Alameda County Fair: Everything You Need To Know For 2018

PLEASANTON, CA – Booked for an 18-day run from June 15 to July 8, the 2018 Alameda County Fair promises a blockbuster line-up of new attractions, headliner entertainment and the return of old favorites.

Get ready to say "HELLO to Summer," this year's fair theme, and the accompanying corn dogs and cotton candy, horse racing, livestock auctions, Artisan Alley crafts, exhibits, carnival rides and games, food and beverage events and concerts featuring LeAnn Rimes, Smash Mouth, En Vogue, Clay Walker, The Tubes, Blue Oyster Cult and other artists.

And what about the opening day cattle drive down Main Street in Pleasanton? It's on!

The Fair’s Opening Day Cattle Drive, with cowboys and cowgirls guiding a herd of steers through downtown Pleasanton, will start at Del Valle Avenue and head onto Main Street at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 15.

Some downtown restaurants and retailers will give away free fair tickets, while supplies last, and the Museum on Main will host activities for kids. Wild West Weekend festivities will continue at the fair through Sunday.

Fair dates and hours: At the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, the fair runs June 15 to July 8, Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 11 pm., and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. On July 4th, hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the gates closing at 3 p.m.

Tickets: Early Bird Pricing is in effect through June 14:

• ADULT 13+: $12
• CHILD 6-12: $8
• SENIOR 62+: $8

Tickets can be purchased online and printed at home. Prices go up June 15. 2018 Season Passes are available for $40.

Carnival Fast Pass: New this year is Fast Pass which offers a priority entrance line for all rides, with no waiting. Fast Passes are available online or at the gate for $10 and are good for the whole day.

Carnival midway and rides: Two new rides are on tap for 2018. Taking the stage will be the new, cross-grounds Sky Ride, an attraction featuring 70 passenger gondolas that offer riders a bird’s eye view. The ride will extend from the Green Gate main entrance to the Kids Park at the Yellow Gate entrance. Tickets are sold online or at the ride, priced at $5 for one-way and $8 for a round-trip.

Also new for thrill-seekers is the TURBO, a super fast, adrenaline-rush ride with upside-down, free flipping action at 120 feet in the air. See more details on the rides here.

The 2018 Big O Tires Concert Series line-up features a mix of musical artists.

• Friday, June 15 - Blue Oyster Cult
• Saturday, June 16 - Shaggy
• Sunday, June 17 - En Vogue
• Wednesday, June 20 - Clay Walker
• Thursday, June 21 - 38 Special
• Friday, June 22 - Smash Mouth
• Sunday, June 24 - Sir Mix-a-Lot
• Wednesday, June 27 - Morris Day and The Time
• Thursday, June 28 - Con Funk Shun,
• Saturday, June 30 - The Tubes,
• Thursday, July 5 - LeAnn Rimes
• Sunday, July 8 - WAR

Tribute bands shows include:

• Saturday, June 23 - Boys of Summer (Eagles,)
• Friday, June 29 - Queen Nation (Queen,)
• Sunday, July 1 - Purple Reign (Prince,)
• Friday, July 6 - Journey Revisited (Journey)
• Saturday, July 7 - Super Diamond (Neil Diamond)

ALL concert seats inside the amphitheater are now reserved by "Floor Reserved," "Upper & Lower Reserved," and "Bleachers Reserved." Seats must be reserved online through the ETIX concert page on the fair’s website at the time of purchase. Tickets for some shows are available now, with additional shows to go on sale each week. More details here.

Tasting Events: The fair will offer three “Racing & Tasting” events this year – a different one each weekend:

• Red, White & Craft Brew Fest – Saturday, June 23
• Sip, Savor & Wager Wine Festival – Saturday, June 30
• Craft Cocktail Festival – Saturday, July 7

All events are for those 21 and older and are held at the Stella Artois Grandstand infield track from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., offering unlimited sampling, live horse racing and wagering, food and lawn games. Ticket details here.

SNACKDOWN FRYday: The fair’s food vendors roll out their most outrageous, new creations to compete for the prized championship belt. KCBS’ Foodie Chap Liam Mayclem hosts the popular live event on Friday, June 22 at 2 p.m. at the Grandstand Stage.

$2 Fair Food Bites: Fun-sized servings of select fair treats will be offered for $2 every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Live horseracing returns to the fairground’s historic racetrack on opening day, June 15 and runs for 15 full days: June 15-17, 21-24, 28-30, July 1, 4, 6-8.

Action Sports Arena will feature a different show each weekend along with daily Extreme Freestyle Motocross (FMX) shows. Select premium seats are available for purchase for Monster Trucks and Demolition Derby (tickets include fair admission.) See website for details.

• Extreme Rodeo: June 22 and 23 at 7 p.m.
• Fiesta del Charro: June 24 - 7 p.m.
• Monster Trucks: June 29-July 1 - 7 p.m.
• Demolition Derby: July 6-8
• Keith Sayers FMX Show: Daily
• K9 Kings Flying Dog Show: Daily

Discount Days are back! But note: All special pricing ends at 5 p.m.

• June 15 – $1 Admission and $1 Rides -Opening Day!
• June 17 – Father's Day free admission for dads.
• June 20 – Mattress Firm Foster Kids Clothing Drive & $1 Rides. Bring one clothing item for free fair admission to the Fair
• June 21, 28 and July 5 – Kids 12 and under get free admission.
• June 22, 29 and July 6 – Boomer Fridays: Free fair admission for those 62 and older.
• June 27 – Feed the Need Food Drive and $1 Rides. Bring four non-perishable food items and get free admission.
• July 4 – First Responder’s Day. With valid ID. Until 3 p.m.
• Military Appreciation Day – Everyday: One free admission with Military ID. Veterans are free with proof of service.

Festival Latino with Univision returns Sunday, June 24 with live music, dancing, entertainment and games.

The Junior Livestock Auction will be held Sunday, July 8 at 8 a.m. at the Livestock Pavilion.

2018 Kids’ STEAM Weekends: The whole family can partake in hands-on, educational fun Thursdays through Sundays at the fair’s STEAM-themed Weekends. Click here for details. This year's dates and themes:

• Sun & Fun - June 15-17
• Dad & Me - Sunday, June 17. Team up for the “Dad & Me” obstacle course challenge!
• LEGO Festival Hello Summer Large Scale LEGO Build - Saturday June 30
• Agriculture & Environment - June 21-24
• Engineering & Electronics - June 28-July 1
• LEGO Day - Saturday, June 30
• Robot Day - Sunday, July 1
• Art & Energy - July 5-8

Employment: Interested in working at the fair? See:Summer Job Fair Coming Up At Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Other returning fair favorites include exhibits, animals, food, games and pig races. For more information, visit the fair’s website.

The Alameda County Fair is operated by the non-profit Fair Association and is is ranked one of the Top 50 North American Fairs and the seventh largest fair in California.

--Images courtesy of the Alameda County Fair and Autumn Johnson, Patch