Know Before You Go

General Information

Coming to the Fair, following is all you need to know to prepare for your trip.

Fair is Contactless, Skip the Lines

For the safety of all, the Fair is contactless. Purchase your admission and parking tickets online at home or anywhere on your mobile device. There are ticket kiosks at the gates to purchase tickets, prices are the same as online. If you have cash, there are cash-to-card kiosks – no fees.

Parking

2005 Valley Avenue, Gate 8, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (or Gate 12).
Buy in advance to enter faster. If you buy at the gate, credit and debit cards are accepted.
If you have cash, you can use the cash-to-card kiosk for free. A kiosk is at Parking Gate 8. These cards can be used just like a credit card for parking, admission tickets, food, etc…in or outside the Fair where credit cards are accepted.
If you need accessible parking, ask the parking attendant upon entering and they will try to find a solution. Parking rates apply.

Admission

Pre-purchase with a credit or debit card.
Credit and debit cards are accepted at the gates by scanning a QR code or visiting an Admission Gate Kiosk.
Processing fees are the same for advance or day of; on a mobile device and at a kiosk.
Have cash? Trade cash-for-a-card at the admission gate with no service fee and use it just like a credit card for parking, admission tickets, food, etc…in or outside the Fair where credit cards are accepted.
There is no Will Call.
Entry into the Fair ends at 9:30pm

Food, Beverages & shopping

Food and beverage purchases take credit or debit and are sold through selected vendor system. Cash-for-a-card is accepted at all food and shopping locations.

Live horse racing

Mutuel Tellers for live racing betting located in the Grandstand are cash only. ATM’s are in the Grandstand to conveniently pull cash. Betting kiosks take credit cards.

carnival

Cash, debit and credit cards are accepted at the Carnival kiosks (Midway and Kids’ Park):

Carnival Ticket Kiosks take both cash and credit cards. (Carnival Kiosks are owned by Butler Carnival and are not the same as the ticket kiosks at the Gates, these machines take both cash and credit card.)
Purchase one-day wristbands which offer unlimited rides and unlimited access to the Sky Ride, or individual tickets at the Carnival ticket booth kiosks.
Don’t want a full day wristband, purchase individual tickets for rides and games (these tickets are on a wristband with a QR code for redemption).
Starting June 14 the Carnival wristband advance sale ends and you will no longer be able to purchase online. All Fair time carnival tickets will only be sold at a Butler Carnival Kiosk in the Carnival areas and at full price.

Directions & Process

2005 Valley Avenue, Gate 8, Pleasanton, CA 94566 – Map & Directions
Pre-purchase your parking ticket before arriving to keep the lines moving. Show your ticket – printed or on a mobile device (to keep line moving, please have it ready at the gates).
Getting here – for information on directions, parking locations, BART schedules, Wheels Bus schedules, plus the locations of VIP parking lots, visit the Getting Here page under Guest Services.

Health & Safety

No pets allowed for the safety of guests and the pet; admission will be denied. There are no refunds, plan ahead.
No smoking while on the Fairgrounds except in designated areas.

Find My Order

If you purchased tickets and cannot find your order, visit our Find My Order tool, click here. Or check your email, your tickets deliver to the email used when purchasing.

Daily Schedule

The Fair will be open 12pm-11pm Wednesday – Sunday. The gates close at 9:30pm.

On July 4 the hours are 12pm-8pm. The gates close at 4pm (parking closes at 3pm). Full Schedule

Special Events

Horse Racing – Friday-Sunday & Thursday, July 4 – visit here
Kaiser Summer Steps Challenge – June 14 – July 6 – visit here
Ava Community Energy Nightly Movies at 6pm – for details visit here
Big O Tires Concert Series at 8pm – visit here
Fireworks or Drone Show (no show on July 4) – visit here
Fields of Gratitude #thankafarmer displays – visit daily in AgVenture
Fair Festivals – visit here
Wine & Brew Fests – visit here
$3 Fair Food Bite Thursdays & Food Finder – visit here
Shopping Finder – visit here
Foodies Choice Awards Voting – June 14 – June 30 – see contestants and winners here
Entertainment and Performances – visit here

For more information, visit the FAQs.

Where to stay

Looking for a hotel to stay at during the Fair, click here.

Security

The health and safety of our guests and staff is of the utmost importance and continues to be at the forefront during our events.

All guests and stollers “walk through” security using live scanning technology. Alameda County Fair uses state-of-the-art magnetometers scanning machines that guests simply walk through. The machine scans bags, strollers & persons for prohibited items, making it easier for our guests to enter the Alameda County Fair without sacrificing their safety while also streamlining lines. You will be asked to step aside for a bag search if the machine alarms.

Please reference the permitted and prohibited items you can bring to the Fair below.