to find unique food on a stick of course... I don't go for the rides any more but people watching can be the best entertainment out there... highly recommend read more

I wish they had more of a variety of rides and or games to play but still really cool. Can't wait for next years Fair.

State fairs are always 5 stars, unless they're totally nast- which this one wasn't. Tons of cute animals, lots of fried food and loads of trinkets you'll never ever need a+ (see pic w/ llama! GAWD YES!) read more

Oregon State Fair - errr some type of animal - Festivals Near Me - Salem, Oregon

We have attended the Fair for years, but I believe this year will be our last. While there are certainly some positives for kids to be involved with 4-H, the rest of the fair is so utterly wasteful - from food waste to garbage - with unhealthy food and the pushing of merchandise that nobody really needs in life, we just don't see the benefit of this event. It's more of a carnival than a true country fair today. I would encourage Fair organizers and Fair goers to find a way to make this event much more environmentally friendly moving forward. read more

It was an incredible first time experience! I went mainly because I heard there was a piggy race, I was not disappointed!! There were so many animals to see and a closed off petting zoo area. On top of all the cute furry animals, there were lots of food options as well! I love how this fair had plenty of hand washing stations because fair food tends to get messy. I will definitely be back next year! read more

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I'll be writing another review after I go tomorrow, or updating this one. :-) I was reading the reviews below for the past couple of years, and I have to agree with a couple of themes: 1) Extremely overpriced for everything. I have arranged my plans for tomorrow so I won't be eating main meals there, but I will be stopping to patronize the Oregon Dairy Ladies and the Dairy Princesses at the dairy wagon stand which hopefully will be around its usual place. I always get buttermilk: inexpensive comparatively, protein, and a wonderful tart refresher on a hot day. I won't be doing rides because of the prices, except for the Fair Lift, which is our family tradition at as close to sunset as we can get. We love the two different views of all the lights, the people, the different music. It may seem like a lot of money comparatively but it's an unbeatable experience of beauty, and additionally, if you do it one-way, it's a great way to get back to a gate you started at to get to your car. 2) The animals. I'm an animal-lover, preferring to meet new animals over new people some days, and the beautiful draft horses, the livestock and K-9 activities are wonderful. I love when the police have had K-9 demonstrations and promoted our knowledge of and respect for what they do. My favourites: the small animals (bunnies, ducks & especially pheasants), the draft horses and paso fino -- like flamenco for horsies! - and PLEASE bring back exhibitors like Walk on the Wild Side with teen apex predators. 3) I love the art & craft exhibits and demos. I will be looking at cakes - such original ideas some years! - quilts, calligraphy, photos, science projects, vegetables... 4) The food vendors are fun, but you do have to budget, and the offerings are hit & miss. We could lose deep-fried everything and I'd be happy. What about like a salad bar - you could set one up in a wagon quite easily, with vats of greens & veg & fruit that a person tonged into a recyclable bowl as someone pointed, even supergreens, maybe tuna & chicken & egg with sufficient refrigeration and away your family goes with bespoke salads. I'd certainly buy that over corn dogs and elephant ears. Also, *there needs to be a list* available online; been looking all evening, can't find one. People need to be able to look over it & make decisions based on special diets (like gluten-free-by-choice) and genuine allergies (like I'm allergic to tree nuts). Other things to improve: definitely fair staff attitude. I know they get hot & tired, but stop with the disbelief on pre-order tickets. Soooo many people do that these days, use their phone or some app to order, and to be given grief in this luddite manner is ridiculous. I'm not pre-ordering this year for that very reason, but check the number of people who cite it as a fact in why they won't come back. *It is more important to make things easier for the many hundreds of honest people who use these functions than to worry about how perhaps 1 person will have some sort of fake or forgery.* Big one: MAKE PARKING FREE. It's a hidden cost. Cut back on the cheap stuff vendors. Some of the vendors are good, but I agree with one commentor: not buying a hot tub, nor a satellite dish, at a State Fair. Some of the ag related vendors are interesting. Finally, have more environmentally friendly stuff overall. More demos where audience participation is possible & welcomed. More groups about community involvement, like community garden organizers. And folks, we're coming up on an election year. The political advertising is inevitable, and some of the petitions & lobbies I support. *Put it all in one area.* That way you can go if you're interested, and avoid if you're not. read more