Ventura County Fair’s animal stars delight visitors with unique personalities and hands-on learning

VENTURA, Calif. — The Ventura County Fair is known for its carnival rides, concerts and classic fair food, but some of its biggest attractions can be found inside the livestock barns.

From friendly pygmy goats to exotic reptiles and towering birds, animals of all kinds are capturing the attention of fairgoers while teaching visitors about agriculture, wildlife and responsible animal care.

For Elliot Stevens, the 2026 Grand Champion Showman in the pygmy goat competition, his four-month-old goat Stanley has become a crowd favorite.

"This is Stanley. He's a four-month-old pygmy goat," Stevens said.

When asked to describe his goat, Stevens didn't hesitate.

"I like how friendly he is. He's very sweet. And he's really funny," he said.

Stanley's outgoing personality quickly wins people over.

"Everyone stops and their voices get really high-pitched. They want to pet him," Stevens said. "He loves to be carried around. We call him ADHD because he has to be with everybody all the time and doesn't stop."

While traditional livestock remain a staple of the fair, visitors can also get an up-close look at animals they may never encounter anywhere else.

Pacific Animal Productions is showcasing a variety of exotic species, giving children and families an opportunity to learn about wildlife from around the world.

"We have a macaw, sulcata, zebra, Asian water monitor, emu and then several different insects and reptiles," said Alii Cordromp of Pacific Animal Productions.

Among the crowd favorites is the blue-tongued skink, a reptile staff hope helps change misconceptions about less familiar animals.

"Seeing something that is totally exotic and different from what they see day to day," said Pacific Animal Productions owner Kevin Cordromp. "You'll see cats, dogs and horses, but you'll typically never see a 12-foot Burmese python sitting on someone's shoulder."

Beyond the animal encounters, the fair also serves as a classroom for young exhibitors who spend months raising and caring for their livestock before competition.

For novice hog exhibitor Emma Petersen-Devens, the experience has been about much more than preparing for the show ring.

"I have to go take care of my pig. It was a learning curve for me because it's my first year, and I really learned a lot of responsibility and how to fully take care of animals on my own," she said.

Whether it's a playful goat trying to nibble someone's shirt, a rabbit calmly posing for photos or an exotic reptile changing someone's perspective, the Ventura County Fair is proving there's no shortage of unforgettable animal personalities waiting to be discovered inside the barns.