'Find Your Happy' This Summer at the Orange County Fair
- Jessica Peralta
- Jul 16, 2025
- 8 min read
Here’s an overview of what’s on tap in entertainment, food and more at the 2025 OC Fair.
This year’s OC Fair comes packed with everything from bacon cotton candy on a pork belly stick to a VHS-era tribute, cow milking demos, nightly food contests, four new rides, daily pigs races and lots of live music — all in the pursuit of finding your happy.
And there’s more.
“We’ve packed so much into this year’s fair, there’s something for absolutely everyone,” said Entertainment Director Dan Gaines. “Whether you’re here for heart-pounding live music, thrilling motorsports, craft beer tastings or family-friendly entertainment, you’ll find it all.
“From new experiences like Mowterized Mayhem to returning favorites like the Brew Hee Haw beer roundup and our demolition derby, every corner of the fair is buzzing with excitement. Our community entertainment will showcase local talent across a wide range of genres, and our grounds entertainment brings the fun right to your doorstep.”
With a theme of "Find Your Happy,” the OC Fair runs July 18 to Aug. 17, Wednesdays through Sundays. There’s a mix of new and returning favorites in entertainment, food, exhibits, agricultural programs and all other areas of fair fun.
PHOTO 1: A roller coaster from last year's fair. This year's fair features four new rides. Photo by Michael Goulding. PHOTO 2: The Monster Truck Nitro Tour will be featured in the Action Sports Arena from July 23-27. Photos courtesy of OC Fair
Entertainment
Live musical performances at this year’s fair range from big names like Beck with Pacific Symphony and Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls, to loads of tribute bands.
“First, we’ve got Fitz and the Tantrums and Aloe Blacc bringing that infectious, soulful energy that will have everyone on their feet dancing,” Gaines said. “As a longtime fan of Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls, I’m thrilled to finally see them share the stage together — it’s been a dream of mine for years. And then there’s Beck. I can’t even begin to explain how much I admire his creativity and musical genius. He’s a true rock innovator. Add the Pacific Symphony to the mix, and it’s going to be a night to remember.”
As for tribute bands, returning fan favorites include Devotional (Depeche Mode), Queen Nation (Queen), Which One’s Pink (Pink Floyd), 24K Magic! (Bruno Mars), Dead Man’s Party (Oingo Boingo) and Elton the Early Years (Elton John).
“Beyond the usual suspects, we’ve got some fresh excitement in store with DSB (Journey), Led Zepplica (Led Zeppelin) and One More Night (Phil Collins),” Gaines said. “Appearing for the first time at the OC Fair, we have a ‘90s favorite It’s Britney Beep (Britney Spears), a ‘00s queen Rihanna Replay (Rihanna), the ‘life of the party’ Jimmy’s Buffet (Jimmy Buffett) and the iconic Hot Lava (B-52’s). And while I’m not technically supposed to have favorites, I have to mention Start Making Sense (Talking Heads). They are absolutely fantastic and not to be missed.”
Outside of live music, Mowterized Mayhem is a brand-new entertainment experience.
“Picture this: Suburban chariot racers battling it out on souped-up lawnmowers while adults squeeze onto turbo-charged ‘tricycles’ for a wild, pedal-powered free-for-all,” Gaines said. “And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve got professional motocross riders defying physics and common sense, taking the action to insane new heights. It’s a celebration of engines, innovation, and let’s face it, questionable decision-making. Trust me, it’s going to be off the charts — like a groundskeeper on a rocket-powered weed whacker.”
Fair After Dark is also new and includes three nights of dancing to local live music each weekend at the Plaza Pacifica Stage. Fridays are swing nights, Saturdays are DJ nights and Sundays are Latin nights.
“For the children, we have Megan the Bubbleologist, who will be roaming the grounds, and Lucky Coot & The Band Of Bobs on the Meadows Stage, which will delight children of all ages,” Gaines said.
Returning entertainment includes the popular Brew Hee Haw — A Craft Beer Round-up, with unlimited tastings from 100-plus beers across 30-plus breweries. The demolition derby series is back too.
