SACRAMENTO, Calif — The California State Fair and Food Festival runs through July 30 at Cal Expo.
After moving around to different cities, the fair settled permanently in Sacramento in 1859. But even then, the fair moved around to various neighborhoods.
The first location for the permanent state fair in Sacramento in 1859 was at 6th and M streets near the modern-day Golden 1 Center. Agriculture and livestock shows pretty much made up the state fair.
The state fair stayed mostly in the downtown area for three years from 1859 to 1861 before it moved just up the street to what is now known as “Capitol Park” and “Boulevard Park” bounded by E and H streets and 20th and 22nd streets. At this location from 1861-1908, the state fair was locked down for almost 50 years.
It's hard to imagine with all the old homes now at around H and 20th streets, that this was the state fair location. Some of the homes are well over 100 years old, but the state fair used to be here.
After a half a century stay at H and 20th streets, the fair needed more room so move, it did.
The famous, long run of the state fair that many grew up with came to Oak Park in 1909 at the corner of Stockton Boulevard and Broadway. One very popular attraction was the staged head-on locomotive collision in 1913. Pretty cool, but at some point, you're going to run out of locomotives. In 1918, it ended.
The state fair entertained attendees on 155 acres in Oak Park from 1909-1967. It was popular and said to be the fifth most-attended state fair in the nation. It was also a business boom to the area bringing jobs and tourists.
Now, and since 1968, it's been at Cal Expo, where the state fair has locked down for well over fifty years. More land was needed and here it's 1,000 acres.
The dates of the fair have been adjusted in recent years to accommodate changing school schedules, but for the most part, the fair has maintained a thriving amusement park and rides, fried food and state exhibits.
Watch more on ABC10
