Gates open this week at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, where five days of carnival rides, livestock competitions and family entertainment mark the 82nd edition of a tradition that has run nearly every year since 1941. The fair takes place tomorrow through next Sunday at 344 Tully Road, with hours running from 4 PM to 10 PM tomorrow and Thursday, 1 PM to 11 PM Friday and Saturday, and 1 PM to 10 PM next Sunday.
The County of Santa Clara announced the fair’s return in a social media post, telling residents that “the wait is finally over” and pointing them toward tickets for “shows, arts, crafts and cows,” according to the County of Santa Clara. The fair traces back to October 1941, when it was first held on the 97-acre Mira Monte Farm site the county had purchased the year before, according to the Fairgrounds Heritage Foundation of Santa Clara County. That property has since grown into the 165-acre fairgrounds that host the event today.
Food, festivities and fun for the whole family! The wait is finally over – the Santa Clara County Fair starts this week. Get your tickets now to enjoy the shows, the arts, crafts and cows! Learn more at https://t.co/cKItx6elIy. pic.twitter.com/7Xlvyiscn2
— County of Santa Clara (@SCCgov) August 18, 2026
New August Dates and What Tickets Cost
Unlike its traditional late-July slot, the 2026 fair was shifted to its new August 19-23 window to better align with vendor and carnival operator schedules, according to Helm & Sons Amusements, the carnival operator running this year’s midway. General gate admission is set at $19 for adults and $14 for seniors 65 and older and youth ages 6 to 13, with advance online presale tickets discounted to $15 and $10, respectively, per AllEvents. General parking runs $20, and unlimited ride wristbands from Helm & Sons cost $35 in presale or $40 at the gate, with express upgrades available for front-of-line access…