Related Articles
-Editorial
Admission tickets and carnival wristbands are now on sale for the 116th edition of the California Midwinter Fair which opens for its 10-day run March 1.
The theme for this year’s event is “Red, White and Moo.”
The presenting sponsor for this year is Energy Source Minerals which is leading the development of a premier lithium project near the Salton Sea.
“We are so pleased that Energy Source has joined us this year as a presenting sponsor,” said California Mid-Winter Fair Chief Executive Officer Alan Phillips.
“Our fair has deep roots into our Valley’s heritage, and it is very fitting that we are working this year with one of the companies that promises to build upon that heritage with a new industry for our area.”
Energy Source is joined by several other local businesses and organizations that sponsor the fair. “They are a major part of what makes our fair successful,” Phillips said.
This year’s event brings all of the traditional activities such as High School Madness, a full slate of grounds acts, concerts, the traditional junior livestock show and auction, and a series of dirt track events sponsored by the Heritage Foundation—including the popular Heritage 500 on the final day of the fair.
“We are the largest annual event in the Valley and bring a ton of family-friendly entertainment, as well as exciting carnival rides and delicious food,” Phillips said. “That is why about 100,000 people attend year after year.”
Advance tickets, which went on sale February 9, are available only online. Purchases can be made through a link on the fair’s webpage at www.ivfairgrounds.com.
Presale admission tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $6 for children and seniors. Tickets purchased after February 29 will be full price: $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. Carnival presale wristbands also are available online for $35. While online sales will continue through the duration of the fair, once the fair opens on March 1, tickets also will be available for purchase at the gates.
There are several new additions to this year’s event, including “Twisted Tuesday” on March 5. Taking a cue from theme parks, “Twisted Tuesday” will provide admission to the fair and unlimited carnival rides, all for $20 per person. “Twisted Tuesday” tickets will be sold both online and at the gate for that price, regardless of age. Guests must have a “Twisted Tuesday” ticket to be admitted to the fair that day and no other tickets will be accepted.
One other new addition to this year’s “Red, White and Moo” event will be the Mini-Mural Art Project. Different local artists—one each day of the fair—will be painting a fair-related mural on stage in the Preble Building. They will each have eight hours to complete their work, which will be displayed at this year’s fair as well as future fairs.
For the second year in a row, the full Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team, including pilots and support crew, will be attending the fair at 7 p.m. on March 7 at the Mechanics Bank Stage for a public meet and greet. The Flight Demonstration Team opens its 2024 season after it concludes its three-month Valley training season with an air show on March 9 at the Naval Air Facility.
