THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FAIR kicked off the Bay Area’s 2026 fair season on Thursday, bringing out early birds eager to hit the carnival midway, check out the farm animals, and grab their favorite deep-fried foods and sweet treats before weekend crowds descend.
The theme for this year’s event is “Wild About the Fair,” and among the related attractions is a daily exotic live animal show inside one of the event buildings. Visitors can get a closeup peek at giant tarantulas, a tortoise, hissing cockroaches, baby emus and a zebra, among other creatures seldom seen in suburbia.
More traditional fair animals such as rabbits, pigs and chickens are on hand too, inside the Livestock Barn and pavilion where young 4H members paraded their goats in front of the judges and shrieked with delight when their names were announced for the winner’s circle.
Crowds took advantage of cooler temperatures and opening-day discounts to peruse the children’s art exhibits, listen to dance music on the main stage, or grab a seat on the Ferris wheels and over a dozen other rides in the two carnival zones. A few sought out the costumed bigfoot character to pose for photos as he strolled the fairgrounds among the rows of food booths selling barbecue, baked potatoes and soft-serve ice cream cones.
Antioch’s four-day fair is the earliest on the region’s summer fair schedule and continues through this Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online and range in price from $11 for children and seniors to $14 for adults, while carnival wristbands go for an additional $42. More information about attractions and daily schedules can be found on the fair’s website.
If you miss it or simply can’t get enough of that fair vibe, your next opportunity will be the San Mateo County Fair in San Mateo on June 5-14, followed by the Solano County Fair in Vallejo on June 11-14, and the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton from June 19 through July 12, the latter of which overlaps the Marin County Fair in San Rafael from July 1-5.
