What to Know136th Orange County FairOC Fair & Event CenterCosta Mesa “Your Adventure Awaits” is the 2026 themeJuly 17-Aug. 16, 2026 (open most dates; check the schedule); the fair will be open over 23 daysAdmission to the fair, and the popular Every Day Passports, will be available for purchase in April; some concert tickets included in the the “extended Fair entertainment season” are on sale now

When you’ve been ebulliently around for well over a century — seriously, we cannot emphasize “well over” enough here — you definitely have a sense of what people want and exactly when they want it.

And in the middle of January, when the nights are still chilly and the afternoons are blissfully balmy, people around Southern California are starting to think about summertime, and all of those warm-air’d pleasures.

The Orange County Fair, which will celebrate its 136th outing in 2026, gets our summer-directed longings, especially those that happen in the heart of winter.

So as is tradition, the Costa Mesa spectacular has announced its upcoming theme months in advance, all to blow those wintry blues away.

The intriguing promise of the 2026 banner? Your Adventure Awaits, and that is true whether you’re trying out a spinning and sparkling ride for the first time, petting your first pig, or trying a strange snack that is deep-fried and/or sprinkled with fiery ingredients.

The fair team made the reveal Jan. 14, which is nearly, to the date, six months before the celebration’s opening date. “Exploration” and “discovery” are behind the forward-fun choice, with the hope that everyone visiting the OC Fair connects with an adventurous spirit.

Other fair-related announcements and special dates will continue to roll out in the months ahead, with the ticket on-sale date arriving in April (that’s also when the Every Day Passports will be available for purchase).

But don’t wait for spring if you’ve got an eye on the concerts headed to the Pacific Amphitheatre, the spacious open-air venue on the grounds of the OC Fair & Event Center; some summer concerts are already on sale, including Iration with Tribal Seeds on June 26.

And if you’re a foamy fan of the Brew Hee Haw Craft Beer Roundup, circle the fair’s opening weekend: That’s when the brew festival will spotlight stellar suds.