california exposition & state fair

O.K. it's the State Fair. It has all the pluses and minuses of a State Fair. Animal exhibits that are terrific - staffed by owners, exhibitors and 4H Club members. Rides that most adults would rather not be on but that are a terrific attraction for children and teenagers. Classic State Fair food - not exactly healthy - but fine for a once a year experience. Music can be fun. Easy parking.

We love to check out all of the displays...the animals, the plants, and the shops. Also, the music...just love the music and dancing.

Get there before opening to get a good parking spot. We visited every exhibition; The kids pavilion showcasing their art, engineering,etc. , was a showcase of the brilliance of the states students. The farm exposition hall is great for kids. There is a lot of great midway food to be had from many countries.

Its HOT in Sacramento in July, so when you go to Cal Expo for the state fair, you will need water. Lots of it. Its a large area, and my feet always hurt at the end of a day. The buildings that consist of cal expo, need better A/C to escape the heat and enjoy the stands of things to see and buy. Outside, the fair is like a great fair - rides, weird food, animals. Its awesome. Check it out. The parking costs $12 I believe in 2014. The tickets cost similarly. I suggest buying ahead of time for a savings. I wish the whiskey event didn't cost so much extra - thatd be cool to see next time. I personally like the cal expo monorail. It gives you a good look of where everything is located.

State fair is a real treat for the whole family. It is huge and takes all day to see everything, a wonderful yearly experience, we haven't missed the fair for the last 35 years!

You have to experience this fair with friends and/or family to really make it fun. It's a large fair with plenty of things to do and see and you don't need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.

The CA State Fair is not to be missed. It's a family tradition, a part of California's history and a chance to marvel at new exhibition's, see livestock, eat a "hot out of the oil" corn dog and just have FUN. We used to just head over to the carnival rides, but now skip that part and enjoy the exhibits.

California State Fair is so much fun. We love going to it. First there are the amazing animal areas. We like to see the animal judging events. We enjoy going to the carnival area....although we are the type who ride a couple of rides and then move on. We like the hall where each county can showcase what makes their area special. The wine tasting area is always fun. We like to also go see the agricultural displays. We like the set of halls where they show case such things as design, food, etc.We like the shows - music event at night is fun. Fireworks are good to see (by about that time though my feet are saying let's go home after having a fun day at the fair.).Food is good...There is so much here I could go on and on.....all fun!All in all, this is an excellent fair.My only complaint is - why is it always so hot....(yeah, its the weather).When we find a cool place to stand or a fan blowing on us, yeah - I will take a few minutes there to enjoy.So much to see, so much to enjoy...Its a fair to go to year after year.Note: We usually stay overnight in the area. The fair has a list of hotels that offers lodging and fair tickets for one price. Usually its a good deal. One can find details on this on the fair web site - see the lodging section.

My friends and I go every year to the California State Fair. There are two best times of day to go: early in the day, or later in the evening. If you get there early, you can enjoy the cooler weather, the lack of crowds, and have a good lunch there. If you go later, you can enjoy the night lights, the live musical groups, and the fireworks every night at closing time. The Fair offers something for everyone: animals, ecology lessons, the latest "as seen on TV" type items, wonderful artworks and crafts by gifted school children and adults, a complete art show, amusement park rides, a beer garden, hypnosis shows, healthy American and ethnic foods, all sorts of fun junk foods, photos of you being taken and sold, souvenirs, the world of the future, and much more. The entry price is reasonable, there are buses if you don't want to pay for parking, and the restrooms are clean. Have fun, learn, and eat to your heart's content at the California State Fair!

I had so much fun, Great food and the Whispers was awesome. There is no other fair like it. I came from Georgia and it was well worth it and will be there next year if GOD says the same

as NYers who happened to be visiting Sacramento during the California State Fair we HAD to go. we met some friends and were there for HOURS and probably only saw about 10% of the fair. The baby petting zoo was adorable. who gets to pet a baby kangaroo right next to a baby llama. We happened to go on a tuesday which is free for kids and the rides are $1 each instead of $3 so needless to say - it was probably more crowded than any other week day. we ate tons of fried food and went on a few rides and if you like state fairs... this is a great one.

This was my first visit to the fair this year. It has lots to do and lot of walking, walking from rides to food stall takes easy 10 mins. It was difficult to find places, we spent few hrs, though end up wandering generally around and finding places as we bump into them. Few maps and much better signage will help. Surely spending $5 to 10 for throwing few rings, and paying 40% premium on food (that is not even close to restaurant food) are part of having a family outing. Overall, will go again next year, though with better planning and after checking maps reading stuff on internet, regarding what to do. Not a place to just walk in ...

Wife and I went to the fair. We have been attending the fair for over 40 years. It hasn't changed much. Less people, higher costs for parking, and junk foods.We stopped for a cinnamon roll for my wife. She has one every year.The exhibits in the Counties Building are interesting. Then we went to the DMV booth. Same old booth - needs a freshen up; people manning the booth are knowledgeable and cordial.After, we stopped to watch a cooking challenge. Three chefs had to make meals in 30 minutes using military MRE's. We knew one of the chefs competing, Brian from Hook and Ladder. He didn't win.Then we had wine and cheese at the Wine Pavillion - best value.All in all, had fun and will return next year.

It was as always quite nice. If you come during the week it's quieter and you can see everything without crowding

Always a good time at the State Fair but be prepared to shell out quite a bit of dough for fried foods and drinks. Must have the funnel cake as a treat. Exhibits are interesting and worth a peek, vendors are stale with nothing you can't leave without, race track is fun and included at no extra cost except for betting of course, new this year is the NBA arena and its free, music headliners need an overhaul but they'll take you back to yesteryear, lots of carnival rides if you can stomach it, farm animals are always a treat to see but this year they did not bring the pigs which is a huge disappointment. Bring a picnic lunch if you want to save money and you'll eat healthier. It's always a fun time to spend a day with the family and friends.