Labor Day weekend means one thing for Angelenos: the arrival of the LA County Fair. Sure, it's crowded, expensive, full of deep-fried food that'll fill you with regret and nauseating rides that'll make you barf up that regret, but... you can pet some goats. That's cool, right? The fair opens this Friday, so before you make your way out to Pomona, make sure you brush up on where to park and what to see.
When is the LA County Fair?
The LA County Fair runs September 4 through 27. The hours vary by day; it's open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The fair is closed on Mondays (except for Labor Day) and Tuesdays.
How much does it cost?
Fair admission is $12 during the week and $20 on weekends as well as during the entire opening weekend (September 4-7). If you're an LA County Fair diehard, consider a season pass for $30.
And what can you actually do there?
Did we mention the deep-fried food? Other attractions include an exhibit about robots and sci-fi pop culture, floral displays, a pop-up art gallery, a nightclub, a motorsports museum and an honest-to-goodness farm (known as "the Farm") with milking demonstrations and its own restaurant. You can pay a little bit extra for carnival rides ($20+), the light-up pavilions of Luminasia ($5) or a reserved seat at the concert series ($30+).
I just want to ride the Zipper. How much do the rides cost?
Rides at the fair work on a ticket system, batches of which go for anywhere from $20 to $100. The ticket costs vary per ride, but each one costs upwards of $5. You can pick up an unlimited ride wristband for $50, too—though at that point you're halfway to a Disneyland ticket.
Where can I park? And how much will it cost?
General parking is $15; the yellow gate on the west side will put you closer to the carnival while the blue gate on the east side is closer to the farm. If you're going more than four times—because there's no such thing as too many deep-fried Twinkies—then consider a $60 season parking pass. If you don't want to wait in a soul-crushing line, splurge on valet parking ($30) from the Sheraton on the southern edge of Fairplex.
Sorry, but I'm not driving all the way out to Pomona.
On weekends, you can take Metrolink to the special LA County Fair station (pick up a $10 weekend pass) and a free shuttle will drop you off near the carnival entrance. Use the promo code "Metrolink" and you can grab an admission ticket for $12 (normally $20 on weekends).