Thanks to San Diego Bargain Mama and the San Diego County Fair, presented by Albertsons, my family and I received a family four pack of tickets to enjoy the fair.
This year’s theme is, Race to the Fair! All of the men in my family are mechanics or know how to work on cars so it was natural that we gravitated to the Cruisin’ California Exhibit right after entering. It was so amazing to see all of the classic cars on display. Car lover or not, your family is sure to enjoy the fair this year.
Daddy and I haven’t been to the fair in probably two years so we were excited to go twice this year. Both visits more than made up for the years we missed since we enjoyed it, with child (Pinky)!Read about Pinky’s very first visit to the fair here!
As a mom now, saving time and money has never been more important. Attending the fair with child is a lot more work than attending well, without! I was thankful that this year the San Diego County Fair offered a long list of ways to save and still have fun at the fair! Click here for the long resourceful list! There are literally a ton of ways to save!
Even with the long list of ways to save provided by the fair, I found, while thinking like a mom, there were still more! Here are a few ways our family saved on money, time and sanity on our trips to the fair, with child!
- Go on a weekday. It’s obviously less crowded than on the weekend. Most of the fair games are only $1 to play too, so you won’t feel as robbed as if you went on a weekend. There are also different ways to save each day at the fair, for example Tuesday is Kid’s Day and kid’s 12 and under get in free, a $7 value, savings I should say!
- Bring Food and/or Drink. I know you have your heart set out on a fried something or another, but it doesn’t hurt to bring a snack and some water to help in between the fried fair food. We brought water, cantaloupe, and nuts. besides, the fair encourages this already. And I did see some families walking in with their rolling coolers behind them. There is no rule against food, just no alcohol.
- Reuse & Recycle. Buy a souvenir cup and keep bringing it back with you. They’re just about $5 each, but refills are less than $3. This is great for those of you who don’t feel like lugging the coolers and bags around!
- Use the bathrooms located in the galleries. I was so glad when one of the bathroom attendants walked me to a bathroom in one of the exhibit showrooms. It was a walk from where our family was stationed but well worth it. There were no lines, the bathrooms were fully stocked and a lot cleaner than the overused ones outside. Plus, there was a changing table! This is important, especially when you’re carrying around a toddler in diapers.
- Change Clothes. Bring several changes of clothing for your little one. San Diego weather is so unpredictable. It’s nice and warm during the day, but it can get pretty chilly at night. And if you plan on letting your kids, toddlers specifically, indulge in ice cream, bring a bib and lots of wipes! The first time we went to the fair this year, I changed Pinky at least three times!
- Take advantage of the free entertainment. Pinky loves live music and she loves to dance. There are several live bands playing at the various open and free stages. We went to the Bruno Mars concert on the first Saturday the fair was open. Concerts like that you do pay extra for, but they include admission to the fair as well. It’s a win-win. Tonight we’ll be supporting one of our local favorites, Joey Casora and his band performing live on the Showcase Stage at 7pm. Come check him out too and say hello! Click here for a map of the SD Fair Grounds.
I hope these helpful tips will save you tme, money and sanity like they did for us. Going anywhere with child is a work in progress, but it gets easier every time. We had a blast at the fair as usual. A family favorite and a new tradition we will hopefully keep to attend annually as a family!
We used two of our tickets last night and tonight we’ll be going again.
Stay tuned for more San Diego Fair Fun!