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And 2022, the fair ran from July 15 to August 14, 2022. The Orange County Fair has been an annual event for over 130 years (since 1890). Since the rival Los
Angeles County Fair is held out in the hill country of Pomona, the
Orange County Fair may actually be a shorter drive for many Los Angelenos
(especially those living in the Long Beach and South Bay areas). The Orange County Fairground is located just nine miles south of Disneyland (and less than two miles southwest of South Coast Plaza mall) - familiar territory for many locals.
Each year, the Fair offers live concerts by major
entertainers. Until 2004, the concerts were free with admission, but
then most of the fair concerts were moved to the Pacific Amphithreatre (located
just west of the fairgrounds), and they are no longer free. (On the
plus
side, the quality of the acts booked for the Fair has improved now that
they are selling tickets to the concerts.) the 2022 concert schedule included Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, Boy George & Culture Club, Jackson Browne, Pat Benatar, Three Dog Night, The Grass Roots, the Steve Miller Band, Kool & the Gang, Counting Crows, The Psychedelic Furs, and comics Trevor Noah and Jim Gaffigan, plus a wide variety of tribute bands. In 2021, the Fair ran from Thursday, July
15 to Monday, August 16, 2021 (Thursdays through Sundays), with some coronavirus restrictions in effect. Advance tickets are necessary. The 2021 concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre included performances by comic & Daily Show host Trevor Noah, and concerts from lots of oldies bands, including Cheap Trick & Blue Oyster Cult, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, X, Los Lobos and The Blasters, Beatles cover band The Fab Four, and a 60's revival show featuring The Turtles, The Cowsills, Mark Lindsay, and The Association. Plus concerts from country artists such as Brantley Gilbert, Cole Swindell, and Honey County. As well as Mexican singer-songwriter Ramón Ayala. The 2016 concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre included Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Boston, Styx, Three Dog Night, The B-52s, Train, Earth Wind & Fire, The Offspring, Andy Grammer, Chris Young, Hunter Hayes, Chris Isaak, Lindsey Stirling, and stand-up comics Jim Gaffigan and Jeff Dunham, among others. The 2015 concerts included America, Willie Nelson, The Band Perry, Huey Lewis & The News, Spandau Ballet, Three Dog Night / Jefferson Starship, Chris Young, Pat Benatar, The B-52s / The English Beat, Austin Mahone, the Steve Miller Band, The Offspring, Iration / Common Kings, comic Gabriel Iglesias, and many more. (Click here for the full schedule of concerts.) 2014 concerts included The Go-Go's, LeAnn Rimes, Lifehouse & Five for Fighting, Herman's Hermits & The Turtles, 311 & The Wheeland Brothers, Pat Benatar & Berlin, Karmin & Fifth Harmony, Billy Currington & Lucy Hale, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple & Blue Oyster Cult, Little Big Town & Sara Haze, Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band, Ziggy Marley & The Expanders, Bad Religion & X, cover bands The Fab Four & Which One's Pink?, The Offspring, comics Jeff Foxworthy & Jeff Dunham, and many others. 2013 concerts included The Wanted, Colbie Caillat, ZZ Top, Roger Daltrey, The Go-Go's, Alan Jackson, Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Weezer, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hunter Hayes, Styx, The B-52's, Flaming Lips, Austin Mahone & Bridgit Mendler, and many others. 2012 concerts included Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride, Cody Simpson, former Monkee Mickey Dolenz, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, Victoria Justice, Young the Giant, Matisyahu, Hot Chelle Rae, Tears for Fears, ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, humorist "Weird Al" Yankovic, and lots of oldie groups such as Three Dog Night, Cinderella, Heart, the Guess Who, The Turtles, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The 2009 concerts included American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, Melisa Etheridge, Duran Duran, Smokey Robinson, General Hospital's Rick Springfield, the Moody Blues, The B-52's, Blondie & Pat Benatar, the Black-Eyed Peas, Tears for Fears, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, X, Alan Jackson, Anita Baker, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis & the News, Three Dog Night, KC & the Sunshine