Today is the last day of the San Mateo County Fair. Before you head out, here's the real door-to-midway cost breakdown — confirmed against the official pricing page.

The San Mateo County Fair wraps up tonight, Sunday June 14, with gates open 11am–10pm at the San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Dr, San Mateo. If you've been on the fence all week, go in clear-eyed about what you'll spend.

At the gate: $23 per adult, $18 for seniors (62+) and youth ages 6–12, free for kids 5 and under. Parking is $20 — cash or credit, and there are no in-and-out privileges. Run the math for a typical Peninsula family of two adults, three kids (6–12), and a grandparent: that's $138 before anyone touches a corn dog, a ride, or a ring-toss game. A r/bayarea thread this week tracked exactly that scenario and got the same number; the prices check out against the fair's official site.

Rides are additional. The unlimited midway wristband is $44 at the gate. You can also buy individual tickets — most attractions run 4–6 tickets per ride, with bigger coasters going up to 7. The discount days — $6–10 admission on Wednesday, free seniors Thursday, free kids-under-12 Friday — have all passed.

The fair has free entertainment alongside the paid midway: main stage concerts, livestock and agriculture exhibits, a Fair Farm, and a daily schedule of stage performances. It's a real county fair, not a brand activation, which counts for something.

Getting there by transit: the Hillsdale Caltrain station is the closest stop, roughly a mile from the fairgrounds; SamTrans buses also serve the Event Center. If you drive, the lot has no re-entry, so plan to stay.

If you're going today, arrive before 5pm — crowds and midway lines build toward the evening, and tonight is the last night of the year.