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Number crunch: What San Diego County Fair costs family of four and how to save

san diego county fair scene
Posted at 2:55 PM, May 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-24 18:01:14-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego County Fair is an annual tradition for many locals.

The rides, games, foods, and exhibits always bring out the best of summer for San Diegans.

But the costs can add up. Thankfully, there are several ways to save on admission and attractions at the fair by buying tickets outside of the fair or on specially designated days.

MORE SD FAIR INFO: What to know | Parking and transportation | Admission discounts | Rides and games | Concert headliners

To help, we've crunched the numbers for you to get an idea of how much you're looking at for a day at the fair. Considering a family of four (two adults and two children), here's the math:

Parking (onsite, general parking): $17

Admission:

  • Two adults ($20 each): $40
  • Two children ($14 each): $28

Rides and games:

  • 28 tickets: $20

Food:

  • Meals for four people ($12 each): $48

Total: $153

Mind you, this is only an estimate. A family may not spend $12 per person on food or even anything on games, potentially saving $20 to $48. Free, off site parking is also available, taking off another $17 for the family.

Admission deals also offer ways to save.

Value packs from Costco (four one-day tickets, one passport book, 50 credits toward rides and games, four 2-for-1 drink coupons, one parking pass) can be purchased for $80 or from the fair (four one-day admission tickets, one passport book, 20 credits toward rides and games, four 2-for-1 drink coupons, one parking pass) for $90.

Purchasing tickets from Vons or Albersons locations will save customers $4 on adult admission and $1 on child admission, another $10 in savings from our calculations above.

Then, there's plenty of specially-reduced admission days to take advantage of to help cut costs.

Check out the "admission discounts" link above for more ways to save.