DEL MAR — Fair officials announced a slate of entertainers, including comedian Kevin Hart, who will take the stage this summer for the 2023 San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, with tickets now on sale for general entry and grandstand shows.
This year’s fair will run from June 7 through July 4 with the theme “Get Out There!,” a celebration of the great outdoors and the region’s parks. Tickets went on sale on April 8, and around 4,500 grandstand tickets have already been snapped up.
Along with the popular carnival, delicious food, livestock shows and exhibitions, 11 grandstand performers have been confirmed, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. These include performances from Train, who will take the stage on opening night, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Switchfoot, La Adictiva, Boys II Men and Stephen Marley.
At the April 11 meeting of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the state board overseeing the fairgrounds, officials announced that Hart will perform on June 9.
“We’ve got quite a diverse lineup from what we’ve had in the past,” said Fairgrounds COO Katie Mueller. “This is a little taste of what’s coming.”
All fair tickets are available online this year. Depending on the day, prices range from $15 to $20 for adults and $12 to $17 for those over the age of 62 and under the age of 12. Admission is free all days for youth ages 5 and younger and on Fridays only for those ages 6 to 12.
Grandstand shows will take place on select nights at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for grandstand shows also include fair admission for that day.
Carnival tickets, including promotional deals for bonus tickets, go on sale April 22.
Fair officials gave a sneak peek of several other planned entertainment and activities. There will be local musical entertainment in the paddock throughout the fair and a Get Out There Challenge where residents can earn prizes for visiting and taking photos at regional parks.
The 2023 fair will also feature the first-ever Fair-tastic Food Competition, in which fair concessionaires will be challenged to create amazing sweet and savory dishes in the following categories — foods reflecting the fair theme, foods with a “wow” factor, and value foods at discounted prices.
“We’re hoping to make this an annual event,” Mueller said.
Visitors can also enjoy various festivals taking place throughout the fair. There will be three free festivals in the paddock — Out at the Fair Festival on June 10, the Asian and Pacific Islander Festival on June 17 and the Gospel Festival on June 22.
Tickets will also be available for two festivals taking place at the Fairgrounds’ new music venue, The Sound. The Toast of the Coast Wine Festival takes place on June 17, followed by the International Beer and Distilled Spirit and Cocktail Festival on July 1.
The 2023 San Diego County Fair will take place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, in addition to Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4.
Tickets and more information are available at sdfair.com.
Last year’s scaled-down fair saw nearly 1 million visitors after a slow comeback from COVID-19.
Soucre: thecoastnews.com