Which rides are the best at the 2022 California State Fair? The Bee’s interns tried them all
The California State Fair kicked off at Cal Expo on Friday, offering almost 50 carnival rides. The carnival, where games and rides are located, is open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. With attractions ranging from the Wacky Worm to the Crazy Train, the carnival has something for everyone — whether you prefer rides that are fun for the whole family or not for the faint at heart.
This summer’s reporting interns for The Sacramento Bee rode and reviewed even the most terrifying rides on offer at the California State Fair to give you an inside look before your visit to the carnival.
These were our favorites:
WAVE SWINGER
Anticipation: 2 out of 5 stars
Payoff: 5 stars
The Wave Swinger is your classic “swings” fair ride, allowing fairgoers to sit in individual swings that soar in a circle, providing panoramic views of the carnival and fairgrounds.
Situated right at the entrance to the carnival, the swings are a perfect start to any evening, allowing riders to ease into spinning and heights on a ride that is more likely to make you feel like a main character than it is to make you scream.
Bonus: It’s fun for a whole family, even younger kids.
ALIEN INVASION
Anticipation: 3 stars
Payoff: 3½ stars
Alien Invasion is the State Fair’s version of the Gravitron, a rapidly spinning ride that can be found at most carnivals and fairs. Riders enter an enclosed chamber, lean against the walls and are pinned back as the ride spins at full speed, creating an odd sensation of floating.
This ride gets 3½ stars because it is exactly as advertised — nothing more, nothing less. If you have been aboard Gravitons before, this will not be anything new. If you have not, the sensation will be interesting but not life-changing. It is, however, a good family ride for those with some fearless kids.
ZIPPER
Anticipation: 5 stars
Payoff: 5 stars
A spinning cage and vertical caterpillar wheel design make for one stomach-lurching ride. The Zipper is a classic ride of many fairs, and it did not fail to excite us again.
As you enter, you’re locked into a snug — if not claustrophobic — two-person cage. The ride is loaded cage by cage, which can deepen anxieties if you’re stuck waiting at the top. It is easy to psych yourself out of line when you hear the screams of those before you being tossed feet overhead. But if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, this ride is for you.
SUPER SHOT DROP TOWER
Anticipation: 5 stars
Payoff: 4 stars
The Super Shot Drop Tower may be simple in design, but we maintain that it is the scariest ride at this or any fair. Almost all of the fear factor is psychological — the ride slowly hoists you into the air, and the Super Shot at the State Fair is perfectly positioned relative to the sun for watching your shadow climb up the tower’s 90 feet.
It holds for a few breathtaking moments at the top before entering an accelerated free fall. The drop is just long enough for you to question if something has gone horribly wrong before you are returned gently to the ground.
We were terrified but still went on multiple times.
WHITE WATER
Anticipation: 2 stars
Payoff: 4½ stars
We rank this just shy of a perfect payoff score, because we wanted more. Had there been a few more drops or even a few extra tracks it would have been perfect. On a hot day at the fair, riding the White Water is a necessity. If you have an unlimited ride wristband, you might circle back to it two or three or six times.
You will be anywhere from splashed to doused when going through this short water roller coaster experience. Keep in mind there is nowhere to stash your belongings once you’re loading onto this ride. The loading must be quick, as the cars (logs) don’t stop moving.
We recommend loading the person who is most enthusiastic about getting wet in the front of the car. If they’re tall, they might protect the people behind them from getting a face full of water.
CRAZY TRAIN
Anticipation: 5 stars
Payoff: No stars
Only two of our colleagues were brave enough to ride the Crazy Train, a villainous train of compartments that loops upside down on a circular track while the track itself rotates on its side.
It seems impossible that the cars would not just fall out of the track during the rotation, so the ride ranks high on fear and anticipation because it appears to defy the laws of physics. The sense of accomplishment from taking one of the most intimidating rides almost outweighs how physically unpleasant the Crazy Train is to ride— but not quite.
Inside the compartment, we felt less thrilled and more just hot and violently jostled around as the train made its loop around the track. We hope the group of young children riding it over and over again had fun and are not suffering any trauma.
INVERSION
Anticipation: 3 stars
Payoff: 5 stars
No one really knew what we were getting ourselves into with Inversion, an 80-foot swinging tripod of seats.
The ride starts off swinging back and forth like a pendulum, before swinging around to completely invert passengers, holding them upside-down for a few dramatic moments at the top. This is a perfect ride for anyone who has ever gone on the swings and imagined swinging over the top — the moment when the ride crested over was thrilling and only slightly horrifying.
We felt securely enough strapped in that it was never too scary, except when the ride came nerve-wrackingly close to a tall stand of bleachers.
FIREBALL
Anticipation: 5 stars
Payoff: 5 stars
After seeing the ride in action from the ground, the Fireball gave us pause. At first glance, this ride is simply a roller coaster train going in a loop. Riders are suspended upside-down in the air and rushed forwards and backwards at dizzying speeds.
But it moves so fast, you’re almost forced to smile because the velocity won’t allow your face to settle. It’s the kind of ride that forces appreciation of the whimsical thrill-seeking engineers for their creativity.
Groups of four should ride the Fireball because the seats face each other. This might take some convincing unless your group is on the same page. Only three of the five interns tested this ride.
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 1:43 PM.