Solano County California Fair Schedule

The Solano County California Fair Schedule brings the annual Solano County Fair to Vallejo, where the county’s agricultural heritage meets a diverse Bay Area community. The fair is held at the Solano County Fairgrounds & Event Center on Fairgrounds Drive and combines livestock, youth agriculture, competitive exhibits, carnival attractions, live entertainment, food, shopping, and community activities. Solano County’s position between the San Francisco Bay, Sacramento River Delta, Suisun Bay, and the interior agricultural areas gives its fair a distinctive character that differs from the more rural mountain and inland county fairs elsewhere in California.

The 2026 Solano County Fair is scheduled for June 11–14, 2026, marking the fair’s 77th annual edition. The 2026 theme is “Stars, Stripes & Carnival Lights,” and the four-day event includes Family Ag Day, livestock activities, a Junior Livestock Auction, carnival attractions, concerts, food vendors, shopping, and a demolition derby.

The 2027 Solano County Fair is scheduled for June 10–13, 2027, with the theme “Honoring Our Past. Inspiring Our Future.” The confirmed 2027 dates provide visitors, exhibitors, families, vendors, and performers with an early opportunity to plan ahead for another four-day fair in Vallejo.

Fair Overview and Fast Facts

The Solano County Fair is held at the Solano County Fairgrounds & Event Center, 900 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo, California. The fairgrounds serve as the county’s principal annual fair venue and also operate throughout the year as a location for community gatherings, exhibitions, public events, and other activities.

The Solano County Fair Association was established in 1946 to produce the annual fair and manage the fairgrounds. The organization operates the fairgrounds on behalf of the community and maintains a program that extends beyond the annual fair itself.

The 2026 fair runs from Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, June 14. Thursday is Family Ag Day, with the fair opening to the public at 4 p.m. and closing at 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are scheduled to run from noon until 10 p.m., with Sunday entry and re-entry ending at 9 p.m.

The 2027 fair will run from Thursday, June 10, through Sunday, June 13. Specific admission prices, daily activities, concert details, exhibit deadlines, and individual event times can change between years, so 2027 visitors should rely on the annual schedule when planning particular activities.

Solano County Fair Schedule 2026

The 2026 Solano County Fair takes place June 11–14, 2026, at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo.

Thursday, June 11, opens the fair with Family Ag Day. The 2026 schedule lists a special $3 admission for all ages on Thursday, with gates opening at 4 p.m. and the fair closing at 10 p.m. The opening day places particular emphasis on agriculture, farm animals, demonstrations, and family-oriented activities.

Friday, June 12, is scheduled from noon until 10 p.m. The fair also provides early access for the special-needs community before the general public opening. Visitors can combine agricultural exhibits and livestock activities with carnival rides, food, shopping, and live entertainment.

Saturday, June 13, is the major livestock and arena day in the 2026 program. The schedule includes the Junior Livestock Auction, concert programming, and a demolition derby. Saturday’s combination of agricultural competitions and evening arena entertainment gives the day a particularly strong fairground atmosphere.

Sunday, June 14, is the final day of the 2026 fair. The public schedule runs from noon until 10 p.m., with no entry or re-entry permitted after 9 p.m. Visitors who want to see the full range of exhibits and attractions should allow enough time to explore before the final evening cutoff.

Solano County Fair Schedule 2027

The 2027 Solano County Fair is confirmed for June 10–13, 2027, at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo.

The 2027 fair will be the 78th annual Solano County Fair and will carry the theme “Honoring Our Past. Inspiring Our Future.” The announced program continues the fair’s combination of carnival entertainment, live music, local performances, food, shopping, agriculture, animals, and youth livestock activities.

The 2027 schedule also identifies Family Ag Day as an important part of the fair’s agricultural programming. The event is designed to connect visitors with farming, food production, farm animals, demonstrations, and educational exhibits.

The Junior Livestock Auction is scheduled for Saturday, June 12, 2027, with the live auction beginning at 1:30 p.m. The program is intended to provide 4-H, FFA, Grange, and independent youth exhibitors with an opportunity to receive financial returns from their livestock projects.

Additional 2027 entertainment, carnival, exhibit, and competitive-program details should be considered subject to the final annual schedule. The June 10–13 dates, however, have already been announced and can be used for advance planning.

History and Origins

The Solano County Fair has a long institutional history in the county. The Solano County Fair Association was established in 1946, and the organization has continued to operate the annual fair and fairgrounds for more than seven decades.

The fair’s history is closely connected to Solano County’s agricultural development. Although Vallejo is now strongly associated with the San Francisco Bay Area, Solano County contains substantial agricultural land and a long farming and ranching tradition.

