Vibrant Santa Barbara Fair & Expo Lights Up Earl Warren Showgrounds
The Santa Barbara Fair & Expo returns to the Earl Warren Showgrounds this week for a “Meet Me at the Fair” themed extravaganza.
The energy was vibrant on Thursday night at the fairgrounds, with maskless smiles from excited children and parents.
“I felt an energy unlike any other than I’ve felt in a long time,” said Carlyn Bacci, a fairgoer. “Everyone was just excited to be there and I think it’s really bringing the community together. It makes people excited to celebrate their youth.”
This year’s fair exhibits most of the features of the pre-pandemic years. The Carnival Midway offers over 30 rides and attractions, from the Tilt-A-Whirl tummy turner to the scenic ferris wheel. Game booths surround the rides for competitive fairgoers looking for prizes to win.
The youth area features kid-friendly rides and a petting zoo filled with goats, chickens, alpacas, and bunnies.
Fair vendors offer a plethora of local food options. Savory meals are scattered throughout funnel cake and fried oreo boothes. Classic carnival cuisine is centered around entertainment, including live music and interactive magic shows.
For a break from the busy scene, the Close Encounters Hall offers a quieter look at artwork, photography, pottery and projects entered by the students from the community. The room also exhibits local foods, wine and beer, arts and crafts, horticulture and fine arts displays.
Santa Barbara’s aspiring chefs can also enter the daily cooking contest, which offers a new cook-off challenge to contestants each day along with free tastings of the featured desserts, appetizers and other scrumptious foods.
The fair opened on Wednesday and will be open through Sunday. It will be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and will close for the year on Sunday, May 1 at 10 p.m.
Earl Warren Showgrounds is located at 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara. Entry at the door is $8 for adults. Children 6 years and older have a $5 entry fee and children 5 and under enter for free. A one day unlimited ride wristband is $30.
The Santa Barbara Fair & Expo was canceled in 2020 and was held later than usual, in June, in 2021 due to the pandemic.
