Kern County Fair

It’s a fair, but you know what it’s OUR fair! And, I’ve been going yearly for as long as I can remember. As kids, we raised animals and were involved in 4-​H and I have nothing but fond memories of various competitions! As an adult, we pick the coolest weeknight out of the bunch and go for the food! If you aren’t happy, or are only merely satisfied with the fair food, then you aren’t eating at the right places! Here’s my list of places you NEED to hit up. If you think it’s too much food (and it is) go with a group and share! Eating at the fair is a marathon, not a sprint people!
–Strasner’s BBQ for a deep pit sandwich. Deep pit beef, salsa, and a pickle piled on a french roll– simple, delicious, salty, savory ingredients. This sandwich is where it’s at!
–Boy Scout booth– for a delicious baked potato. Piled high with your choice of whatever – they have tons of options.
–Noël’s Mexican food– taquitos and guac!
–Old West Cinnamon rolls– inside the exhibit hall. Take one to go!
–Willamette Valley Pie Co.- this was the best cobbler I’ve ever had. Made with marion berries and topped with ice cream, this is my new fair favorite!
Also, in between bites of food stop by and see the animals and go see the photography and butterfly exhibits!
One more thing – if you have allergy or asthma issues I really recommend prepping before and taking an antihistamine with pseudoephedrine (like Allegra D, Claritin D, or Zyrtec D) the morning before you go. (This is not a drug advertisement.) It’s a dust bowl out there. But if you plan ahead it’s quite manageable.

Meh. It never changes. Same old displays, same old rides. The only newish thing is the butterfly exhibit. Congrats fair, you get an extra star for that.
The fair is super fun if you’re a kid, but as an adult you just notice how dirty and cheap everything looks.

The Smoking is ridiculous. Why are there no smoke areas for these people? Everywhere you turn, the lines, benches, food area, the livestock area, etc. etc… Not everyone wants to smoke with them, and I definitely don’t want my kids near them. I saw parents smoking on a bench with their little girl, basically smoking with them. Please Kern County Fair give them an area to smoke and us non smokers will avoid those areas. Or place a no smoking sign everywhere. It was so bad I honestly thought «is it worth it to come next year?» At the end of the night my throat was on fire from all of the smoke I inhaled.

The people working the games should be more friendly, so rude!!! We all pay a lot of money to enjoy the fair with our children and I can honestly say we will not be back

I didn’t get my favorite this year at the fair (the corn dogs) I’m always disappointed anyways so I guess I’ll go to Sonic’s for that later on. The funnel cake cheeseburger-​took a while to make, there was only one person ahead of me, but they pre warned me it would take about 20 minutes, I wasn’t expecting what I got really, the funnel cake «bun» falls apart, there’s no lettuce onion or tomato, it’s just bacon cheese and patty, also they give you maple syrup for the burger but you can get it on the side, I got it on the side so I could put catchup and mustard on some of it, it was $ 9, wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t get it again, I couldn’t find the fried avocado tacos. The fair as a whole was ok though.

KC Fair was poppin’ last night with Ashanti! I was just a little bummed out that I didn’t get in line early enough to catch a good seating. I heard over 900 people were there just to see her. I think staff could have been a little more organized as far as letting people in the enclosed area where she performed; however, she put on a great show.
Food was ok. I got a deep pit sandwich no BBQ sauce was available but topped it with salsa. I also got an elote en vaso; it wasn’t the best. I’ve had better. The best thing I had was the refreshing white wine cooler.
I was able to snag a turkey leg for the boyfriend on the way out; my gosh the thing is huge!!!
Ashanti 5 stars, food 2 stars, average 4 stars.

So me and my BFF came to see The Beach Boys perform and get some grub. It’s the first night of The Kern County Fair. I’ve been waiting for this for 365 days now! For a Wednesday night first night it was easy to walk around without getting bumped into. Checked out The Beach Boys. They did an awesome job!
As far as the grub, the food is still good as ever, however have the prices skyrocket. If you get your Loaded Spud, $ 7 (get plenty of butter!) Also the elotes are smaller this year. Cost $ 4
Sodas 32 oz. $ 4 Beer check around because they vary. I tried Stella. Beer for $ 7 (didn’t like it).
Turkey Leg Dinner $ 18. Yum. But too expensive for my pocketbook, so I skipped that. Maybe next week. Of course. I had to try the strawberry deep fried pastry with powdered sugar. Split it half with my bestie. $ 8 Not too packed for being the first night. $ 5 parking, but I parked on the street on Belle Terrace two blocks west of P street. All in all end of the night spent less than $ 50 for two tickets, a free concert, petting zoo, and filled up on delicious fair food!

