The San Mateo County Fair is back in town: Iconic attractions return for this year’s ‘In Bloom’ county fair

The County Fair began 100 years ago as the “Little Flower Show” in 1926 before evolving into what is now the beloved fair. This year’s theme, “In Bloom” pays homage to the floral history that started it all. 

For the second year, the fair is set to host the Bayside 101 Music Festival on Friday and Saturday. The concert series brings live music front and center at the festival, however, there will be musical acts to some degree each day the fair is open. 

After entering the fairgrounds after parking in the Event Center lot for $20, guests will enter and immediately see the fair’s farm to the right. Animals bred and raised by 4-H students are on display, from kid goats to huge cows. There are also chickens, turkeys, pigs and rabbits. 

In the Event Center’s Fiesta Hall, a popular exhibit is run by Sky River Butterflies, which allows guests to enter an enclosed space to feed and get close to butterflies of all kinds. 

The butterflies are transported to the fairgrounds in a cooled container, where they become dormant, but once they’re warmed up, they begin flying and fill the enclosure with fluttering colors. 

“It’s something that resonates not just with little children, but adults, teenagers and you have some of the same people cycle through her multiple times,” Michael Gentry, who works with Sky River Butterflies, said. 

If guests are lucky, the butterflies will likely land upon a shoulder or a Q-tip dipped in sugar water that staff will give out.

For more animal fun, both the pig races and duck races have returned as beloved contests as well.

In the larger Expo Hall, art displays fill the room and a new exhibit, A-MAZE-D, pays homage to the 250th birthday of the United States. 

Many of the fine arts displays exhibited in the hall were curated by Atelier For Healing, which is a mental health nonprofit using art as a form of therapy. One display features customized skateboard decks led by artists Mario Guitron and Mitsuko Ching, and another honors the farmworkers working on the coastside. 

“Whenever you feel that there’s that low spot in your life, we somehow gravitate towards the arts,” co-founder Stephen Seymour said, who said he’s proud this kind of work is on display.

Outside, festivalgoers can enjoy a variety of carnival rides that range from easy to stomach to ultimate thrill seekers. There’s also a kids’ carnival that caters more to the toddler crowd. 

While the iconic fair foods have returned to keep guests full and interested in trying just one more snack, there are a few new options. 

Mac Daddy’s offers up a creamy mac and cheese made with five different cheese that can either be served plain, or topped off with bacon, brisket or Buffalo chicken. At Hot Dog on a Stick, the vendor is offering pickle lemonade for guests to try out as well. 

To escape the heat and find some peace amid the happy chaos by which the fair is typically defined, guests can check out a new upgraded building, now known as the Redwood Resiliency Center and Community Kitchen. 

The hall was previously known simply as Redwood Hall, but a major renovation has made the building a Category 4 level earthquake building — prepared at any moment to be used to support residents in an emergency. 

A commercial kitchen was also built, which can feed thousands of people. There are more than 700,000 people in the county, and should 10% of those residents need food, shelter or other safety measures, the kitchen could support that need, Dana Stoehr, San Mateo County Event Center CEO, said. 

“It’s like Costco,” Stoehr said, when she showed the massive freezer. 

Staff is at the ready 24/7 365 days a year to be activated in an emergency, Stoehr said. 

Meanwhile, the new building can be enjoyed by fairgoers seeking reprieve. 

The Redwood Resiliency Hall will be open for guests to pop in for a cool, peaceful place to rest on benches that line water fountains and massive floral arrangements put together by Ah Sam Floral Company — perfect for the fair’s theme “In Bloom.” 

“We just wanted this nice quiet space that you could get out of the crazy and just enjoy Ah Sam’s brilliance and the new building,” Stoehr said. 

The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 6-7 and June 10-14. Visit sanmateocountyfair.com to get tickets ahead of time.