SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Now that the 2026 San Diego County Fair is officially in the books, officials have released data reflecting this year’s food sales, attendance and more.
The 2026 theme, ‘Once Upon a Fair,’ combined popular traditions with new features, including a Scholastic Book Fair and Corgi races, while keeping up with fan favorites such as devouring gigantic turkey legs and playing carnival games.
The fair began on June 10 and completed its 20-day run on Sunday, July 5, with a record attendance of 65,000 on July 3.
Here is the 2026 San Diego County Fair by the numbers:
- 872,816 people in total attended, which averaged 44,000 attendees per day
- 70 regular full-time employees and 1,200 temporary employees
- 47 entries in the Fair-tastic Foods competition
- 41 racing Corgis
- 47 carnival games
- 72 rides in the Fun Zone and Kids Zone
- 110 pet adoptions through the fair’s Community Corner partnerships
- 111 food stands, all of which participated in the fair’s Green Ribbon initiative by using compostable plates, bowls, utensils, trays, straws and other service ware
- 250 commercial vendors
- 1,159 San Diego County Fair Banners hung throughout local communities
- 1,197 temporary employees hired by the 22nd DAA between March and July to produce the fair
- 4,000 toys donated
- 15,669 gallons of lemonade served
- 36,484 turkey legs sold
- 42,392 cinnamon rolls sold
- 54,214 corn dogs sold
- 65,978 attendance on July 3, the largest single-day attendance at the fair
- 91,017 total riders on the SkyRide through July 4
- $815,803.85 total money raised in the Junior Livestock Auction — a fair record
- $328 million economic impact of the fair, according to a study commissioned by the International Association of Fair & Expositions
This year, fair officials confirmed that over 900 items were turned into the San Diego County Fair’s Lost and Found, located inside the Guest Services office.
Final week of San Diego County Fair underway
Lost and Found by the numbers:
- 111 credit cards
- 99 cell phones
- 95 pairs of glasses
- 54 sets of keys
- 38 pieces of jewelry
Guests who believe they may have lost an item at this year’s fair can call Guest Services at (858) 794-1124 to schedule a pickup appointment. All unclaimed items will be donated in September…