OC Fair: Rip Off or Worth It? How to Take Advantage of Discounts & Enjoy the Fair This Summer
The OC Fair: A Summer Tradition
Along with the familiar smell of sunscreen and that lovely beach air, the sights and sounds of the state fair are a summer tradition. How could one let a summer go by without experiencing it, either with friends or as a family? Our family was definitely excited to get out and see everything this summer at our own Orange County Fair.
They have carnival rides for kids and adults of all ages, arts and crafts exhibits (air conditioning, yay!) and even a large splash pad for the kids to cool off in (we saw a few kiddos getting absolutely soaked!) Who can forget the fair food, which, although overpriced, is always delicious (didn't say it was healthy, though!) Our own family trip would also not be complete without taking photos in the photo booths. We opted to do both color and black and white because we love the photo booths so much. With everything going digital, it might just be a matter of time before the photo booths go away (but we certainly hope not!) We also really enjoyed seeing clowns and other entertainers up on stilts. My son was flabbergasted! Petting the various animals is always fun as well, especially for the little ones. What excitement there is to be found at the fair! It is unlike any other place.
Taking Advantage of Discounts for the Fair
If you go to the official website, ocfair.com, and click on the "discount" tab, you may be very happy to find that there are some great deals for the fair this year. You can also give back to your community in the process, which is a win-win if you ask me! For example, on the day we went, all we had to do was donate three new or gently used children's books per person, and both my husband and I got in for free. Our kids are still young enough that they automatically got in free, too, which is nice. Many people have lots of books in their home and you may find that you have some you or your children aren't using, so this is the perfect opportunity to give to those who may need them more than you do. This upcoming Wednesday, as another example, the deal is that you bring five articles of new or gently used clothing per person. Now, cleaning out your closet is usually a spring thing, but you can do it anytime, and it's for a good cause! If you haven't worn it in six months or more, bring it on down! You can save yourself an entrance fee of $35, so that's definitely worth it to me! On your ticket, a free carnival ride will also be included! Such a wonderful bonus! In my family's case, we decided to use our free rides to take my oldest son on his very first ever roller coaster ride! He absolutely loved it! And the best part was, we didn't have to spend anything for it! So fun.