New Free Shuttle Service Offered to Marin County Fair

Marin County, CA — Put more fun in your fair experience by dodging the traffic near the Marin County Fairgrounds.

The Marin County Fair announced Tuesday it is offering a new transportation option: free shuttle service from a nearby County of Marin parking lot.

The 75th Marin County Fair gets under way Thursday and runs through the Fourth of July at the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael.

This year, organizers are encouraging fairgoers to park their vehicles at the Marin Commons parking lot at 1600 Los Gamos Drive in San Rafael and take the new shuttle.

Marin Commons — known locally as the home of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and employees from some other county departments — is on the west side of Highway 101 at the Lucas Valley Road/Smith Ranch Road exit, two miles north of the fairgrounds. Since Los Gamos is a frontage road adjacent to the highway, it provides easy parking access for fairgoers as well as for bus drivers, organizers said.

Parking at Marin Commons and taking the shuttle is also cheaper: it costs $5 (the shuttle is free) compared to the $10 parking fee charged at the fairgrounds.

Shuttles to the fairgrounds will run about every 20 minutes between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (Organizers say shuttle users should expect delays after the fireworks, which are scheduled each night for 9:30 p.m.)

Other ways for fair guests to get to the fairgrounds are by riding Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit buses, which drop off at the Marin Civic Center, a few steps from the fair gate. Those who ride their bicycles can park in the bike valet parking area near the main fair gate.

For more fair information, check out Marinfair.org.

(Photo/Marin County Fair via Facebook)