Sacramento County Fair is back at Cal Expo for Memorial Day weekend
.jpg "In the arms of their father Candido Avila, center, Miranda Avila 4, left, and her sister Fernanda Avila 3 get a close encounter with a dromedary camel during the Sacramento County Fair at CalExpo in Sacramento on Friday, May 25, 2018. The 2025 county fair runs through Memorial Day.")
The Sacramento County Fair opened Thursday at Cal Expo and runs through Memorial Day, offering five days of carnival rides, concerts, food and family-friendly events.
Located at 1600 Exposition Blvd., the fair operates from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday, with Monday hours ending earlier at 7 p.m. Carnival rides open daily at 11 a.m., according to the Cal Expo website.
This year’s theme, “Cowboy Boots and Fair Roots,” celebrates the fair’s agricultural heritage. The event has been a Sacramento tradition since 1937.
Free nightly concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The lineup features funk artist Eric “EQ” Young on Thursday, Red Rocker Revisited on Friday, 10-piece horn band Hipnosis on Saturday, and the Maya Latin Tribute Band on Sunday. Gunpowder and Lace will perform the final set at 4 p.m. Monday.
General admission is $12 for adults 17 and older, $10 for youth ages 12 to 16, and $8 for seniors 60 and older. Children 11 and younger enter free. Military service members with valid ID receive free admission on Monday. Parking is $10 daily.
Though held at the same Cal Expo fairgrounds, the Sacramento County Fair is a separate event from the California State Fair, which returns this summer from July 11 to 27. The state fair features 17 days of exhibits, concerts, food, and livestock competitions celebrating California’s diverse culture and industries.
More information on the county fair, including how to purchase tickets, can be found on the fair’s Cal Expo website.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 4:54 PM.