Ventura County Fairgrounds and Event Center — Attraction in Ventura

Absolutely horrible experience! My review is based on the Ventura county fair.

First off parking was an absolute joke. There were signs everywhere stating it was full but there were empty parking spots everywhere. When asked what the empty spots were for, a security officer told us they were purposely empty for disabled parking. I'm talking close to over 100 spots. We were detoured with no direction on where to park. We found street parking SEVERAL blocks away. Prepare for this.

Depending on where you park, you will have to cross over train tracks. Oh no worries... there are several cops sitting there for "public safety". One even directed us to "HURRY" before the train came so we didn't get " hit by it ". All while laughing. I have no idea how that was amusing especially since this event attracts families with children. And his job is to direct people over the tracks!

Entering into the fair was just literally watching a dumpster fire. One line was prepaid and the other line was non prepaid. BUT these two lines eventually joined into one line. We had no idea what was taking so long and honestly how does that even make sense?????

There are several food vendors but in no way are there enough places to sit and actually eat your food. My family had to literally sit on the ground to eat.

After spending HOURS and $100s of dollars at this fair, we decide to leave unknowingly without my daughter's best friends mini purse. She accidently left it. My husband tells a security officer at the gate and she basically calls my husband a liar and accuses him of trying to get in " free ". He pulls out prepaid online tickets up on his phone showing we paid to enter earlier, but the real kicker is she asks our daughter if it's true her friend lost her purse. My daughter has verbal issues so she could not answer the question. The whole situation was absolutely unnecessary and instead of helping my husband possibly look for the purse, he was accused of being a liar!

I went to the main office and asked if the purse was brought there. A woman took my info down but was more focused on no one walking near her desk. She was weird and honestly seemed completely not capable of even writing information down. I walked away with no faith in getting a call.

After my husband going back in and looking for the purse, we were able to GPS track the phone inside it and based on the map, it was in the main office. We went back and it closed at 8pm. Was it there the whole time? I believe so! I honestly think they just didn't want to look for it!

Safe to say we are NEVER attending this event again. The lack of respect my husband was given and the disorganization of just EVERYTHING, made this event pretty lackluster. I would absolutely recommend you spend your money...

Amazing Day at the Ventura State Fair!

The Ventura State Fair was an absolute blast! From the moment we walked through the gates, we were greeted with the lively atmosphere of a classic fair—bright lights, the smell of delicious food, and the sounds of laughter and excitement filling the air.

The variety of activities and attractions was impressive. We started our day exploring the exhibit halls, where we saw some incredible displays of local art, crafts, and agriculture. It’s always great to see how much talent and dedication our community has to offer.

Next, we hit the rides, and they did not disappoint! There were options for everyone, from thrilling roller coasters and spinning rides to the classic Ferris wheel with its breathtaking views of the ocean and the fairgrounds. We felt like kids again, laughing and screaming with joy on every ride.

The food was another highlight of the day. We indulged in all the fair favorites—corn dogs, funnel cakes, deep-fried everything, and of course, some refreshing lemonade to wash it all down. Every bite was delicious and worth every calorie!

One of the best parts of the Ventura State Fair is how family-friendly it is. There were so many activities for kids, including games, petting zoos, and live entertainment. We loved watching the smiles on the little ones' faces as they won prizes and enjoyed the day.

The live entertainment was top-notch as well. We caught a fantastic concert in the evening, and the music added even more energy to an already fun-filled day. The atmosphere was electric, and it felt like the entire community was there enjoying the experience together.

Overall, the Ventura State Fair exceeded our expectations. It’s the perfect mix of fun, food, and entertainment, and we’ll definitely be coming back next year. If you’re looking for a great way to spend a summer day with friends or family, the Ventura State Fair is the...

It is a lovely fairground for a county fair! It is literally right by the beach, can't get more California than that. Surf rodeo, baby! The parking lot on the fair grounds filled up pretty quickly. The gates open at noon and by 1:30pm, the lot is full. However, for $10 you can park at the San Buenaventura State Beach, which is like a 10 min walk to the fairgrounds. Quite a beautiful stroll, really!

The entrance is simple and quick, scan tickets go through metal detectors, super quick! Plenty of restrooms and pretty clean portables as well!

It is smaller than the OC Fair, but I think it's better than the OC Fair. Had a lot more fair stuff here than what I had experienced at the OC Fair. I loved that there was a hangar of all the prize winning vegetables and other categories. There were also soo many prize winning steer and other livestock! It really gave the fair feel. The rodeo was the definite highlight! It was so much fun! It was a pretty traditional rodeo - bull riding (including juniors!), team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing, and other fun performaces! Would definitely recommend attending the rodeo weekend!

I also loved that they had craft beer from local breweries. There are plenty of food options and all the usual fair rides, though I didn't see the water log ride, which is always fun in the summertime. Overall, it has been one of the best fair...