The county’s agricultural landscape includes the fertile areas surrounding Dixon, Rio Vista, Suisun Valley, Vacaville, and other communities. Farming in the county has historically included field crops, orchards, livestock, vineyards, and other agricultural production.

The fair provides a place where that agricultural identity remains visible within a county that also includes major cities, suburban communities, industrial areas, transportation corridors, and waterfront communities.

Its longevity also demonstrates the importance of the fairgrounds as a community institution. The venue is used throughout the year for events beyond the annual fair, allowing the property to remain connected to Solano County residents outside the June fair season.

Comparing the Siskiyou County California Fair Schedule with the Solano County California Fair Schedule offers a useful look at two different Northern California fair traditions. Siskiyou County’s fair in Yreka reflects the ranching, livestock, youth agriculture, and mountain-community character of far Northern California, while Solano County’s fair in Vallejo combines agricultural exhibits and youth livestock programs with Bay Area entertainment, carnival attractions, live music, and arena events. Reviewing both schedules helps families, exhibitors, and fair enthusiasts plan visits around livestock competitions, 4-H and FFA activities, agricultural exhibits, entertainment, carnival rides, and other community events while experiencing the distinct rural and urban influences of each county.

Agricultural Competitions and Livestock Shows

Agriculture remains one of the central elements of the Solano County Fair. Livestock programs provide visitors with an opportunity to see animals raised by young exhibitors and to learn more about the agricultural activities that remain important across Solano County.

The Junior Livestock Auction is especially significant because it represents the culmination of months of work by youth exhibitors. Participants learn about animal care, feeding, recordkeeping, preparation, showmanship, financial responsibility, and the agricultural marketplace.

The auction involves more than simply selling an animal. For participating young people, it represents the completion of an educational project and provides practical experience with responsibility and financial planning.

Solano County’s agricultural geography gives these programs a strong local foundation. The farming areas around Vacaville, Dixon, Rio Vista, Suisun Valley, and other agricultural communities contribute to the county’s broader agricultural identity.

Animal exhibits also give urban and suburban residents an opportunity to see agricultural production at close range. For families living in Vallejo and other densely populated parts of the county, the livestock barns can provide an educational connection with the farms and ranches that produce food within the region.

Fair Schedule Structure

The Solano County Fair uses a four-day schedule, with each day offering a slightly different emphasis.

Thursday begins the event with Family Ag Day and a lower-cost opening-day admission structure in 2026. The agricultural focus gives families an opportunity to explore farm animals, demonstrations, and exhibits while also experiencing the carnival and other fair attractions.

Friday expands the public schedule and provides a full day of exhibits, entertainment, food, shopping, and carnival activities. The special-needs community access period also reflects the fair’s effort to provide an inclusive experience.

Saturday is particularly important for agricultural participants because of the Junior Livestock Auction. It is also the major arena-entertainment day in the 2026 program, with concerts and the demolition derby adding evening attractions.

Sunday provides the final opportunity to visit the fair, see the competitive exhibits, enjoy the carnival, and participate in the remaining scheduled activities before the event closes.

Entertainment, Rides, and Midway

The carnival is a major recreational component of the Solano County Fair. The midway provides rides, games, and attractions that complement the fair’s agricultural and competitive departments.

The 2027 fair is scheduled to feature the Midway of Fun carnival, continuing the fair’s emphasis on family entertainment and traditional midway attractions.

Live entertainment forms another major part of the program. Concerts, local performances, dance, and other stage activities allow the fair to serve audiences who may be more interested in music and entertainment than livestock competitions.

Food is also central to the visitor experience. The fair offers traditional carnival foods alongside barbecue and other specialty options, while the shopping areas provide opportunities to purchase handmade products, crafts, merchandise, and other goods.

The combination of carnival rides, music, food, shopping, agriculture, and livestock allows different generations of Solano County residents to experience the fair in different ways.

Open Class and Amateur Competitions

Competitive exhibits allow Solano County residents to participate in the fair even when they are not involved in livestock programs.

The fairgrounds provide space for community members to enter artwork, photography, baked goods, handmade crafts, and other forms of creative work. These exhibits showcase skills developed in homes, schools, studios, gardens, kitchens, and community programs throughout the county.

Agricultural and horticultural entries provide another connection to Solano County’s farming communities. Residents can display products and cultivated materials that reflect the county’s productive valleys and agricultural traditions.

Open-class competitions also make the fair more representative of the entire county. A livestock exhibitor may come from a farming family, while another participant may be a photographer from Vallejo, a gardener from Vacaville, or a home baker from Fairfield.

