The Orange County Fair is set to open on July 18 as prices for admission and parking remain high for the 1 million visitors expected this summer.
The fair is also opening on the heels of a new CEO hired from Alabama, who took up the new role effective July 1.
In the wake of ongoing federal deportation efforts, fair officials also say they’ll follow state sanctuary law that limits local and state law enforcement’s cooperation with federal authorities.
Last year, prices to park and enter the fairgrounds increased for the second time in a row. Parking rose to cost more than a weekday general admission ticket to the fair for the first time last year.
Prices for admission and parking for 2025 are the same as 2024 — after several years of prices trending upward.
This year, parking at the fair is $15.
From 2017 to 2022, on-site parking was $10 per vehicle. In 2023, the cost of parking increased to $12 per vehicle. Last year, parking increased again to $15 per vehicle.
Adult general admission to the fair costs $13 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and $15 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Admission for seniors and children is $9 every day.
Those prices have also increased over the past several years.
From 2017 to 2022, adult admission cost $12 on weekdays and $14 on weekends, while senior and children’s admission was $7 every day.
In 2023, adult admission increased to $13 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. The price of senior and children’s admission also rose to $9 in 2023.
The fairgrounds also offer an Every Day Passport for $60, giving visitors admission to every day of the fair without any restrictions.
While fairgoers face high costs, the OC Fair & Event Center’s reserves have soared upward over the past decade.
At the end of 2022, the center’s investment balance reflected over $67 million in reserves, which has been steadily growing since 2009 — excluding a dip in 2020 during the pandemic.
The reserve balance in 2023 also dropped by about $15 million. Last year, the balance increased by about $1 million to a total of $52,663,347 as of Dec. 31, 2024.
The fair opens on July 18 and runs until Aug. 17. The fair is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
New Fairgrounds CEO Hired From Alabama
The Fair & Event Center welcomed a new CEO who started in the role earlier this month after Michele Richards announced her retirement in January.
The OC Fair Board named James Canfield as the new CEO during a meeting in June. Most recently, Canfield served as senior director and general manager of the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex in Alabama.
Terry Moore, communications director at the OC fair, said there were 103 applicants for the CEO position, and the board did not limit their search geographically.
Board Chair Nick Kovacevich emphasized that Canfield has had experience in Southern California venues, including the Palm Springs Convention Center, the Pasadena Convention Center and the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.
“The Board did a thorough search for the next CEO and we are confident that James Canfield will do a great job,” Board Chair Nick Kovacevich said in a statement sent to Voice of OC. “James has experience with large venue management and has held positions in California, so this will not be unfamiliar territory. We are glad he will be here prior to opening day July 18 and can see the 2025 OC Fair in full swing.”
Moore confirmed his annual salary will be $208,950, less than Richards’ annual salary of $232,170.
“We’re happy to have him here to be part of the fair this year to see how everything comes together,” Moore said. “I think it’s awesome he’s able to start prior to opening day.”
“This year is probably going to be an observing and learning year, but he comes with a lot of big venue management experience behind him,” she said.
Richards was initially hired as CEO in December 2019. Before that, she served as interim CEO, and she was the agency’s vice president of business development for more than seven years. She was also an organizational development consultant to OC Fair & Event Center for 11 years.
Richards served as CEO while fairgrounds leaders were facing criticism for the way they ran the on-site Equestrian Center, where members of the public can rent stalls to board their horses and operate riding lessons.
In 2024, the OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors narrowly approved a rent spike that many equestrians claimed they wouldn’t be able to afford.
In protest, a group of boarders refused to sign the new contract outlining the increased rates. After a legal challenge, an Orange County Superior Court Judge sided with the OC Fairgrounds, finding that Equestrian Center staff were allowed to remove occupants who don’t hold a valid contract.
[Read: Judge Rules OC Fairgrounds Can Boot Equestrians Without Rental Agreement]
The Equestrian Center has since been rebranded as The Ranch Community Center and is operating under a new plan, including the new boarding rates.
What if Immigration Officials Show Up at the OC Fair?
As ICE raids continue in Orange County, Moore said the OC Fair & Event Center complies with SB 54 since the fairgrounds is on state land.
SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, is a state law that limits state and local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“Other than those agencies authorized to serve OC Fair & Event Center in an official capacity, law enforcement personnel are not given special access or assistance beyond what is available to any member of the public and are restricted from entering non-public areas without a judicial warrant,” Moore wrote in a statement sent to Voice of OC. “The safety and inclusion of all fairgoers remains a top priority.”
[Read: ICE Raids Spur Aid Network in Orange County]
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.