SeeCalifornia.com

Photo: Gold Country Fair in Auburn includes carnival rides, contests and clowns, plus the popular Destruction Derby. In 2012 food contests include brownies, cupcakes and watermelon. Also see the Busy Bee Dogs, Circus Imagination and more!

As Autumn approaches you can feel crispness in the air with that cool breeze blowing into your city or town. It is the perfect time to celebrate one last thrill ride–Auburn, Fresno, Lodi and Bakersfield will have Butler Amusements carnivals. Celebrating the local harvest, livestock and talent are a few things that fairs are known for. Families, farmers, teens on dates, romantic couples and singles hoping to meet someone all find fairs to be a fantastic place to socialize and get energized. The fair season typically goes dark around November and starts back up in February in the desert region. Don’t overlook the fairgrounds for continued fun events when the fair’s not around.

2012 Fall Fairs in California

• Auburn – Gold Country Fair  September 6 – 9, 2012   goldcountryfair.com
• Bakersfield– Kern County Fair Sept. 19 – 30, 2012   kerncountyfair.com
• Boonville – Mendocino County Fair & Apple Show  Sept 21 – 23, 2012  mendocountyfair.com
• Fresno – Big Fresno Fair  October 3 – 14, 2012   fresnofair.com
• Lodi – Grape Festival and Harvest Fair, with Grape Stomp  Sept. 13-16, 2012   grapefestival.com
• Madera District Fair Sept 6 – 9, 2012   maderafair.com
• Perris  – Southern California Fair   October 6 – 14, 2012  socalfair.com
• Pomona –Los Angeles County Fair  Aug. 31 – Sept. 30, 2012  lacountyfair.com
• Red Bluff  – Tehama District Fair  Sept. 27 – 30, 2012  tehamadistrictfair.com
• Ridgecrest – Desert Empire Fair Oct. 18 – 21, 2012  desertempirefair.com
• San Benito – San Benito County Fair September 28 – 30, 2012  (Tres Pinos, CA)    sanbenitocountyfair.com
• Santa Rosa – Sonoma County Harvest Fair    October 5 – 7, 2012  sonomacountyfair.com
• Tulare Great Western Livestock Show Sept. 12 – 16, 2012  tularefair.org
• Tuleluke – Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair   September 6 – 9, 2012  tbvfair.com
• Watsonville  – Santa Cruz County Fair  Sept 11 – 16, 2012  santacruzcountyfair.com

NOTE: SeeCalifornia.com is written by REAL PEOPLE with REAL biases for certain topics. We love food, entertainment and travel, all elements of California’s great fairs. The editor comes from a circus family (grandparents launched one of the first circuses in the U.S. and relatives continue to operate carnival rides and “joints” at various carnivals and fairs in North America. It’s “fair” to say we’re corny about “carnies”.