Alameda County Fair Begins Friday in Pleasanton

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA -- Fairgoers will receive a special treat this fall as the Alameda County Fair opens its doors in Pleasanton on Friday for 10 days of the usual fair attractions, plus some special ones for the season.

COVID-19 prompted the delay of what is normally a summertime event, but the fall event will last for more than a week until Halloween. Monday to Friday fair hours are 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For the Fair's concert schedule and admission information, please see this companion article.

To celebrate the Halloween spirit or spirits, Halloween-themed movies are being shown each night at 6 p.m. on the concert lawn. The movies are family-friendly, with flicks like Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice and The Addams Family.

Also, Mike Valladao, aka the Pumpkin Picasso, will be carving faces and reliefs on pumpkins that weigh from 200 pounds to more than a ton.

Area residents and visitors can enjoy the carnival, food, and live concerts with groups such as Journey Revisited among others. On the Stella Artois Grandstand, guests can take in the Imperial Knights Extreme Medieval Stunt Show, a full-contact jousting performance.

Also on the grandstand, guests can watch FMX Freestyle Motocross. Other entertainment includes strolling performers like Slim and Curly, Tadpole the Clown and Roberto the Magnificent.

Hungry guests can feast on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, monster corn dogs or deep-fried Oreos or all the above. Also, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, guests can munch on smaller bites for $2 each.

To help keep fairgoers safe, a limited number of visitors will be allowed to buy tickets each day and tickets will be sold only daily.

Tickets are $18 for guests 13 to 61 years old, and $15 for kids 6 to 12 and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online at https://annual.alamedacountyfair.com/.

Unlimited carnival wristbands can be purchased for $30 in advance. The same day cost is $35 Monday to Thursday and $40 Friday through Sunday. Veterans and active military personnel can visit for free any day with a valid identification.

Visitors 2 years old and older must wear a mask in indoor spaces whether they are vaccinated or not, fair officials said, citing county and state regulations. Face coverings are optional outdoors.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.