The annual premium book and exhibit information should be consulted for the specific 2026 and 2027 classes, entry requirements, receiving dates, and judging procedures.

Demolition Derby, Tractor Pulls, and Motorsport Events

The 2026 Solano County Fair includes a demolition derby on Saturday, June 13. The derby is a separately ticketed arena attraction, meaning visitors need both fair admission and the appropriate arena ticket to attend.

The demolition derby provides a very different experience from the agricultural exhibits and livestock auction. It brings motorsport-style competition into the fairground environment and gives Saturday evening a particularly energetic attraction.

A tractor pull should not be assumed to be part of every year’s Solano County Fair schedule. Motorsport and arena programming can change annually, so visitors should check the applicable year’s schedule if they are specifically interested in tractor pulls, truck events, demolition derbies, or other vehicle competitions.

The 2026 demolition derby is therefore a confirmed feature for that year’s fair, while future motorsport programming should be treated separately from the 2026 schedule.

4-H and FFA Youth Programs

Youth agriculture is an important part of the Solano County Fair’s educational purpose. The Junior Livestock Auction specifically includes participants from 4-H, FFA, Grange, and independent youth programs.

A livestock project requires young exhibitors to take responsibility for an animal over an extended period. Participants learn about feeding, care, health, recordkeeping, handling, preparation, and presentation.

The show ring gives young people an opportunity to demonstrate those skills publicly. The auction then connects the educational project with financial responsibility and the agricultural marketplace.

For 2027, the Junior Livestock Auction is scheduled for Saturday, June 12, with the live auction beginning at 1:30 p.m. The proceeds can help young participants finance future projects, educational savings, and other goals.

These programs are particularly valuable in a county where agriculture exists alongside large urban and suburban communities. The fair creates a setting where residents who may not regularly visit farms can see the work performed by local youth.

Fairgrounds Facilities and Layout

The Solano County Fairgrounds & Event Center occupies a substantial site at 900 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo. Its facilities are designed to accommodate both the annual fair and year-round events.

The grounds include spaces for livestock and agricultural activities, exhibit areas, entertainment, carnival operations, food vendors, shopping, and arena events.

The venue’s year-round role is significant because it is not simply a seasonal fairground. The facility hosts community gatherings, expos, festivals, private events, and other activities outside the annual fair.

Its location in Vallejo also places the fair within reach of a large population base in Solano County and the wider Bay Area. Visitors can reach the fairgrounds from Vallejo, Fairfield, Benicia, Vacaville, Suisun City, American Canyon, and other nearby communities.

Visitors should expect considerable walking during a fair visit, particularly when combining livestock areas, exhibit spaces, carnival rides, food areas, and arena events.

Getting There: Directions and Logistics

The fairgrounds are located at 900 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo, making Vallejo the primary destination for visitors attending the Solano County Fair.

Vallejo’s position near the northern end of San Francisco Bay places the fairgrounds within the broader transportation network of the Bay Area. Residents traveling from Fairfield and Suisun City can approach Vallejo from the east, while visitors from Benicia and the southern portions of Solano County approach from the south.

Visitors coming from Vacaville and Dixon should allow additional travel time during periods of heavy fair traffic, particularly on Saturday when the Junior Livestock Auction and arena attractions draw additional visitors.

Parking is separate from fair admission in the 2026 ticket structure. ADA parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visitors attending the demolition derby or evening arena concerts should also remember that arena tickets do not automatically include general fair admission.

Volunteer and Vendor Opportunities

The Solano County Fair depends on participation from exhibitors, volunteers, vendors, agricultural organizations, community groups, youth programs, performers, and sponsors.

Vendor participation gives businesses and organizations an opportunity to reach visitors from throughout Solano County. Food vendors, artisans, commercial exhibitors, community organizations, and other participants can contribute to the fair’s marketplace atmosphere.

Volunteer opportunities support the broader operation of the fairgrounds and annual event. Volunteers can contribute to community activities, exhibit departments, youth programs, information services, and other areas.

Exhibitors also play a major role by entering artwork, photography, baked goods, crafts, agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and youth projects.

People interested in participating in the 2027 fair should watch for the applicable vendor, volunteer, performance, and exhibit applications because deadlines can be different for each department.

Economic and Community Impact

The Solano County Fairgrounds have a measurable economic role in the county. The fairgrounds association reports that a California Department of Food & Agriculture study estimated approximately $14.573 million in spending activity in 2015 associated with the Solano County Fairgrounds.

The economic effect extends beyond ticket sales. A major fair brings visitors to Vallejo who may purchase fuel, meals, lodging, retail goods, and other services before or after attending the event.