“Those are always a crowd favorite,” Gaines said.
Grounds entertainment brings professional performers right up to guests — whether it’s strolling brass bands or a wandering, serenading piano player. The community entertainment program has more than 300 local entertainers on multiple stages, offering everything from lively folklorico dancing and soulful acoustic performances to classic rock jams, Gaines said.
Exhibits are also part of the entertainment fun. For those wanting some nostalgia and who loved going to the video store back in the day, “Rewind: A VHS Revival” in the Huntington Beach Building is a tribute to the VHS era. It features a collection of large-scale artworks that were once displayed at video stores from the 1980s through the early 2000s. Expect iconic visuals of cult classics and blockbusters, and hand-painted movie poster art. (This exhibit will replace “The Art of Music Experience,” which was in the H.B. Building during the 2023 and 2024 fairs.)
For ocean lovers, “Orange County Sand and Sea” in the OC Promenade highlights iconic beachside landmarks. There’s also a touch tank and virtual reality elements.
Heroes Hall shows guests what life was like on the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) when it operated in Costa Mesa from 1942 to 1946 in “The SAAAB Story,” which is a permanent exhibit. The featured exhibit is "Echoes of Conflict: Remembering Vietnam,” which runs through Dec. 21.
There are also competition entries from local artists and artisans viewable across the fair in the Hobbies & Handcrafts Gallery, Visual Arts & Woodworking Gallery, OC Promenade and Centennial Farm.
PHOTO 1: A plate-sized funnel cake with strawberries and whipped cream. PHOTO 2: Chocolate strawberry cup with Dubai chocolate will be a new feature at this year's fair. PHOTO 3: Mike's Hot Honey turkey legs. Photos courtesy of OC Fair/Michael Goulding (1), Dominic Palmieri (2 & 3)
Food
Keeping food affordable is part of this year’s fair menu, according to Dominic Palmieri — aka the Midway Gourmet — who operates 11 food stands at the OC Fair.
“We're trying to be as reasonably priced as we can,” he said. “We lowered some prices on some of the items. We made some of the items more family-style, so they’re shareable.”
Along those lines, the $5 Taste of Fair is back. Guests can try a portion of a select item or two from vendor menus across the fair — from churros, cookies and other sweet treats to corn dogs, sliders, tacos and more — for $5 every day until 4 p.m.
Tom's Puffs and Pie — serving cream puffs and apple pie à la mode — is a new food stand this year. There’s also a long list of new food, including:
bacon cotton candy on a pork belly stick, and bacon-wrapped carnitas burrito available at Bacon Nation;
Dubai chocolate strawberry cup available at Swirl Ice Cream;
mozzarella meatballs on a stick, and bean and cheese burrito cone available at Chicken Charlie’s;
pizza spud available at Spud Ranch;
nopales (cactus) tacos available at Pepe's Mariscos;
chicharron pizza available at Enzo’s;
blue raspberry Dole Whip available at Pineapple Whip;
clam chowder in a sourdough bowl available at 10 Pound Buns;
Dubai chocolate brownie available at Mom's Bakeshoppe;
mini-me turkey leg (1 1/3 lb.) available at Biggy’s.
“Turkey legs are anywhere from $21 to as much as $28 if they're wrapped in bacon. Super expensive. This one is basically $14.99,” Palmieri said of the smaller, mini-me turkey leg. “So at $15, now two or more people in the family can afford to get their own versus somebody, a family buying one, and then they're all sitting there trying to eat off of it, and try and share a turkey leg.”
Not all fair food has to be wrapped in bacon or fried. There are also some lighter and plant-based options, including:
guacamole and ceviche available at Northgate Market;
plant-based and gluten-free burgers, nachos and tacos available at Vegging Out;
salads available at Wahlburgers;
vegan and gluten-free hot dogs available at Pink’s;
seafood tacos available at The Hook;
fish, veggie and avocado tacos and burritos available at Noel's Mexican Food;
gluten-free, vegan pastries available at MoonGoat Coffee;
corn on the cob available at Corn Shack.
