The annual Santa Barbara Fair & Expo at Earl Warren Showgrounds has come to an end after two exciting weekends of thrilling rides, classic fair food, and entertaining carnival games. However, this wasn’t the case for many Dos Pueblos High School fair-goers, as their excitement quickly turned into exasperation and frustration.
“Honestly, I was really disappointed,” Miles Smith (9) said. “Not only was it not worth all the money you have to pay, but it was also a waste of energy.”
Upon entering, there was a $12 fee for ages 12 and older and an $8 fee for those younger. At the ticket booth, there were multiple options to choose from for a wristband. The most popular option was the Unlimited Rides wristband, which cost $33 on Thursdays and $39 on Friday through Sunday, along with an extra $3 fee for purchasing a wristband.
“Having to pay over $50 just to get into the fair and for a wristband is crazy to me,” Smith said. “Especially considering how [few] rides you’re actually able to go on.”
After visitors received their wristbands, they were met with extreme crowds and lines with unbearably long wait times, which make going on rides difficult and stressful.
“We were only able to go on three rides when we were there for around five hours,” Jonah Archer (9) said. “We had to wait an hour or more for each line we were in because of the amount of people there. It honestly ruined most of the experience for me.”
The fair tried to resolve this issue by implementing a new fast-pass feature this year. Fair-goers were able to add this onto their wristbands by buying them online or at the ticket booth for an extra $15. However, this attempt to solve the problem fell short, for many still had the issue of long lines because of the lack of advertising and the annoyance of having to pay even more money to get a satisfactory experience of fair rides.
“I didn’t even know you could buy the fast-pass besides that one day they announced it,” Archer said. “Even if I did know, I still wouldn’t have bought it because there’s no way I would pay more money then I already did.”
The issue of prices continued, as visitors of the fair were unable to find enjoyment of eating traditional fair foods and playing classic fair games with how overpriced things were.
“It’s a known thing that fair food is a lot of money, but paying almost $30 for a funnel cake and lemonade just takes the fun out of it,” said Santa Barbara High School student Aeryn Alexander (9).
Alexander said she didn’t even take a second look at some of the games the fair offered.
“With how much I paid to go on rides, I didn’t even bother stopping at any of the games,” Alexander said. “I didn’t want to pay even more money just to get scammed.”
Overall, the Fair & Expo may have flashy attractions and thrilling rides, but many locals will remember the experience as money-driven and energy-draining rather than the heaps of fun and excitement it claims to provide.
