With a Wizard of Oz theme, the 2019 San Diego County Fair opens at 4 p.m. Friday and runs for 27 days at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It features a new way to pay for rides — but a $1 rise in ticket prices.
The new FunPass streamlines the carnival ride pass process and enables visitors to hop on rides and play games with the scan of a smart phone or a card.
The FunPass can be preloaded with digital ride and game tickets that are scanned and deducted from the card or app without needing individual paper tickets. Parents can buy FunPass tickets and send them to their kids through the app.
If all the tickets aren’t used in one day, they can be saved for the next visit. Download FunPass here.
Regular admission to the fair is $20 for adults; $14 for kids 6-12 and seniors 62 and older — all $1 higher than last year. Children 5 and under get in free.
In addition, formerly free Horsepark parking is now $5.
However, a long list of discounts is available, including:
Military Free Day: Friday, May 31. Tickets available only at base ticket offices, not at the fairgrounds.
20% discount on adult admission: Purchase fair tickets at Albertsons or Vons grocery stores ($16 adults, $13 for seniors, 62 and older, and kids aged 6-12)
$6 Fair Days: May 31, June 1 and June 5. Buy your ticket at Albertsons or Vons.
Military discount tickets are available at base ticket offices only to those with appropriate active duty, reservist, retiree, dependent and DoD military IDs. All military tickets are sold only at base ticket offices, not at the fairgrounds.
Kids Days: free admission on all Fridays in June for kids 12 and younger.
College Day: Friday June 7. $10 Fair admission with student ID shown at the fairgrounds box office on the day-of only.
Passport to Savings Book: For $5, you’ll get a book full of savings on food, games, rides, and more.
Season Pass For $32: unlimited entry to the Fair throughout the run of the fair.
Four fair tickets for $44: Pick up at any San Diego County Sprint stores. It is not valid on Saturdays or Sundays.
Four free tickets: Spend $250 or more on a single purchase of four Goodyear tires, between May 20 and June 2, at Evans Tires & Service Centers.
Pay One Price Ride Days: Every Wednesday and Thursday in June visitors can ride unlimited Fun Zone or Kids Zone rides for one price, $38. Buy voucher online or at the Fun Zone and Kids Zone ticket booths up until 6 p.m. on the promotion day.
Read books for admission: Kids up to age 12 can get a free day at the fair if they read 10 age-appropriate books and have that verified by their teacher or librarian. Download certificate here.
Unemployed get free admission: If you are currently jobless, you can receive two free admission tickets on Wednesday, June 12. Present a current EDD debit card or form dated no earlier than July 1, 2018, at the Will Call booth at the O’Brien Gate.
State civil service employees: Get two $8 admissions to the fair on three Fridays (June 7, 14 and 21) by showing their State of California employee ID or paycheck stub at the Will Call window at the O’Brien Gate fair entrance.
School Staff Appreciation Days: Four Fridays: June 7, 14, 21 and 28. Buy up to four $1 admission ticket vouchers from any Mission Federal Credit Union branch when you present your school employment ID.
To know which parking lots have open spots, see real-time parking lot updates at sdfair.com website, the Fair app, Twitter (@SDFair) and on radio station AM1680.
General parking is $17 and preferred parking is $27.
While parking at the Horsepark in Del Mar this year costs $5, parking will be free at the more distant off-site lots at Torrey Pines High School and MiraCosta College’s San Elijo campus, The free parking is not available every day. For more parking information, go to sdfair.com/parking.
In addition, visitors can buy a Fair Tripper combo ticket, which combines a round-trip transit fare with fair admission. Visitors can take a bus, train or trolley to a Coaster station, disembark at the Solana Beach station, then board NCTD Breeze Route 408, which takes riders from the Solana Beach train station to the fair’s west gate.
Prices are NCTD Fair Tripper (ages 13-64): $21; NCTD Fair Tripper (ages 6-12, and 65 and older): $13; Region Plus Fair Tripper (ages 13-64): $25; and Region Plus Fair Tripper (ages 6-12, and 65 and older): $15.