Teens strolled with steer, youths showed sheep and others practiced with their pigs on the western edge of the Santa Maria Fairpark on Tuesday.
While workers continued to assemble vendor booths across the home of the Santa Barbara County Fair, the junior livestock exhibitors from FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, local granges and others have been busy since the weekend.
The 2024 fair, with the theme “Let the Magic Begin,” opens Wednesday afternoon for its five-day run.
However, the animals and their humans arrived on the weekend for the busy week of weighing, showing and auctioning.
Knights 4-H Club member Tanner Anderson sat on a fence as Genie savored some water from a huge trough in a livestock barn where fans worked to keep cattle cool.
It isn’t the 16-year-old’s first fair as he previously took pigs, but he found he enjoyed the hefty heifers. Genie marks this third time with a beef project.
“I’m having fun because they’re so calm,” he said as he described weeks of walking, washing and otherwise prepping Genie for this week.
In addition to the activity at the barns, the fairpark will be filled with music, exhibits, carnival rides, fair food and more through Sunday.
Following the opening ceremony Wednesday, officials will rededicate the fairpark’s arena as the Clarence and Rosalie Minetti Arena. More than six decades ago, the arena was named for Clarence Minetti, a Santa Maria Valley rancher and businessman, with the rededication recognizing his longtime wife.
For the fair’s opening night concert, country music’s Lonestar will perform on the stage in the newly rededicated Minetti Arena followed by Southern rock group 38 Special on Thursday night and The Fray on Friday night.
Special seating costs $10 to $25, table seating for eight is $300 and a grandstand seat is free. The Minetti Arena concerts are separate ticketed events with fair admission not included. Fair concert tickets can be purchased online by clicking here.
Central Coast West Summer Jam on Saturday will include hip-hop artists with Too Short as the headliner plus performances by performances by Suga Free, Dezzy Hollow and Kokane. Doors open at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $60 to $200.
Sunday’s Fiesta Day entertainment will include a performance by Jaripeo Quebradita.
Magical entertainment can be found around the fairgrounds, where magician Adam the Great will perform on the Center Stage and a Wild Science exhibit can be found in the Park Plaza building.
Helm & Sons Amusements will provide the carnival rides and games.
For the first time, the annual fair will host La Placita, with food, beverages, shopping, entertainment and fun with lots of seating.
The Outlaw Mariachi will take the La Placita stage on Wednesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., while The Mariachi Divas will celebrate their 25th anniversary at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
La Placita also will host eating contests daily plus a piñata drop with various prizes.
Gates will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from noon to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The carnival may remain open later.
Fair tickets cost $16 for people ages 12 to 61 or $14 for people ages 6 t0 11 and older than age 62. Children age 5 or younger will be admitted for free all five days. Carnival wristbands are $55.
However, on Wednesday, all tickets are $5 if purchased at the gates before 5 p.m. On Thursday, senior citizens age 62 or older will be admitted for $5 with a ticket purchased at the gate, and children 11 years or younger will be admitted for $5.
Admission will be free Saturday for military members and law enforcement personnel with valid identification.
Daily parking at the fairgrounds will cost $10.
The Santa Maria Fairpark is located at 937 S. Thornburg St. For more information, go to santamariafairpark.com.