Alameda County Fair: How to Have Fun on a Budget

If you add up what it costs a family of four to spend a day at the Alameda County Fair you might find yourself wishing you were independently wealthy.

Parking, admission for two adults and two children over age 6, plus a couple of carnival ride wristbands, will set you back $90 on an average weekday. 

And that's all before you even have lunch. With most entree-type food items costing $4 to $10, and drinks at $2.50 and up, you've spent another chunk of change to feed your brood.

Fortunately, Patch is here to help you enjoy this quintessential Bay Area pastime without having to break the bank.

As I celebrate my 10th year as a fair faithful, I'll share with you a few tips  to keeping it semi-affordable. I hope you'll share your secrets too! We're even giving away prizes for the first few people who spill their fair tip beans.

Getting There

Take the advice of four women I met on opening day, clad in some outrageously colorful chapeaus for the best hat contest.

"We commute together," said Cecelia Parker of Livermore. "It saves on parking."

With premium parking running up to $20 a car, Parker knows what she's doing.

You could also take a cue from the teens around Pleasanton, who on a summer day can be seen using their foot power to trek to the fairgrounds.

If walking in 80 degree heat doesn't sound fun, you can hop on an air conditioned fair shuttle or a local bus, both of which stop right at the Yellow entry gate on Pleasanton Avenue.

Pay Attention to Promotions

The Livermore ladies in their fun hats had another tip: Check out the fair promotions schedule and plan your fair trip on a discount day.

These include: Wacky Wednesdays  ($3 admission), Kids Free Fridays (for kids 12 and younger) and Seniors Free Thursdays. Plus, kids younger than 6 get in free every day.

BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)

For some of us the whole fun of the fair is eating the junk food, but it IS really pricey AND pretty bad for you, so your tummy (and wallet) will thank you if you consider bringing in some chow from home. Many people tow in coolers and picnic baskets in red kiddie wagons and enjoy a meal on the many shaded grassy spots on the fairgrounds. There are also plenty of picnic tables.

For those who want a taste of genuine fair fare, here's a list of the less expensive items we found during a quick survey of the eats.

Items selling for $2 include:  jumbo pickles, popcorn, peanuts, small coffee or hot chocolate. (No, we do not recommend combining the aforementioned food items at one sitting.)

For just $2.25 you can get a chocolate dipped pretzel, and $2.50 buys you a small burrito at at least one stand (Kelly's near the kids carnival).

Entertainment

If your kids like the rides, this is the toughest budget issue for parents. At $3 a ride, it might be possible to get away with a "three ride only" rule for younger ones but for older kids, who, say, want to run through the fun house 25 times (and yes, they will do that), the unlimited ride carnival wristband ($25 weekdays and $28 on the weekend) is really the best buy. 

Our approach is to take two separate fair trips, which we can do because we live in town. One is a "ride trip" and the other is to see animals and take advantage of all the free activities the fair has to offer.

A sampling: livestock barn, petting zoo, pig racing, the best assortment of exotically beautiful chickens you've ever seen, family physics science tent, dancers, gem collection, farm tours and live amphitheater concerts with a few big names thrown in.

Finally, don't forget to check out all of the merchant booths set up around the fair. These folks bring in thousands of dollars worth of swag to hand out, and sometimes you can score cool stuff. This year so far my fave is the red kiddie firefighter hats available at the Alameda County Firefighters booth near the livestock barn (they've also got a real live engine there.) One year we got about four pairs of athletic socks from the friendly Wii Fitness game folks.

We at Patch wish you a happy and affordable 2010 Alameda County Fair!

If you have more tips and tricks on how to experience the Fair, submit them here.