It's here and then it's gone – the ultimate summer pop-up party! The OC Fair is running this year from July 16-Aug. 15 and the theme is "Time for Fun!"
Entertainment is coming back and the OC Fair is bringing it – in Pacific Amphitheatre, in The Hangar, on community stages, and throughout the fairgrounds.
It's time to make plans now. With limited daily capacity, days could sell out. The same is true for the concert lineups.
One of the best deals around is free same-day OC Fair admission with tickets purchased for fair time shows in Pacific Amphitheatre and The Hangar.
This year's Toyota Summer Concert Series in the Pacific Amphitheatre opens with Brantley Gilbert on July 29 and features Rebelution, Cheap Trick with Blue Oyster Cult, Dwight Yoakam, X with Los Lobos, Cole Swindell, and more. Comedian Jo Koy will close out the run of fair-time shows.
This year's concert series is extended into September with special concerts including Goo Goo Dolls, Colbie Caillat with Natasha Bedingfield, Flaming Lips, Ramon Ayala, Chase Rice, and the Pacific Symphony playing the score to the movie "Toy Story" as it is shown under the stars.
In The Hangar, this year's lineup of tribute bands and more opens with Dead Man's Party on July 16 and concerts include ABBA L.A., Elton – The Early Years – A Tribute to Elton John, No Duh/Red Not Chili Peppers, Queen Nation, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and closes with Atomic Punks/Motley Inc. on Aug. 15.
In addition to entertainment in the OC Fair's paid concert venues, there are acts on community stages daily, every evening in the OC Promenade, and roving performers including Dragon Knights, The Clown Patrol, Red Light Brass Band and more.
New this year is Strawberry Jan, who will join Olivia the Orange as an OC Fair Foodie costumed character appearing daily at the giant OC Fair letters near Blue Gate for meet-and-greets and photo ops with guests.
A new act will be featured at the Plaza Stage, Piano Madness, a dueling piano team that will entertain nightly. Comedy hypnotist Mark Yuzuik, a returning OC Fair favorite, will also perform each evening at the Plaza Stage.
The fair fun just keeps coming! The Magic of Frank Thurston will entertain in the Explorium section of OC Promenade and the Conjurer Fortune Machine is predicting the future for fairgoers at the Parade of Products.
There are some adjustments to this year's OC Fair layout designed to give visitors a little more elbow room, and the All-Alaskan Racing Pigs are moving their track to Plaza Pacifica to delight fairgoers once again.
Find showtimes, check the daily schedule, purchase tickets and more on the OC Fair 2021 app, available now for download.
The OC Fair has added more shaded tables and seating areas for dining and has increased sanitization procedures to help keep everyone safe.
With limited daily capacity, admission tickets could sell out. Advance ticket purchase is required; visit ocfair.com or download the OC Fair 2021 mobile app.
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