\u201cThis is definitely gonna be a hotter one for us,\u201d said Kyle Dodson, one of the directors of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the fair.<\/p>\n
The chamber posted tips<\/a>, advising fair-goers to drink plenty of water, apply sunscreen, make sure to wear hats and seek shade between rides and shows.<\/p>\n In its 55th year, the fair runs through Sunday night.\u00a0Despite the broiling conditions, officials expect attendance of about 3,000 to 4,000 each day.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the last couple years we\u2019ve invested in big, massive 20-foot-by-40 foot canopies,\u201d Dodson said, \u201cand then we have designated cool zones that have a huge water-cooled fan.\u201d Organizers have also installed an overhead misting system.<\/p>\n Kristin Olson of Lakeside protected her 7-week-old son Wyatt with a stroller equipped with a capacious shade that even had an electric fan directed at the infant\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re gonna stay right here under the shade and keep him hydrated. The misters work wonders,\u201d Olson said, adding that she and her husband planned on staying only about one hour.<\/p>\n Hot weather blanketed virtually every segment of San Diego County.<\/p>\n Through 8 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service issued<\/a> a heat advisory for coastal areas of San Diego County and an extreme heat warning for inland communities and valleys across the county, such as Escondido, El Cajon and Borrego Springs.<\/p>\n The heat wave descended in the midst of a busy summer entertainment weekend that lured thousands to venture outdoors.<\/p>\n The Padres, who consistently draw in excess of 42,000 fans per game, hosted the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on Saturday evening. In Mission Valley, country singer Zach Bryan headlined the second night of his two-day outdoor concert<\/a> at Snapdragon Stadium, drawing tens of thousands of fans.<\/p>\n At 3:15 p.m., San Diego Gas & Electric\u2019s weather network<\/a> showed readings of 101 degrees in Campo and Potrero and 112 degrees in Borrego.<\/p>\n Despite the hot spell, Dr. James N. Elia, facility medical director of the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Emergency Department, said as of mid-morning Saturday he and his colleagues had not seen an uptick in cases of heat exhaustion.<\/p>\n \u201cMy advice is to stay indoors when possible and if you\u2019re going out, try to find shade as best you can,\u201d Elia said. \u201cOne of the more important things is to stay hydrated.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ramona Junior Fair<\/a> runs parallel to the country fair and features young people showing off horses, livestock, goats and other animals.<\/p>\n \u201cMother Nature, she\u2019s put cooler temperatures on backorder for us this weekend,\u201d Junior Fair president Jeff Becker said.<\/p>\n He estimated the weather made Saturday\u2019s event the hottest in about a decade, but swamp coolers, fans, misters and plenty of water in barns and pens offered critters much-needed relief.<\/p>\n \u201cWe take the health and safety of the animals very seriously, especially with the hot weather,\u201d Becker said.<\/p>\n Just a few yards away, VooDoo, a 1,219-pound prize steer, happily gulped water from a trough. His owner, 19-year-old Josie Sand of the Ramona FFA, scheduled hydration breaks for VooDoo at least every half hour and sprayed water on his coat.<\/p>\n In an effort to blunt the effects of the heat, officials at the city of San Diego urged residents to take precautions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe encourage residents who need shelter from the heat to take advantage of one of our many sites available to cool down,\u201d Office of Emergency Services Chief Rob Rezende said in a statement. \u201cWe also advise residents to check on elderly and vulnerable neighbors to make sure they are safe during this heat wave.\u201d<\/p>\n The city designates selected recreation centers and libraries as places where the public and service animals can cool off when heat advisories are in effect. A list of the sites can found at www.sandiego.gov\/PlacesToCoolDown<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to the heat, lifeguards along the coast kept a sharp eye on beachgoers Saturday because of potentially dangerous rip currents, due to winds blowing from Hurricane Genevieve off the tip of Baja California.<\/p>\n Ocean temperatures have risen 3 to 7 degrees higher than normal, enticing people to take to the water, but big waves bolstered by Genevieve can pose a danger to swimmers.<\/p>\n In response, San Diego Fire-Rescue added about 20 more lifeguards to its regular full-capacity summer staff.<\/p>\n San Diego Lifeguard Chief James Gartland advises beachgoers to stay near lifeguard towers and check in with lifeguards to see what areas are best to swim and which spots to avoid.<\/p>\n![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SUT-L-SD-HEAT-005.jpg\")
Seven-week-old Wyatt Olson of Lakeside cools off with a small fan attached to his stroller at the Ramona Country Fair. (Kristian Carreon \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SUT-L-SD-HEAT-001.jpg\")
Josie Sand has her 1,219-pound steer named VooDoo drink water during a hot day at the Ramona Country Fair on Saturday. (Kristian Carreon \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n