A Brief History of the San Diego County Fair

In 1880, a group of San Diegans organized an agricultural Fair to bring county farmers together to share ideas, see who had the best citrus fruit, who baked the best pie, and who had the fastest horse. By the 1930s, faced with fairs that struggled each year for survival, voters approved pari-mutuel racetrack betting to help fund the state's agricultural fairs. In 1936, the 22nd District Agricultural Association bought land at the mouth of the San Dieguito River for a county fairgrounds. About the same time, the Del Mar Turf Club leased the racetrack from the 22nd DAA to operate an annual live racing meet.

And so it continues today. The 22nd DAA, an agency of the State of California, still owns and operates the Fairgrounds. Its staff organizes four major annual events, including the annual San Diego County Fair, and runs Surfside Race Place, the year-round satellite horse racing facility. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club still leases the facilities for its live meet each summer. And hundreds of consumer and trade promoters rent the Fairgrounds facilities for home and garden shows, dog shows, antique fairs, sports shows, music festivals and much more. No tax dollars are used; the Fairgrounds is entirely self-supporting.

General Information

The 22nd District Agricultural Association (22nd DAA) manages and operates the Del Mar Fairgrounds; its nearby equestrian facility, the Horsepark; and the Del Mar Golf Center, on behalf of the State of California. No tax monies are used in the operation of these facilities. The Del Mar Fairgrounds supports its budget through admission, parking and facility rental fees. The Fairgrounds, including its parking lots, is approximately 340 acres; Horsepark is approximately 65 acres.

The Fairgrounds and Horsepark are the sites of nearly 350 events each year. They include weddings, receptions, bar and bat mitzvahs, equestrian and other animal shows, concerts, craft shows, home shows and other social and consumer events. Events and activities on the Fairgrounds fall into one of two main categories:

Events and activities produced by the 22nd DAA: These are the Del Mar National Horse Show in April, the San Diego County Fair in June/July, Professional Bull Riding in August, The Scream Zone in October, the Holiday of Lights in December, and Surfside Race Place year-round.

Events and activities produced by companies and groups that rent or lease facilities: Examples are the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which operates the annual live horse racing meet in July through September; and many consumer, trade and private events during the fall, winter and spring.

Location

The Del Mar Fairgrounds is located 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. in the city of Del Mar, California.