So fun! Traffic was so ridiculously frustrating to get inside the grounds but when we finally made it, we made the absolute most of it! (no rides though)
$ 10 admission per person.
I played a silly game and spent $ 5 to pop all my necessary balloons with a dart and won a 25 cent duck! LOL!
We ate junk fair food (one of the best parts of these venues), we drank a couple of cold ones, we hung with friends for a few laughs after we managed to find them… big place!
I wanted to see if there were vendors anywhere indoors but we went at night and just ran out of time.
The farm animals were adorable (was not willing to skip this part) and I think I spoke to/​pet all of them!
Getting a drink here and there was slow and tedious and sometimes depending where you grabbed one, you had to stay within the silly enclosed areas but rules are rules.
Fairs are never cheap — that was the case here. Things are typically overpriced but it’s a once a year type thing, right? I am willing to budget for it or give something else up for that month and go hog-​wild :)
Fairs are fun and it was packed (and HOT!)! Corn dogs are yummy! :) The Kettle corn was some of the best we have ever had!
Would recommend, even if you have to drive in from somewhere else to go.
TIP — wear boots as the grounds are basically just MUCK and you will thank me later for this tidbit later as you are not hosing down your fave shoes!

The weather was perfect !!! It wasn’t to crowded. But I believe it has officially become too expensive to enjoy I’m thankful the rides are of no interest can’t imagine having to flip that expense !
The exhibits were pretty much the same, I did enjoy seeing the photography and art, captain jack spareribs was entertaining …
This was probably my last year for sure !

The corndogs aren’t even the greatest like back in the days… It’s just aight… The fair isn’t like it used to be

Went there tonight… Not really my thing… Haven’t gone in forever, but that is what family wanted to do tonight. I don’t care for the funnel cakes. I do love the fresh ginormous bag of kettle corn. So many food stands, but seems to be the same through out. Really? Nachos? Your at the fair, what about more out of the ordinary stuff. I can go to the gas station and pay a fraction of what they charge. Burgers and sandwiches? Again, ordinary.
Three stars though for the rides and the hypnotist show that I saw. If ur gonna serve the dirty fair food, go dirty all the way and batter and fry up some candy bars out of the ordinary.

Wow so much fun. Pig races stunt dogs, food, and the best freshest kettle corn. Never thought I’d say it’s. Kinda cold in Bakersfield but when that wind kicked up it was like something wicked this way comes.
Great fair vendor booths

Nothing really changes here from year to year. Same concessions, same exhibits, same crowd. People watching is the best part of this fair. Within a 30 second time frame you can spot Union hookers, crackheads, gangsters, families, inappropriately dressed teenagers, elderly couples, homosexuals, hillbillies and pasty white dudes like me. Another plus is they have stepped up their beer game each year. There’s more selection and better offerings now.
I’d definitely recommend buying your tickets online first. It’s a couple bucks cheaper and you won’t have to wait in line at the ticket booth to get in. Also it’s $ 5 for parking. If you plan on attending one of the free headlining concerts I suggest getting there and waiting in line at least a couple hours early. Depending on who it is maybe even earlier. There was a huge line 2 hours prior to the Joe Nichols show and he’s not even that big.
Also, make sure your money and valuables are all in a safe spot while you’re here. It’s no different then any crowded tourist spot. There are some sketchy people here and if you get too drunk or seem like an easy target you will be targeted. There is a lot of cops but they are outnumbered by hundreds.

Man 5 stars I’m so tried my voice gone but this place will always bring back memories
Food rides the animals but man the prices are ridiculous 25 bucks and 4 rides dame broke status

Haven’t seen this posted yet so thought I should after many years of Gluten Free eating at the fair:
*Boy Scouts baked potato (butter and sour cream)
*Corn on the cob (ask about butter, can order plain)
*Kettle Corn
*Giant Turkey Leg (ask about seasoning, but usually ok)
*Dippin Dots

I missed the Kern County Fair this year. Oh well, there is really only one reason why I like to come here. The food!!!
I enjoy eating all the food my tummy can handle. I always start with the bbq ribs from one of the booths, and an apple dumpling from another booth. We will normally spend half a day at the fair. In between checking out the exhibits and vendors, I’ll snack on various goodies such as a cinnamon roll or a funnel cake or a deep fried twinkie or a corndog or something else bad for me.
Visiting the Fair is a fun way to spend a day. It can get crowded and dusty, but I’d still go back. Hopefully next year, we’ll get the opportunity to return.

