While the full Santa Barbara County Fair was canceled for 2021, Helm and Sons Amusements is bringing the carnival back to the Santa Maria Fairpark with its “Greatest Portable Theme Park” for two consecutive weekends that started Thursday.
“We are so excited to be able to welcome our community back and really be able to touch into that summer fun that we have here at the fairpark,” said Rebecca Barks, a fairpark spokeswoman.
Last year’s Santa Barbara County Fair was canceled because of COVID-19, but parts of the event are returning for 2021 and taking place throughout the summer.
The Santa Barbara County Fair Virtual Livestock Show and Auction will occur online July 15-16, and the carnival will take place in person during the first two weekends in July.
Helm and Sons Amusements has provided carnival rides and games for the Santa Barbara County Fair for years and will be bringing part of the fair tradition back in a “theme-park style,” with a single ticket admission price for everything.
The Greatest Portable Theme Park features classic carnival rides, games, live entertainment, and food vendors selling traditional fair food such as corn dogs, pretzels, nachos, popcorn, funnel cakes, ice cream and more.
The carnival will be open to visitors from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday and again the following weekend, July 8-11.
Presale tickets bought before opening day were $25, and now are $30 for children age 10 or younger and $40 for adults and children age 11 or older. Tickets include admission to the carnival, unlimited carnival rides, and access to live entertainment and the Cub Country Kids Cave, an area in one of the buildings set up with rides and activities for younger children.
Food and carnival games also are available for additional charges.
Many people have expressed frustration with the higher admission charge compared with previous years; however, this year’s carnival is run in a “theme-park style,” in which all rides and most attractions are included in the single ticket price.
“Typically, in the past you would pay $10 to $12 to get in and then … $30 to $40 per wristband [to get on the rides],” Barks said. “This includes everything.”
There are 28 rides at the carnival, from thrill rides such as the Zipper and Himalaya to rides suitable for younger kids and other familiar rides such as the Century Wheel and the Fun Slide.
Other nonride attractions include miniature golf and an audio-animatronic show, Bubba Bear and The Badland Band, among others.
“From the thrill-seeking [attractions] to the young kid ones, we’ve got it all,” Barks said.
A Dreamland attraction features a mirror maze as well as a DJ playing music, inviting visitors to dance, and hosting giveaways throughout the weekends.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to us at Helm and Sons to be here in Santa Maria. … We appreciate you guys being here and supporting us,” DJ Stevie Dub said. “We like to give to the community by doing these givebacks.”
Tickets for the Greatest Portable Theme Park can be purchased online through Helm and Sons’ website or in person at the fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St.
Masks are not required for the carnival, and the Santa Maria Fairpark will be following county guidelines on capacity limits.
More information on the Greatest Portable Theme Park, as well as other events taking place over the summer, can be found on the Santa Maria Fairpark’s website.
— Serena Guentz is a local freelance writer. Contact her at news@noozhawk.com.