Local vendors and community organizations also benefit from the concentration of visitors. Food sellers, artisans, commercial exhibitors, performers, agricultural participants, and nonprofit groups can use the fair as a platform for community engagement and fundraising.

The fair also creates educational value that cannot be measured solely through visitor spending. Livestock programs, 4-H, FFA, agricultural demonstrations, and competitive exhibits help preserve knowledge about farming and animal husbandry within a county that has undergone substantial urban and suburban development.

The fairgrounds’ year-round operation adds another dimension to the economic impact because the property continues to host events outside the four-day annual fair.

Comparing Solano County Fair to Nearby Fairs

The Solano County Fair has a distinctive position among Northern California county fairs because it combines an agricultural program with the population density and cultural diversity of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area.

The fair can be compared with the Napa County Fair, where agriculture and wine-country culture play a central role. Solano County’s agricultural identity is broader, with livestock, field agriculture, youth projects, and communities such as Dixon, Rio Vista, and Vacaville contributing to the regional character.

The Sonoma County Fair is another nearby comparison, although Sonoma’s larger wine, ranching, equestrian, and North Bay tourism identity gives it a different atmosphere.

The Solano County Fair is particularly distinctive because Vallejo provides an urban waterfront setting while the county extends deeply into agricultural landscapes. Visitors can therefore experience agricultural traditions within a county that also contains major transportation infrastructure, suburban communities, industrial areas, and Bay Area population centers.

The four-day format also gives the Solano fair a concentrated schedule. Family Ag Day, youth livestock programs, carnival attractions, concerts, shopping, and the demolition derby can all be experienced within a relatively short visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dates and hours of the Solano County Fair?

The 2026 Solano County Fair is scheduled for June 11–14, 2026. Thursday is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., while Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are scheduled from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday has a 9 p.m. final entry and re-entry cutoff.

The 2027 Solano County Fair is scheduled for June 10–13, 2027. The final daily activity schedule should be checked before attending.

Where is the Solano County Fair held?

The fair is held at the Solano County Fairgrounds & Event Center, 900 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo, California.

How much does it cost to attend the Solano County Fair?

Admission varies by day and year. For 2026, Thursday’s Family Ag Day admission is scheduled at $3 for all ages, while standard single-day admission is higher on the other days. Children under six are scheduled to enter free with a required ticket.

Arena events such as concerts and the demolition derby can require separate tickets.

Is there free parking?

Parking is not included with general fair admission in the 2026 ticket structure and must be purchased separately. ADA parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Can I bring my own food and drinks?

Visitors should review the current fairground rules before bringing outside food, beverages, coolers, or containers. The fair itself provides numerous food vendors, including traditional fair food and other specialty choices.

How do I enter an item in the Solano County Fair?

Exhibitors should use the applicable annual premium book and department instructions. Entry procedures vary depending on whether the item is livestock, agriculture, horticulture, photography, art, baked goods, crafts, or another competitive category.

Youth exhibitors should also review the requirements for 4-H, FFA, Grange, and independent livestock projects.

Is the Solano County Fair appropriate for young children?

Yes. Family Ag Day, farm animals, educational agriculture activities, carnival rides, food, games, entertainment, and youth programs provide several activities suitable for families with children.

Children under six are also scheduled for free general admission in the 2026 ticket structure, although a zero-dollar ticket is required.

Are pets allowed at the Solano County Fair?

Visitors should check the current fairground animal policy before bringing a household pet. Livestock and animals participating in approved fair programs are governed by separate rules, while service animals are handled under applicable accessibility requirements.

Does the Solano County Fair have a demolition derby?

Yes. The 2026 Solano County Fair has a demolition derby scheduled for Saturday, June 13. The derby requires a separate arena ticket in addition to fair admission.

The presence of a demolition derby should not automatically be assumed for future years unless it appears in the applicable annual schedule.

Who organizes the Solano County Fair?

The annual fair is produced by the Solano County Fair Association, which was established in 1946. The fairgrounds are owned by Solano County and operated by the Solano County Fair Association.

Is camping available at the Solano County Fair?

Camping should not be assumed to be available as a standard visitor service simply because the event takes place at a fairground. Visitors who require overnight accommodation should check the current fairground policies and nearby lodging options before traveling.

What happens if the fair is cancelled due to weather?

Outdoor fair activities can be affected by extreme weather, wildfire conditions, poor air quality, or other safety concerns. Individual activities may be modified, postponed, or cancelled when conditions require changes.

Visitors should rely on the fair’s current announcements for any weather-related changes rather than assuming that a particular weather condition will automatically cancel the entire event.