Final summer California State Fair draws more than 650,000 visitors, officials say

Sunday marked the final day of the 2026 California State Fair – and the final summer run of the Sacramento tradition before it moves to the fall next year.

More than 650,000 people attended this year's fair, officials said. Triple-digit temperatures, however, contributed to a drop in attendance during the final weekend, traditionally the event's busiest stretch.

Organizers did not release a more precise attendance figure or say how the total compared with 2025.

Next year, the fair will run from Sept. 17 through Oct. 3, a shift organizers said will help visitors avoid Sacramento's often brutal summer heat.

"We've been listening to our fairgoers, and we're excited to return the Fair to its historic roots," Cal Expo and State Fair CEO Tom Martinez said in a statement.

The first California State Fair was held in October 1854.