The Alameda County Fair opened Friday at the Pleasanton fairgrounds and runs through July 12. Here's the full logistics guide — admission, deals, BART access, and what's worth your time in 2026.

The Alameda County Fair opened Friday night at the Pleasanton fairgrounds, drawing large crowds for the first weekend of a 24-day run that lasts through July 12. You have most of June and all of early July to make it work — here's how to go without overpaying.

The basics: The fair runs Wednesdays through Sundays only — closed Mondays and Tuesdays — noon to 11 p.m. Enter through Gates 8 or 12 at 2005 Valley Ave., Pleasanton (the mailing address of 4501 Pleasanton Ave. will get you to the wrong side of the grounds). Gate admission is $19.80 for adults 13–61, $16.50 for children 6–12 and seniors 62-plus, free for children 5 and under and active military. Parking is $15, credit card only; accessible parking is $5. Admission gates close at 9:15 p.m.

The deals worth knowing: Throwback Thursdays drop admission to $11 — the best price on the calendar if you can swing a weekday. July 8 is a sensory-friendly day with $6 admission and gates opening an hour early at 11 a.m.

What's new in 2026: The food competition is the headliner: Spam Wonton Tacos, a Pickled Corndog, and an Elvis sandwich (peanut butter, banana, bacon on sourdough) are among the Foodie's Choice entrants this year, alongside the usual funnel cakes and turkey legs. Nightly drone shows launch at 9:30 p.m. and are included with admission. The concert series runs 8 p.m. nightly at the Cuervo Amphitheater — upcoming headliners include The Beach Boys with John Stamos (July 1), Boyz II Men and Flo Rida (July 8), and Elle King (July 9). A World Trade Center memorial beam on display rounds out the civic programming.

Getting there by transit: Take BART to Dublin/Pleasanton, then board the Wheels Route 52 shuttle on the station's south side. Service is hourly; first departure is 11:14 a.m., last return from the fairgrounds is 11:16 p.m. Two catches: no shuttle on July 4, and the shuttle runs only through July 7 even though the fair continues through July 12. The last five days, you're driving or catching the Wheels Route 10R from Livermore Transit Center — it drops you about four blocks from the Yellow Gate.

The move: A Thursday afternoon is the play — $11 admission, lighter crowds than weekends. Arrive by 4 p.m., when things get livelier, and stay for the 9:30 p.m. drone show. If you're leaving right after the drones, give it 20 minutes before hitting Valley Ave. — the exits choke after the show.

Nearly half a million people are expected over the fair's run, making it one of the biggest recurring events in the East Bay. The fair is a nonprofit and does not accept government tax funding; revenue funds the following year's event.