Band and Heart. In 2008, the concerts included Matchbox Twenty, Fergie, Seal & Macy Gray, the Wallflowers & Train, Alan Jackson, Chris Isaak, Emmylou Harris & Ricky Skaggs, Tom Jones & Sheila E, The Wailers, The Stray Cats, the Scorpions & Sammy Hagar, Yaz & Psychedelic Furs, and blues great B.B. King, among others. In 2007, the acts included Bob Dylan, Willy Nelson, The Bangles & Heart, Leann Rimes, Martina McBride, Lynyrd Skyntrd , Blue October & Plain White Tees, Earth Wind & Fire, Tears for Fears, Kenny Rogers & Dave Mason, and others. Tickets prices ranged from $19 to $89, depending on the performer. Performers at the Pacific Amphitheatre during the 2006 Fair included Paul Simon, Bill Cosby, Michael Bolton, The Moody Blues, X, Seal, Linda Ronstadt, Chris Isaak, the Steve Miller Band, and others. The performers at the Pacific Amphitheatre during the 2005 Fair included The B-52s, The Steve Miller Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hilary Duff, Pat Benatar, Berlin, X, the Plimsouls, Heart, Tears for Fears, the Gin Blossoms, Dishwalla, Dana Carvey & Victoria Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Beck, Psychedelic Furs, the Fixx, Howard Jones, Flogging Molly, the Vandals, Leann Rimes and Chris Isaak. Performers for 2004 included Reba McEntire, Bill Cosby, Jessica Simpson, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, ZZ Top, The Go-Go's & The Motels, Train, Hootie and the Blowfish, Newsboys and Sugar Ray. (Again, these concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre are not free.) You can see the entire Pacific Amphitheatre
concert schedule and buy tickets via TicketMaster.com
or on the Fair's own site here. And for history's sake, here is a rundown on the acts which appeared for free in previous years at the Fair: In 2003, the bands on stage at the Fair included Billy Bob Thorton, The Bangles, Little River Band, Blue Oyster Cult, Poco, Ziggy Marley, Berlin, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Young Dubliners, The Fab Four and Phil Vassar. In 2002, the bands on stage at the Fair included Huey Lewis & The News, Linda Ronstadt, Martina McBride, Indigo Girls, The Neville Brothers, The B-52's, The Fab Four, The Guess Who, Styx, Boz Scaggs, Heart and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 2001, the acts included Dennis Quaid (and his band, the Sharks), Tanya Tucker, Hall & Oates, Three Dog Night, The Village People, REO Speedwagon, En Vogue, The Isley Brothers, David Clayton-Thomas, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and comedian Gallagher. In 2000, concert performers included Rick Springfield, The Everly Brothers, "Weird Al'' Yankovich, Charo, Isaac Hayes, Jose Feliciano, Taylor Dayne, Doug Kershaw, Steppenwolf, Poco and Firefall. In 1999, perfomers included Peter Frampton, Sheena Easton, comic/actor Sinbad, "Ally McBeal" singer Vonda Shepard, Three Dog Night, and The Nelson Brothers.
1997 saw these performers in concert at the Fair:
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
("All The Gold In California," the Grass
Roots ("Midnight Confessions"), Pat
Boone ("No More Mr. Nice Guy"), MC
Lyte ("Cha Cha Cha"), Eddie
Money ("Two Tickets to Paradise"),
Cosmo's Factory (featuring original
members of
In addition to the concerts, the Fair features livestock shows, a rodeo, high diving demonstrations, blue ribbon judging, a horse show, arts & crafts, a daily parade, a model farm, numerous displays, a vast selection of food, and a large major carnival midway. The Fair draws big crowds; almost a million people last year. The largest crowds (over 75,000) show up on Saturdays & Sundays.
Admission Price:
(Some concert shows are free with general Fair admission, others, held at the adjoining Pacific Amphitheatre, require separate tickets.). In 2021, due to continuing coronavirus capacity restrictions, all tickets must be purchased in advance (online), and masks must be worn by Fair visitors. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the prices are: Adults: $12 On weekends, the price of ADULT admission goes up to $14, but the price for kids and seniors remains the same $7. For ticket information, call (714) 708-1928. Hours: The
Orange County Fair begins each year in the second week of July. In 2021,
the Fair dates will be July 15 to August 16 (closed
Mondays & Tuesdays). Wednesday-Friday: 12 noon - 12 midnight. (Phone for this year's exact dates and hours.)
[You can access the Orange
County Fair's official website at: http://www.ocfair.com.]
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