The Orange County Fair is one of the biggest county fairs in the whole United States and happens annually right in Costa Mesa, CA. This year the fair took place from July 17 to August 16, 2026, with the theme “Your Adventure Awaits.” People who come to the fair go for a variety of reasons, to see the animals, go on big carnival rides, see concerts, try the deep fried food there, and to just walk around and see the lights all over.

In this article I will write about the history of the fair and interview our own CMHS history teacher Mrs. Soldin, who worked at the fair for over 10 years.

History of the OC Fair

The Orange County Fair started in the year 1890, originally in Santa Ana, CA, and brought only a couple hundred visitors to see minor exhibits and a horse race. In the beginning, the fair was called Carnival of Products, a small event that included horse races and a few exhibits. They only opened for 3 days out of the whole year.

Around 1911, the fair was relocated to Anaheim, CA and renamed the “Anaheim Carnival,” with new carnival-like attractions. After a brief pause due to WWI, the fair moved to Huntington Beach in 1917 and was called “The Harvest Home Festival.” The Great Depression forced the fair to merge with other local fairs and move to Pomona in the early 1930’s, but it returned home to Orange County in 1941. Then, in 1942, WWII forced all county fairs to close for 6 years to conserve resources for the war.

It wasn’t until 1949 that the fair finally found a new permanent home in Costa Mesa, the fairgrounds by our school. From 3 days moved to 10 days and slowly into the 23 days of the fair now.

New to the Fair in 2026

Concerts

This year’s Summer Concert Series included shows like Sugar Ray, Cypress Hill, The Fab Four, Nelly, and Patti LaBelle. The Pacific Amphitheatre, where the concerts are held, opened in July 1983 with Barry Manilow as its first performer. It used to hold 18,765 people, but eventually had to shut down in 1995 due to noise complaints from nearby residents. It was reopened in 2003 with a reduced capacity of about 8,042 people and the concerts have strict sound rules.

New Fair Food
The 2026 fair featured more than 100 food vendors serving new items along with fair classics. Some new items included:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheeseburger
Bacon Cotton Candy
Bacon-Wrapped Burritos
Cactus Tacos
Dubai Chocolate Brownies
Tres Leches Cinnamon Rolls
The Croffle from Mom’s Bakeshoppe (a croissant pressed in a waffle iron, topped with vanilla ice cream)
The French Onion Ten Pound Bun (layered whipped butter, garlic, mozzarella, cheddar and caramelized onions into an oversized bread creation)
Vegan avocado toast, gluten-free cheese curds, and several gluten-free popcorn flavors
$5 Taste of Fair (sample-sized portions of popular items)

Economic Impact for Costa Mesa

Fair officials say the OC Fair’s total local economic impact is $330.8 million. That includes:

About 5,960 local jobs supported by fairground operations
Over $312.5 million in local wages
$33.9 million in local tax revenue for city and county services

Recent Attendance

Over a million guests have attended the fair every year since 2020, and the number has continued to go up each year.

2025: 1,162,872 attendees (“Find Your Happy”)
2024: 1,137,555 (“Always a Good Time”)
2023: 1,048,181 (“Happy Together”)
2022: 1,055,173 (“Feel the Sunshine”)
2021: 1,055,770 (“Time for Fun”)
2020: Canceled — went virtual instead

Mrs. Soldin and the OC Fair

Mrs. Soldin teaches Psychology/Sociology, AP Psychology, Government, and AP Government at our school. Before becoming a teacher, Mrs. Soldin worked at the Orange County Fair for over 10 years! I asked Mrs. Soldin about her experience working at the fair and she had a lot to share.

Hitching Post: What was your job at the fair?

Mrs. Soldin: I have worked at the fair for over 10 years as a server for OVG (I sell Beer).

Hitching Post: Have you ever seen any other students working there? How do you feel about the fair as a job opportunity for Mesa students and staff?

Mrs. Soldin: I see lots of current and former students working at a variety of jobs. I love having the opportunity to work at the fair. It allows our students an opportunity to get job experience and money while not interfering with the school year. Since the fair is only here for 4 weeks it still allows kids to enjoy summer and learn valuable work ethic skills without a long term commitment.

Hitching Post: What has your experience been like working at the OC Fair? Would you recommend it to others?

Mrs. Soldin: I have had a relatively good experience working at the fair. I get to meet a lot of new people and I also have a lot of people that come back to me every year. I think it is also fun to see my former students as they visit the fair. I absolutely would recommend it to others. It’s a fun experience and if you do not like it…well it was only for 4 weeks!

Here are some photos of Mrs. Soldin working and running into former Mesa students at the OC Fair!

CMHS Programs and Fair Parking

Something you might not know is that our school is able to take advantage of our close proximity to the fairgrounds by selling parking lot space to fairgoers. CMHS has been doing this for a few years now and has been able to raise a lot of money for our school.

Our clubs and student programs are able to sign up for shifts to sell parking access that directly benefits their programs. The programs that are offered the opportunity to work shifts and raise funds are: Aquatics, Band, Baseball, Boys and Girls Soccer, Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Volleyball, Cheer, Choir, Dance, Drama, Football, Garden Club, Girls Flag Football, Mock Trial, Orchestra, Softball, and Super Boosters. Many of these programs participated this year, working 7 hour shifts over 11 and a half days for a total of 724 and a half hours of volunteer work from CMHS students, parents, and staff to raise money for student programs!

Their efforts raised about $80,000 in revenue before deducted expenses to support our Mesa students in their pursuits this year. Estancia students are also able to sign up for shifts, as CMHS and EHS split access to this funding resource each summer.

Estancia volunteers were able to sign up and work during the first 11 and a half days of the fair this year, and CMHS worked during the end of the fair. It is worth noting that, due to the closure of the back parking lot, the revenue this year is down from previous year. With more spots to sell, CMHS is able to raise more money selling fair parking.

The Future of the OC Fair

So, whether you like the rides, the animals, the exhibits, bacon cotton candy, or the extra money for Mesa programs…it seems like there is something for everyone at the OC Fair. Next year’s fair will take place from July 17 to August 16, 2027. Mark your calendar and see you there next year.