Inflation at the State Fair: What can $100 get you at Cal Expo this year?

Having a good time at the State Fair shouldn’t depend on how much you spend, but this year, not too many attractions are free. So, what can $100 get you at the state fair this year?

Let’s say you and a friend visit the fair on a weekend. You might want to see some horse racing, check out the new cannabis exhibit, hop on a few rides and share some greasy food. How much will all of it cost you? Picture this:

The regular tickets to enter will cost you $14 each, and parking $15 — for two people, that’s $43 right off the bat.

After walking around the exhibits, you might buy a $10 CDB slushie refreshment to share. Now your budget drops down to $47.

The Bee sampled food around the fair this week and noted that people should budget anywhere from $15 to $25 for a meal for one person. A bloomin’ onion, for example, costs $15 — $4 more than one at Outback Steakhouse.

“(The fair has) gotten more expensive. I remember when a bloomin’ onion was five dollars. Now it’s 15 and smaller,” Lupita Clanton of Vacaville told The Bee.

Treats such as funnel cakes and cinnamon rolls cost around that much in their own right. Sacramento resident Larry Vrieling, 80, said, “It’s $12 for a cinnamon roll, that’s ridiculous.”

Imagine, you both decide on $18 pork sandwiches without sides or drinks from Always Fresh Grinders. But of course, the total comes out to $40, more or less, because of taxes.

At this point, this theoretical fair budget is now around $7, and you’d still want to ride rides.

An unlimited wristband for the carnival rides cost $44 after taxes, or more than you have left in the budget. Luckily, ride tickets are a dollar each. Now it’s time to decide which ride you want to spend those tickets on. Unluckily, rides such as the Inversion need seven tickets, so only one of you is able to ride.

Another option where you can spend the remaining money is on a 20-ounce water bottle for $5.

Experts say inflation is not fair specific

Economic experts believe that the rising prices at the State Fair are not due to anything fair-specific, but rather just due to inflation across the board.

According to Michelle Willard, the chief public affairs officer at the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, the timing of the fair made it particularly susceptible to soaring costs. Nationally, inflation hit a 40-year high in June.

“This is the current reality we’re dealing with from supply chain and bottleneck issues from COVID,” Willard said. “And we’re still trying to figure it out.”

Daniel Sumner, an agricultural economist at UC Davis, said that food and food services have been especially susceptible to inflation. Although not all food markets are affected in the same way, he said, rising prices and general labor shortages have forced food vendors across the country — including those at the fair — to raise prices.

Higher prices for food at the fair, Sumner said, are due to those national factors, rather than anything specific to the State Fair.

“There’s nothing special about the State Fair, except that it is food away from home and that’s particularly expensive,” Sumner said. “And there’s nothing special in Sacramento versus what is going on in other parts of the state.”

Charles Johnson, a Chicago-based consultant who works with fair operators across the country, said that he has seen inflation affecting fairs nationwide. If anything, he said, the inflation has affected family vendors more this year than it has consumers, as prices of supplies and labor have risen too quickly, forcing vendors to absorb the difference.

Still, he agreed, fairs are seeing inflation at no more of a rate than other markets, like travel or tourism — meaning that fairs still remain one of the cheaper options available for summer fun.

“This inflation is really extraordinary, and I think everybody’s being affected by it,” Johnson said. “But the fair experience will still be affordable as you index it against other other options that they have.”

On your own

If you’re visiting the fair by yourself on a weekend and have a plan to ride every carnival ride, you might be able to also have a decent meal.

The entry and parking fees will cost you $29. Once you’re in, you head straight to the carnival to purchase an unlimited ride wristband for $44. You still have $27 left over, just enough to cover a decent meal with a drink.

If you’re coming to the fair, a budget of $100 per person is almost necessary if you want to eat and ride more than a few rides. While tickets themselves are only a dollar each, some of the more adventurous rides cost anywhere from four to seven tickets.

You can always plan to save money by bringing your own food and drinks for the day. Free things to keep your eye out for include indoor exhibits and community shows playing in the gardens or on the stages.

This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 12:24 PM.