San Diego County Fairgrounds - DEL MAR

My friends and I attended the East Meets West New Orleans Festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds/Race Tracks on Saturday 27Aug2022 and had a fantastic time! $32 granted us access to the festival, 5 cocktails/drinks, and a booklet for those who wished to bet on the horse races. Our choices for drinks were limited to hurricanes, daiquiris, and beers. There was a wide assortment of vendors selling food from the south, like gumbo, jambalaya, po ' boy sandwiches, fried oysters, shrimp creole, fried frog legs, beignets, etc. I had the shrimp creole and it was delicious! They had a live band with an open area for dancing, a parade which we participated in, crafts center for making funky hats, and various vendors selling jewelry, beads, hats, etc. It was very fun and festive! Standard parking was $10 and valet was $25. We opted for standard parking and rode the trolley that dropped us off directly in front of the festival entrance.

Besides the very long vehicle lines to get into the fairgrounds and the parking debacle. One would think it was their first time doing the fair but every day I went the same drama was there. Once inside it was quite fun! Food prices were quite expensive, many items delicious though. Saw the flower competition which was really cool! Didn't do any rides but walked around looking for weird foods. : For sure will come back next year.

I wouldn't give this mismanaged place one star if I didn't have to. Witnessed abusive treatment of employees. Management for every department are not compliant and they harass their employees. These are state employees being made to break HR protocols by the different departments. Unsafe areas on the fairgrounds so that employees can get injured. The state of California needs to do a thorough investigation of each and every manager. This facility continues to break employment laws.

San Diego Fair 2022, back in town and better than ever. Lots of traffic and overflow parking. Prices have gone up for most vendors at the fair regarding food, drinks and rides etc... Some really great vendors in the exhibit halls with amazing fair only products and prices. This years theme super hero and had a massively super hero gallery with some interactive stations. The only ride missing this year was the bungee jump. Lots of fried food and goodies, such as deep fried Oreos, kool aid in a large baby bottle, refreshing margaritas, cotton Candy ice cream cakes and more. Good selection of celebrity musical talent and movie performers. I have the feeling people came to eat more than ride. Great to walk around and enjoy all the festivities while attempting to burn off my meal!.

My wife and I went to the Del Mar Fair today. We had already bought a prepaid parking ticket before arriving. When I showed the parking attendant my parking pass, my handicap placard was hanging from my rearview mirror, and I asked where the handicap parking was. They told me to drive to the next attendant and they would guide me. When I got to the next parking attendant, I asked again where the handicap parking was. They told me the same thing, to ask the next parking attendant. Following the route given to us by the parking attendant we ended up parking in the dirt far away from the fair, and far away from the parking trap pick up. After walking a long way we saw a parking attendant. I asked him where the handicap parking was, because the last two attendants just motioned me on and told me to ask the next attendant. I told him we did not see another attendant and had to park far away. He said he could show us where the handicap section was, but we had already walked far away from our car to get to the parking tram pick up area. Our handicap placard was clearly visible hanging from my rearview mirror, and I asked the 2 attendants I saw where the handicap was. This never should have happened, and we shouldn't have had to walk so far out of our way. We should receive an apology from the fair professional staff and this problem should be fixed to never happen again. Signed, A Disabled Veteran with a handicap placard.