|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Every Alameda County Fair is different – and that’s certainly the case when you have a child with you.
My family made our annual summer drive to the Pleasanton fairgrounds last Saturday, on what turned out to be the most remarkably comfortable afternoon weather-wise we’ve ever experienced at the fair.
Our son Francis, now 4-1/2 years old, had a blast. He got his face painted like Ghost Rider. We watched the monster trucks. He pet some animals. He downed a corndog and cotton candy (and sampled a chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream cone and a funnel cake with strawberries).
He played a handful of carnival games, winning three stuffed toys, including a foam America 250 block of butter that actually smelled like butter for some reason.
But most of all he rode the rides in Kids Park. He’s of an age and height where he went on a majority of them by himself this year for the first time, although he still wanted me to join him on the “caterpillar” roller coaster and Ferris wheel. I’ll rue the day he outgrows me because sitting next to him – hearing, seeing and feeling his exuberance and exhilaration – will never get old.
Walking around the expansive fairgrounds, I enjoyed a beer, a fried chicken sandwich and plenty of water.
A highlight, as always, was the Collectibles & Keepsakes exhibition. As someone who has collected a thing or two over the years (sports cards as a kid, shot glasses as an adult, and golf pencils and scorecards throughout), I find the displays at the fair fascinating. Standouts for me this year included Uno paraphernalia, cassette tapes, clowns and that Elvis duck in the rubber duckie case.
The Made by Hand hall was also a fun walk-through, with the textile, place setting, crafts, culinary arts and youth project displays. It’s amazing what some people pickle successfully.
The “Rising Together” 9/11 Memorial, featuring a steel beam from the World Trade Center, was particularly moving as we’ve somehow arrived at the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
We didn’t quite make it to dusk – when “A Goofy Movie” was set to play on the lawn before the concert, A Tribute to Demon Hunters – but Francis having energy for twilight at the fair is probably right around the corner.
We’re coming up to a big third weekend of the 2026 Alameda County Fair.
A fireworks spectacular will be the showcase on Saturday for Independence Day on America’s 250th birthday. Also for the occasion, fair officials buried a time capsule last week that is scheduled to be unearthed in 2076 for our country’s 300th birthday.
The Maine will be in concert on Friday and Ozomatli follows Sunday. There’s no concert on the Fourth of July, but the shows stay strong next Wednesday with Flo Rida and Thursday with Elle King.
Arena Cross Nationals will take over the race track in front of the grandstand this Friday and Sunday. I had no idea they were keeping the golf course open during the fair this year; maybe I’ll try to sneak out there for a round next weekend while the truck and tractor pulls are going on.
Movies on the Lawn will feature “Up” on Friday, “Ready Jet Go! Space Camp” on Saturday and “Tangled” on Sunday. And for adult screen viewers, World Cup watch parties will be set up at four spots around the grounds.
With eight days left, there’s plenty of time to check out the fair.
I’ve made it a point to experience community events this year as my son gets older and more engaged – and needs more activities to stay entertained.
For the first time we donned green for the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in Dublin, flew kites and enjoyed carnival rides at the Art and Wind Festival in San Ramon and watched the clippers in action at Sheep Shearing Day in San Ramon. I also took him to the 80th anniversary open house of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, where he rode in a bathtub and atop a toilet on wheels and had fun at the one place where potty humor is allowed and encouraged.
We’ll be out of town for the local Fourth of July festivities. I’ll have to keep our calendar open on Labor Day weekend so he can visit his first Scottish Highland Gathering and Games at the Pleasanton fairgrounds. He’ll love the heavy athletics … haggis, probably not so much.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What A Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
Planning Commission OKs rezoning two Pleasanton church sites to allow for housingJune 29, 2026 1:42 pm