Beyond Orange County

Visiting the OC Fair with four kids (ages 2-7)

Published on July 29, 2013

The OC Fair is a must-do during the Summer in Orange County.

I have two nieces, ages 6 and 7. The youngest (named after me!) is only six months apart from my own kid. My mom raises them so not only do I see them, A LOT, they are also often included in a lot of my outings with my kids. This year will mark the third year that we all head to the OC Fair together and it never fails to be one of those must-do of the Summer. And because the OC Fair offers a lot of discounts, it’s even more affordable to do more it than once!

I love seeing them hang out together and having a different experience than I otherwise would have if I had gone with adults or older kids. So while many are riding the enormous ferris wheel, we stay closer to the ground with the one at Kid Land.

Kid Land, is an obvious stop for us. It has so many options for kids to do. Rides, games and the always popular – Kid Zone. Kid Zone is a huge tent that is set up with a different theme every year. This year the theme seemed to be “games” and not only was it decorated in such a way, they also had lots of games available for kids to play with. Blocks were also set up for the kid along with a HUGE lot of sand. We spent about an hour in the tent taking in one of the daily magic shows by magician Frank Thurston. With plenty of benches to rest, it’s a nice retrieve from the main fair. You can also walk around the display area and see all the different competition entries from other kids, and maybe encourage your own to enter next year!

Kid Land offers a lot of rides for kids (even young ones like my two year old). His favorite was by far the VW Bugs. It’s basically just a tiny little car that goes in circles. They also offer another ride similar to that one, but it features tractors, with horns. It was very, very loud. My oldest hates loud noises so he spent most of his time covering his ears.

For the slightly taller kids, you can get them on just about any other ride at Kid Land, including the popular tea cups. The kids can make them spin for an extra thrill. The older (and maybe a little braver ones), can visit the Little Dipper Roller Coaster. It’s especially fun to ride it at night when the lights are on.

The OC Fair also offers plenty of learning opportunities at Centennial Farm. Animals are available to feed and learn about, in and around the barn. My favorite exhibit there is “Farm to Fork.” It features vegetables and fruits that local residents have grown. Many of which win awards!

And then, of course, there is fair food. We hear about all the deep fried this and that, but did you know that the OC Fair also offers healthier fare such as fresh berries? We like to munch on a container of the most beautiful berries before heading into the chocolate covered bananas and cotton candy. This year, we also enjoyed a “wagon wheel.” It was a really delicious donut that fed all six of us!

We prefer to take the shuttle from the Experian parking lot into the fair (available on weekends). The OC Fair never fails and the kids always have a great time. To see more pictures, hop over to the LMVL Facebook page and don’t forget to enter the giveaway below to win two tickets to enjoy the fair yourself.

For more information on the OC Fair visit their website, Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

Originally published on July 29, 2013. Last Updated on July 8, 2019 by Pattie Cordova

Orange County tips and guides

Visiting the OC Fair with four kids (ages 2-7)

Beyond Orange County

Visiting the OC Fair with four kids (ages 2-7)

The OC Fair is a must-do during the Summer in Orange County.

10 Comments

Leave a Reply