Renee Hernandez says La County Fair returns to 17 days in 2026
La County Fair will run 17 days in 2026, opening May 7 and closing May 31 after three years at 16 days. Renee Hernandez said, “It’s a day longer” and “And six hours earlier,” as the fair shifts its opening-day gate time to 11 a.m. from 5 p.m.
The fair will operate Thursday through Sunday and on Memorial Day, with daily hours set at 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hernandez said, “The fair is open 11 to 11 every day, Thursday to Sunday, and Memorial Day,” a tighter operating window than the 2000s pattern of 18 days and the 2010s expansion to 24 days for five weekends, including Labor Day.
Renee Hernandez on Thursday start
The first day falls on a Thursday again, and Hernandez said that “gave us the opportunity to go back to opening on a Thursday and having a 17-day fair once again.” The fair has not started on a Thursday in four years, after moving to a Friday opening in 2023 to give the carnival company an extra day.
Beginning in 2023, the fair also added a private preopening reception for stakeholders on Friday afternoon and opened the gates at 5 p.m. on opening day. That later start followed the 2022 fair, when it opened on Thursday, May 5, to coincide with Cinco de Mayo.
Ray Cammack Shows in 2022
In 2022, Ray Cammack Shows came directly from Arizona’s Pima County Fair, and some carnival rides had not been set up on opening day in Pomona because of the time squeeze. The Tucson fair ended on April 26 this year, giving the carnival company more time before the Pomona opening.
Lucas Rivera called the extra day useful, saying, “It’s great to have another day — and another full day.” He added, “Jump right into fun. ‘Let’s go have some fried turkey legs.’” The 2026 schedule restores a full Thursday opening and a longer run without pushing the fair back into the 24-day format it had during the 2010s.
May 7 through 31
The 2026 dates mean the fair will return closer to its earlier operating rhythm while still keeping the shorter Thursday-through-Sunday setup. For anyone planning a first-day visit, the practical change is simple: gates open at 11 a.m., and the fair stays on that schedule through May 31.
