OC Fair 2026: What’s new with a big new rollercoaster, nostalgia-soaked exhibits

The OC Fair, the county’s monthlong annual extravaganza, returns Friday, July 17, with towering rides, thrilling shows and decadent culinary pleasures likely to make the million potential visitors salivate between attractions.

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This year’s theme is “Your Adventure Awaits!” Choosing your own path, your own type of fun, is exactly what organizers are challenging fairgoers to do.

“A big part of what we pride ourselves on is that there’s something for everyone here, whether it’s a competition for who gets to make the best pie, our livestock auction, our educational programs or entertainment shows,” said James Canfield, CEO of the OC Fair & Events Center.

“You define what your adventure is,” Canfield said. “You come here, and you’ll be able to find it.”

For adrenaline seekers, that could come in the form a heart-thumping new rollercoaster: The Air Raid hoists riders up a 118-foot tower in gondolas that tilt and tumble at forces up to 4G, four times the force of gravity, in common parlance.

And those looking for milder thrills can find plenty of family-friendly carnival staples, including the Balloon Ride and the Frog Hop.

Nearly 100 vendors will be serving up familiar and experimental bites, including many indulgences “wrapped in bacon or around bacon,” Canfield said. Take, for example, the bacon-wrapped churro or the bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter and jelly.

Fairgoers will also find new creations, such as fried tiramisu and Dutch fries with black truffle mayo.

The popular $5 Taste of Fair menu will again give price- and health-conscious visitors the chance to sample different fair treats at each stand until 5 p.m. Vendors sold more than 200,000 of those deals last year, Canfield said.

For the first time, the fair will offer special kids’ meals for $10.

This year’s event, which runs from July 17 to Aug 16 — but is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays — also features expanded entertainment and educational programming.

The Pacific Amphitheatre will be hosting 35 shows and concerts, up from 27 last summer, Canfield said.

The marquee exhibit is the immersive, nostalgia-soaked “REWIND: VHS Comeback” that pays homage to retro pop culture with hand-painted replicas of vintage movie posters, soundtrack displays, a 1980s arcade and more.

Added to a packed annual competitions lineup is the homebrew contest, where amateur brewers will showcase their finest beer and cider recipes.

Other contests have been expanded. Competitive table setting, which has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, will have two competitions instead of one this summer.

The All-Alaskan Racing Pigs, a perennial crowd pleaser, will be held at Plaza Pacifica with 25% more seating capacity and broadcast on outdoor screens so guests can cheer on the piglets from the lawn.

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The wildly popular Fair After Dark returns with karaoke and DJ-led dance parties every night, where fairgoers can learn how to swing and line dance from professional instructors.

Other returning fan favorites include the monster truck show and the demolition derbies, events packed with what Canfield described as the inexplicable thrills of “watching people crash anything on four wheels.”

The fair is teaming up with local Lions Clubs to debut a new program distributing carnival prizes to children in need. Guests will be able to donate surplus toys they won at the fair at collection boxes by the exits.

“We see it every year when people come and win stuffed animals. They’re carrying them out, and there’s not enough space in the car, so they don’t know what to do with them,” Canfield said.

Beyond creating lifelong memories for families, the OC Fair is a key economic driver for the county that generates $109 million in wages and sustains nearly 2,200 jobs a year, according to an released in May. Canfield said that a majority of Orange County residents employed by the fair are high school and college students working their first jobs.

“That’s a significant amount of investment that goes back into the community,” he said.

The multi-week event draws more than 1 million visitors a year.

Under the limited-capacity model implemented during the pandemic, fair tickets must be purchased online in advance. Daily attendance is capped at 55,000 visitors a day — a 10% uptick from 2025 — and tickets have often sold out in previous years.

Organizers have incorporated technology to gauge daily fairground attendance in real time, Canfield said, so that additional tickets can be released as visitors leave.

“We’ll be able to make adjustments to those (attendance) caps on the fly if that’s appropriate,” he said.

On weekends, OC Fair Express buses will pick up fairgoers at six locations every 30 minutes. Fare is $2 each way and free for children. For more information, visit OCFairExpress.com.

General admission is $13 on Wednesday and Thursday and $18 from Friday to Sunday. Seniors and children ages 6 to 12 pay $9 every day.

Nights are the busiest at the event. To boost daytime attendance, $11 discounted tickets are available between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The fair will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and from 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

More information about performances, experiences and ticket sales can be found at ocfair.com.

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