The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo opens Wednesday afternoon to offer “barrels of fun” for families and the whole community through Sunday evening.
With more than 30 rides, carnival games, farm animals, fair food like funnel cakes and corn dogs, and live music and entertainment, there’s something for everyone of all ages at the annual fair.
The fair “is one of the only events — if not the only event — that brings the whole community together,” Earl Warren Showgrounds CEO Ben Sprague said at a fair preview event Tuesday. “Everyone loves the fair.”
The fair is open to the public at Earl Warren Showgrounds, located at 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
The carnival is open until 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Exhibits and vendors will also be available for all to enjoy, as well as more than a dozen bands and entertainers — including some local community members — and extreme freestyle motocross at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, all of which are free with fair admission.
Free off-site parking is available at Bishop Diego High School, located at 4000 La Colina Road, and at La Cumbre Junior High School, at 2255 Modoc Road, with a free trolley to the fair running every half hour on the hour, starting 30 minutes before opening through 30 minutes after closing.
Limited on-site parking is available for $20 per day.
General admission tickets can be purchased online or in-person for $10 for adults and $6 for children, and carnival wristbands are available for $35.