The 77th annual California Mid-State Fair kicked off on Wednesday and continues through July 30 at the Paso Robles Event Center.
The fair first opened in 1946. Back then, it was called the San Luis Obispo County Fair.
Over the years, it's become a staple for families from all over the state due to its live concerts, carnival rides, food, games, and other exhibits.
It's also a tradition for many of the vendors.
"We love coming every year to this fair," said Alicia Soto, owner of Ricos Manjares Mosita. "We have very loyal customers and we appreciate them and we always look forward to coming to this fair becuase we know that they love taquitos and we love making them for them."
"I really enjoy the camaraderie with all the different vendors around here," said Ron Nelson, owner of Deep Fried Cheese Curds. "We meet new ones every time we go out to all the different fairs."
When the fair opened at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, some of the first kids through the gates shared how they plan to spend their evening.
"I'm excited to ride rides and we came for the Tim McGraw concert," said Kennedy C.
"The family brought me here because we just want to have fun, you know," said Rob Spann. "Summer is already here, so we want to have some fun before it all ends."
The fair will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and noon to midnight Friday through Sunday.
Daily admission tickets can be purchased at the gate and cost $10 for ages 6-12, $12 for ages 62+, and $15 for ages 13-61. Kids five and under get in for free.
There are some special rates during the fair — on Seniors Day, July 21, ages 62+ get half-off daily admission; on Kids Day, July 28, children 12 and under get in for free; and on Armed Forces Day, July 29, active or retired military with a valid ID will be admitted for free.
Tickets for carnival rides, concerts and other special events during the fair can be purchased at MidStateFair.com.
