Thursday, December 15, 2022 (4:02 pm)
Dates announced for 2023 OC Fair; ‘Happy Together’ is chosen as the theme
COSTA MESA (Dec. 15, 2022) – Today the OC Fair announced that “Happy Together” will be the theme of the 2023 event that will run July14-Aug. 13, highlighting community inclusion.
Advance ticket purchase will again be required with limited capacity for summer’s best party, which will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
Admission tickets will go on sale online in early 2023 and will be restricted to 45,000 admissions available per day. This is the third year the Fair has imposed a limited-capacity model and days are again expected to sell out.
A new offering, the OC Fair Every Day Passport, will also be on sale in early 2023 and will allow guests to visit the Fair any day of its 23-day run without advance tickets required. The price will be $60 for all and sales will be limited to 10,000 passports.
“There is no better way to celebrate summer than to be ‘Happy Together’ at the OC Fair,” said Michele Richards, OC Fair CEO. “We’ve been working all year to once again bring the community together for all the special fun and goodness the OC Fair offers – food, rides, animals, entertainment, shopping, exhibits and more. We can’t wait for opening day on July 14!”
Ticket prices will slightly increase this year with general admission prices going up by $1 for the first time since 2014 to $13 general admission on weekdays (Wednesday, Thursday) and $15 on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Weekend admission prices were raised by $2 in 2017. Tickets for seniors 60+ and kids 6-13 are $9 all days, a $2 increase, also the first since 2014. OC Fair will again absorb the online admission ticket transaction fees since advance purchase is required. Admission tickets will not be available for sale at OC Fair entry gates. Parking will be $12, a $2 increase year-round.
New hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Tickets are now available for purchase for the first OC Fair concerts announced for Pacific Amphitheatre and The Hangar. Live music performances include Dwight Yoakam and Asleep at the Wheel, Bee Gees Gold with ABBA LA and Queen Nation.
Returning OC Fair favorites include magician Frank Thurston, Brew Hee Haw craft beer festival, monster trucks, demolition derbies, All-Alaskan pig races and, of course, zany fair food.
The Junior Livestock Auction will be back in person on July 22 and the traditional OC Fair competitions will begin accepting entries in February.
Also on display during the Fair at Heroes Hall will be Armed Only with a Camera: World War II Photography of Stanley Troutman. The SAAAB Story exhibit continues on the second floor educating visitors on the history of the Santa Ana Army Air Base. Admission is free with Fair entry.
The OC Fair is looking for local people to participate in the annual 2023 event. Community entertainment (unpaid) applications will be accepted beginning Jan. 9 at https://ocfair.com/oc-fair/be-a-part-of-the-fair/community-entertainment/ Applications for vendors and concessionaires are now open at https://ocfair.com/oc-fair/be-a-part-of-the-fair/vendors/ Sponsorship and marketing information is available at https://ocfair.com/oc-fair/sponsors/
The 2022 OC Fair had attendance of 1,055,173 with 11 sold-out days. The Fair returned to an in-person event in 2021 after going virtual in 2020.