Costa Mesa itself has hotels along the 405 and 55 corridors near the fairgrounds. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine and Santa Ana are all close by for bigger weekends.
The Action Sports Arena has stands around the Costa Mesa Speedway track. Everything else is walk around show space in the halls and lots, and which buildings and lots an event uses changes from event to event.
Facilities
Exhibit halls (Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos and Anaheim buildings, Santa Ana Pavilion, The Hangar), the Action Sports Arena with Costa Mesa Speedway, the Pacific Amphitheatre, the Heroes Hall museum, Centennial Farm and large open lots. The box office is at 100 Fair Drive and opens on limited days.
Plan your day
Getting there
The fairgrounds are near the junction of the 55 and 405 freeways and the 73 toll road, between Newport Boulevard and Fairview Road. From the 55, exit at Del Mar Avenue or Fair Drive, Harbor Boulevard or Fairview Road. Orange County public buses run on four regular routes to the fairgrounds. Ride share drop off and pick up is at Gate 1 on Fair Drive.
Parking is on site in the fairgrounds lots and is paid for most events, with no in and out. General parking cannot be bought in advance.
Parking
Paid
Public transport
Orange County public buses run on four regular routes to the fairgrounds. Ride share drop off is at Gate 1 on Fair Drive.
Leaving the venue
For ticketed events and concerts the venue asks people to arrive early and recommends ride share, buses or carpooling, because the 405 and the roads around Fair Drive back up. Ride share pick up is at Gate 1 on Fair Drive.
Cash, cards and ATMs
General parking is cash only.
Good to know
Good to know
The track
OC Fair & Event Center is the Orange County fairgrounds at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, run by the State of California's 32nd District Agricultural Association. It hosts the summer OC Fair and events all year.
The grounds are a spread of exhibit buildings, open lots and outdoor areas: the Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos and Anaheim buildings, the Santa Ana Pavilion, The Hangar, the Main Mall and OC Promenade walkways, and lettered parking lots (Lot A, Lot C, Lot I and others) that become show space for big outdoor events. Car shows use the lots and the halls. The Action Sports Arena is home to Costa Mesa Speedway, a dirt speedway for motorcycle racing. The Pacific Amphitheatre, Centennial Farm and the Heroes Hall museum are also on the property.
