Hope you had a great January and that you are staying dry this week.

We have some exciting news today amid all the dreary weather: We are proud to announce that we will once again offer the Fair for All ticket donation program to nonprofits for the 2024 San Diego County Fair!

Fair for All provides complimentary tickets to the San Diego County Fair for qualifying nonprofit organizations. The nonprofits’ work should align with the 22nd District Agricultural Association's mission, which is to “connect our community through shared interests, diverse experiences, and service to one another in an inclusive, accessible, and safe place with an emphasis on entertainment, recreation, agriculture, and education.”

The organizations subsequently distribute the tickets to underserved people who otherwise might not be able to attend our community celebration.

In other words, Fair for All is an amazing program that truly reflects what we are all about. While, as you know, we are not a taxpayer-funded organization, we remain committed to ensuring that the region's largest annual event remains affordable and accessible for everyone in our community.

Fair for All has also become a great annual tradition. In 2023, more than 12,000 Fair admission tickets were donated to local nonprofits and community organizations. We look forward to another great year this year.

Interested organizations should visit the Fair’s website and submit an online application requesting donated tickets before the final deadline of May 10, 2024. Ticket quantities vary based on each organization's needs, and we are limited to donating an amount of tickets that is equal to 4% of the previous year's paid attendance. But we intend to hit that maximum number and give out as many tickets as we can to deserving community organizations.

One other note: The ticket donations made through the Fair for All Program are for charitable purposes only, and the resale of tickets is strictly prohibited. All requests receive full consideration; however, submitting a request does not guarantee a donation of tickets.

The kickoff of this program is an exciting milestone as we plan for this year's Fair. We are thrilled to once again work with local organizations to help thousands of kids and kids at heart to be fairgoers this summer!

High Honors

The 22nd District Agricultural Association recently received 48 awards for excellence from two top fair industry associations for the 2023 San Diego County Fair.

Of the 48 awards, 11 are from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) and 37 are from the Western Fairs Association (WFA). The awards were announced and presented during the recent IAFE and WFA Convention & Trade Shows. (At both conventions, we were also honored to give presentations on several topics to our peers).

IAFE and WFA have developed these award programs to recognize fairs for extraordinary achievements in their marketing, publicity, competitive exhibits, photography, and agricultural education efforts, among others. The photo above was one of our award-winners.

In addition, we also received special recognition at the WFA Awards ceremony for our community outreach efforts.

Entries are judged by panels of experts in their respective fields who base their decisions on creativity, use of theme, production excellence, best use of resources, highest level of innovation, and other criteria. The San Diego County Fair competes in divisions with other large fairs across the nation.

We produced a fun, educational, and safe 2023 San Diego County Fair for our diverse communities, and it is truly an honor to be recognized within our industry for our team’s dedication and hard work.

As a reminder, the 2024 San Diego County Fair will open June 12 and run through July 7. This year’s theme is “Let’s Go Retro” – a nod to nostalgia with a focus on fun. We look forward to continuing to pursue excellence this year as we invite our community to ‘Go Retro’ with us for the summer’s biggest bash.

We will have more updates on a number of other issues soon.

But another quick plug regarding affordability: remember that you can now save $5 on parking at all events at the Del Mar Fairgrounds by buying in advance only at the new and improved DelMarFairgrounds.com.