Of course, there are also returning favorite food stands, including Papi's Puffy Tacos and Pepe's Mariscos Fresh Mexican Seafood. There will also be Michelaguas and aguas frescas, cotton candy, candied apples, kettle corn, ice cream, milkshakes, floats, deep-fried treats on a stick, funnel cakes, donuts, cinnamon rolls, nachos, chicken bowls and more.
Palmieri said to keep an eye out for hot honey — melding sweet honey with hot chili peppers — which he said is trending. At the Biggy's stand, you can get Mike's Hot Honey turkey legs, Mike’s Hot Honey corn dogs and Mike’s Hot Honey bacon-wrapped pork belly on a stick. Hot honey wings are available at Enzo's Pizzeria.
“Hot honey was becoming super hot,” Palmieri said. “Pun definitely intended .… They produce Mike's Hot Honey for us in gallons.”
Animals & Agriculture
Director of Agricultural Programs Evy Young said livestock is big again at this year’s fair.
“Our theme this year is ‘Find Your Happy’ and we hope everyone's happy place will be in the livestock barns,” she said. “We're hoping folks will come and frolic with our furry friends. So yes, we have everything from sheep, goats, llamas, a variety of goats …. Angora goats, boer goats, Pygmy goats, dairy goats, you name it, rabbits, game birds. We have one specific exhibitor coming in and they showcase global livestock and exotic animals.”
There’s livestock competitions, displays and demos. Educational demonstrations include dairy goat milking and cow milking as well as some demonstrations from equine exhibitors.
Tanaka Farms in Irvine will offer activities like mazes, and have chickens and mini horses on display.
She said that at Centennial Farm, there are two sows — pigs scheduled to give birth to piglets throughout the fair.
“I know those piglets are always a popular attraction for our fair guests,” Young said. “And then outside of all the wonderful animals that we have on display at the farm, people can also check out all of our gardens …. Our team has been busy working on putting in all the variety of summer crops, including tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini … chayote squash and other leafy vegetables. We're very excited for people to learn about all those seasonal crops that we're able to grow in Orange County.”
Young said all of the animals at Centennial Farm — which is open year-round — are very friendly and can be pet. People aren’t allowed inside pens, but animals are usually more than happy to get close to the areas accessible to the public.
“The animals always are standing around the sides because they want people to scratch their backs,” she said. “People are able to pet the animals at the farm — they are not able to feed them. However, we do also have our wonderful vendor, Great American Petting Farm, who is returning. They will be located by the yellow gate, which is adjacent to livestock, and their petting zoo, they do allow people to walk in and directly interact with their animals.”
She said Great American Petting Farm will have more than 30 different animals on display at their free exhibit. They do sell feed for people to give to their animals if they wish, as well.
Centennial Farm is also home to garden and floral competitions.
“Similar to home arts, culinary, visual arts, we have our own competitions in which we have hobbyist farmers, you know, people who are just taking up farming, have a green thumb, they have potted plants at home,” she said. “We have categories in produce, so either fruits or vegetables …. They can bring in floral arrangements, single-cut flowers, container plants and seed collages and pressed flower art.”
She said pretty much anywhere guests go on the fairgrounds, they’ll hit the agricultural department. If you enter the yellow gate, you're right at the livestock department. If you enter at the blue or green gate, Centennial Farm is adjacent.
“It's a nice place for peace and respite, especially around the farm area,” she said. “It's just nice to be in nature, you know, especially coming out of the carnival where there's just a lot of noise and lights, which is equally exciting, but a different level of excitement.”
2025 OC Fair
When: July 18 to Aug. 17
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays
Cost: $13 general admission Wednesday and Thursday; $15 general admission Friday through Sunday; $9 seniors 60-plus and kids 6-12 every day; free for kids ages 5 and younger every day; parking is $15 for cars and motorcycles
Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Information: (714) 708-1500 or ocfair.com
