The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Management Corporation (SCCFMC) announced this week that starting this year, the Santa Clara County Fair will move to the third week of August as part of a long-term strategy to secure essential vendors and ensure the fair’s continued success, says a press release. The 82nd annual fair will be held August 19-23.
Like county fairs across California, the Santa Clara County Fair relies on carnival operators, food vendors and commercial exhibitors who travel established routes from fair to fair. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these routes, forcing many fairs, including Santa Clara County, to close for several years. During this period, vendors created new routes to stay in business.
On November 19, 2025, SCCFMC was notified by its carnival vendor, Helm and Sons Amusements, that due to other fairs’ schedule changes, they could only serve the Santa Clara County Fair in the third or fourth week of August.
On December 15, 2025, SCCFMC received confirmation from Helm and Sons Amusements that they could commit to moving the Fair to the third week of August. Staff met with exhibitors that evening to inform them of the change. The Fair recognizes the new dates coincide with the start of the school year and has made accommodations to support 4-H and FFA youth livestock exhibitors.
