LA County Fair Moves To May To Beat The Heat

POMONA, CA —Love the rides and deep-fried delectables but not the heat at the LA County fair? After 100 years of scorching hot September fun, the LA County Fair will move to May in 2022 to take advantage of cooler spring temperatures, organizers announced Tuesday.

The Centennial Celebration of the LA County Fair will take place from May 5 to May 30 next year, swapping out September's average high of 88 degrees for the May average of 78 degrees. The move also gives the fair a chance to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and a BBQ summer kick-off on Memorial Day weekend.

"What better way to celebrate these family-oriented occasions than with the beloved LA County Fair?" Interim CEO Walter M. Marquez said. "It's a perfect time to present our annual celebration -- kids are preparing for the end of the school year, families are planning for weekends and the weather will be perfect."

Though the large-scale fair was canceled this year due to the pandemic, fair officials are planning to host a Fair Food event in late September — a swan song to the season in which the fair played for nearly 100 years.

The cancelation of the fair this year afforded organizers the opportunity to consider options for how the event should move forward for its next 100 years. During the last few Septembers, the fair experienced triple-digit heat that negatively impacted fairgoers, vendors and partners.

If a decision to change dates was on the table, this was the perfect time to make the move, Marquez said.

"In 12 short months, we look forward to welcoming guests back to our campus to rekindle memories, establish new traditions and experience the fair we all love -- all while enjoying the pleasant May climate," said Los Angeles County Fair Association Board Chair Heidi Hanson.

Guests can expect to experience the fair of the past, present and future as the 2022 LA County Fair celebrates the 100th anniversary of the very first fair held in 1922 with the theme "Back to Our Roots." From remembering the fair's early days of tent expositions to the introduction of mid-century inventions like the Frisbee to the home of the future, the 2022 fair will embody nostalgia, warmth and good old-fashioned fun, organizers said.

City News Service