This was our 3^rd visit to the annual Kern County Fair! We met up with some friends last night for this annual tradition of sorts… and had fun eating fair food! We usually don’t go on the rides.(not sure how stable they are) but the food is what brings us back every year!
What we like about this fair:
(1) BBQ Beef Ribs = my husband LOVES this, we got a full rack of ribs yesterday for $ 30 (there were 9 ribs). He claims Kern County Fair has the best beef ribs he’s every had (when comparing to other fairs he’s been to)! Juicy, tender, hickory smoke flavor, awesome BBQ sauce that comes with, and big portions too. I also agree that the ribs are good!
(2) Turkey Leg = we always get the huge turkey leg at the fair every year. It all started when we discovered the turkey leg at Disneyland and ever since then, we’ve been eating turkey legs at every fair, haha. You can’t go wrong with this — huge chunks of delicious smoked turkey meat for your tummy! The meat is cooked just right — I don’t know how they do it, but boy are they tasty! $ 12 for turkey only.
We bought both of these items at the same food stand — can’t remember the name of it; but they had bar seating available behind the ordering line.
(3) Funnel Cake = this is a must at every fair! We ordered funnel cake w/​strawberries & whip cream. $ 9 — it came in a heart shape and tastes just as we remember it. delish! :) it’s pretty much fried dough with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries and a glob of whip cream on top. Not sure why we get suckered into buying something so fatty, but hey — we’re at the fair already and it’s basically a «must-​get» item. haha :)
$ 7 admission if you buy pre-​sale at Albertsons
$ 9 admission at the door (in prior years, it was only $ 8 for adults — the prices went up this year by $ 1)
Parking is plentiful in the lots next door to the fair, at $ 5 per car.
My recommendation is to go in the late afternoon/​evening, so it’s not scorching hot…
If I were to compare this fair to the others I’ve been to, I’d say that:
Los Angeles County Fair at Pomona Fairgrounds = 5 stars (you can get lost at this fair for sure, megaplex of rides, eateries, etc.)
Orange County Fair = 4 stars (a loooooot more animals to see, exhibits are plentiful, more food options)
Kern County Fair = 3 stars (much smaller and the rides seem a bit older, very «country» vibe)
Concerts: Last year, we were able to see Jars of Clay perform (awesome!) and last night, we caught a glimpse of Jo Dee Messina. :)

Visited this year on a Saturday, wasn’t busy at all. Parking was a nightmare however, and every stand didn’t seem to have very cold beer.
Petting zoo was very fun though!

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned county fair? Well, I don’t know that it still holds the sense of wonder it once did when I was young but there are still plenty of things to bring me down here. After all, it’s only here once a year. For 2012, the fair is open from September 19 – 30, but check online for dates for any other year .
First things first. The entrance is on the East side of P street between Ming Ave & Belle Terrace. There is a huge parking lot on the West side of P, but if you’re heading South on P you’ll have to enter from Belle Terrace. It’s only $ 5 to park all day. Tickets are $ 8 for Adults, and you can be stamped on your way out for readmission the same day.
I don’t have children, so the carnival style rides aren’t an attraction for me; I pretty much go for the concerts and for the junk food. Every year the fair brings in music artists that bring back great memories. This year there were concerts by such diverse groups as the Spinners and Blue Oyster Cult. Now that’s covering a pretty broad base of musical tastes!
This year I’ve tried the dip pit beef burrito at Strasner’s Bar*B*Que and found it very large, moist, and tender. At $ 5.50 it was a bargain for the amount of food I received. The snow cone I purchased at another booth was unimpressive. Note to self — when you see the shave ice machine full of ice glinting in the direct sunlight that is a warning that it’s going to melt pretty quickly. They had two flavors «red» and «blue.» Both were fairly flavorless but helped keep us from overheating in the burning Bakersfield daytime heat. No trip to te fair is complete without a trip to the funnel cake booth. Yes, they’re greasy, but it’s a familiar comfort food of sorts. If you’re eating a funnel cake, you must be having fun, right?
I did enjoy visiting the fine arts building where people from around the county have entered items lovingly handcrafted hobby items to compete against each other. Some of my favorites are the quilts, the ministructures, and the drawings/​paintings, but there are dolls, flowers, woodcarvings and more. If I were to be honest, a good part of the attraction is the fact that the buildings housing these exhibits are cool inside and the restrooms of acceptable cleanliness compared to some others in the part.
Mom and I decided to visit the fair in the daytime this year for a change of pace. Mom announced that it would probably be her last trip to the fair, and I plan to only visit the fair at night from now on. That heat is killer and there just isn’t enough shade to make it bearable. After about an hour or two we decided we’d had enough and headed to a nice air conditioned movie theater instead.
I think someone needs to think about moving the fair to a month when it is considerably cooler.

It’s a fair, like any other fair I’ve been too. it’s the same food, the same rides, the same games, the same people, and same exhibits. I personally can pass on it without regret. My biggest suggestion would be to move it 2 – 3 weeks later so we can all go out in the cool fall weather, I bet you would have record turn outs!