Santa Barbara County Fair opens five-day run at Santa Maria Fairpark

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The official opening of the 130th Annual Santa Barbara County is all set for Wednesday afternoon when the gates open up to the general public at 3 p.m.

The start of the fair will mark the beginning of a much-anticipated five-day run of fun-filled activities for the entire family at the Santa Maria Fairpark.

"Today is the first day of our 130^th Annual Santa Barbara County Fair," said Santa Maria Fairpark CEO Caitlin Miller. "It's a long-held tradition in our community, our district, our agricultural organization spans from about Gaviota to Nipomo and Arroyo Grande, so we cover a big area of the Central Coast and we're very excited to welcome our neighbors out to have a little fun and enjoy our party this week."

The Santa Barbara County Fair will be held July 12-16 and will feature several fun-filled attractions, including several new offerings.

"We have ax throwing and that is free with admission, so the adults can come and have a little fun in the ax throwing trailer, that's by the main ticket booth," said Miller. "For the kids, we have A Walk On The Wild Side, which is an animal exhibit that takes place in the Park Plaza, a great way to get out of the sun. Parents, there's some chairs and you can get off of your feet and the little ones can learn a little bit about some wild animals."

The popular carnival returns, with Helms and Sons Amusements running the operations for the 15th straight fair.

Helms and Sons has brought two new rides to Santa Maria, which have never before been seen at the Santa Barbara County Fair.

"One, is the the Medusa, which goes all the way up in the sky," said Miller. "You can probably be able to see that from the freeway. The other one is the Grand Prix, which is a rollercoaster, all the way at the back of the midway. It's never been in our fairgrounds before, so we have quite a bit of new. If you haven't visited us in a while, come on out, we've got something for everyone."

The News Channel 12 Grandstand will offer four free shows, kicking on Wednesday, July 12 with a tribute band highlighting the best songs from the Eagles and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

After that, the stage will welcome back big name entertainment, returning a long-time Santa Barbara County Fair tradition of providing top-notch concert acts free of charge.

On Thursday, country singer Ashley McBryde will take the stage, followed by multi-genre artist Uncle Kracker on Friday, and finally alternative rock band Switchfoot on Saturday.

For more information about the 130th Santa Barbara County Fair, click here.

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