Pima County Fair brings quirky foods, heart-pounding rides and big-name concerts

Sugary sweet, tooth-sticking Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berry cereal topping a double-fried chicken sandwich drizzled with sticky sweet honey raspberry glaze.

That’s what you’ll find among the array of everything deep-fried and decadent at the fair, kicking off Thursday, April 20, and running through April 30.

The Captain Chicken Sandwich joins an array of only-at-the-fair delicacies, including the new pickle and Hot Cheetos pizza; Hot Cheetos-enhanced sweets, sours and savories, making an encore appearance from their saturation at last year’s fair; the usual oversized hot dogs and corn dogs and complementary deep-fried sides including giant onion rings; barbecue and burgers; an array of Mexican and Native American tacos; ice cream and iced drinks; and sweet-and-sour lemonades, some topped with Hot Cheetos.

The food is only one excuse for driving out to the fairgrounds. We thought of a few others.

With names like Clown Funhouse, Toon Town, Puppy Roll and Silly Sea — most involving going round and round in a circle to the soundtrack of cutesy preschool melodies — it’s a safe bet those Pima County Fair rides are for the kiddos. The pirate-themed ship swinger Sea Ray is a family favorite, moving in a smooth swinging motion.

Twister, Zipper, Freestyle and Zero Gravity — that’s the one where you’re strapped in standing up and spun around so fast that the floor disappears and you feel like you’re alternately glued to the cage and free to go flying — are more for the middle-schoolers.

You get into the high school age group — those teens seeking more speed, excitement and an added scare factor — with Konga, Crazy Coaster and the high-speed OMG, which takes you 120 feet in the air strapped into a cage before it thrusts you earthbound like a hammer hitting a nail. 

But for the ultimate thrill, you’ll need to pull out your wallet and pony up 16 tickets for Insanity, which lives up to its name, spinning you 360 degrees so that you’re upside down, right-side up and sideways some 170 feet in the air.

Or cough up 20 tickets and take an exhilarating trip on the high-speed Mach 1, which is the big boy version of the OMG — higher, faster and scarier.

As you can see, the more tickets required, the more thrilling the ride. Which could explain the 30-ticket cost to ride the Titan.

You’re strapped in, sitting upright, held tight with a shoulder harness. It hits speeds of 4G and will take you 180 feet off the ground. You’re gonna want to leave all your personal possessions with your scaredy-cat friends who said heck no when you asked them to please, please come on just this one time. Anything you have on your person, from change in your pocket to your cell phone, is likely to go flying as the ride twirls you around.

Yeah, this is the ride you will likely do with your eyes closed.

There are more than 60 carnival rides at the fair, including the Joker 360 rollercoaster, AKA the “Ultimate Scream Machine,” that will ignite your free-falling sensations as it zips at 4G speeds on a journey of extreme looping action and spinning over the top at heights of over 82 feet. This is one you can do more than once since each ride features unique dynamic flipping actions, making every coaster-around a different experience.

The fair has a history of bringing a wide array of artists to its Budweiser main stage, from contemporary and classic country to rap and hip-hop, Latin rock and classic rock.

Admission is free with paid fair entry, and you can upgrade for a price to a reserved seat. 

• American rapper, record producer and DJ Lil Jon is bringing his distinctive “crunk” style (tighter beats, a reggaeton and funk vibe) to open the fair at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 20.
• A trio of 1980s rockers — Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Great White and Slaughter — lead the ’80s Rock Invasion at 8 p.m. Friday, April 21.
• American country music singer-songwriter Joe Nichols (“The Impossible,” “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”) plays an 8 p.m. show on Saturday, April 22.
• Hip-hop and R&B artists Ginuwine, Ying Yang Twins and Paul Wall share top billing at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 23.
• Singer-songwriter and rapper Uncle Kracker brings his rock, pop and country blend at 7:30 p.m. April 24.
• “Proud to Be An American” singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood is here at 7:30 p.m. April 25.
• Contemporary Christian pop-rocker Jeremy Camp takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. April 26.
• Hip-hop and pop artist 24KGOLDN performs his viral music hits, including “Valentino” and “Mood,” at 8 p.m. April 27.
• California alt-rockers Dirty Heads performs at 8 p.m. April 28.
• Country singer Jordan Davis will play his latest single, “Tucson Too Late” on April 29; start time is 8 p.m.
• Mexican ranchero-cumbia band Laberinto closes out the series at 7:30 p.m. April 30. 

Livestock exhibits were part of the inaugural Pima County Fair on Oct. 25, 1911. It wasn’t held at the 640-acre fairgrounds, which didn’t become a thing until 1972; it was set up at the long-gone Elysian Grove where Carrillo K-5 Magnet School is now, south of the Tucson Convention Center, and it included local businesses selling their wares, a football game between Tucson High School and Phoenix High School, a dog and poultry show and educational exhibits.

The fair bounced around town for years, including going dark during World War I in 1917-18 and WWII from 1942-45. It ran uninterrupted after that before hitting pause in 2020 courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also forced organizers to push the 2021 event back a week before returning fully last year.

For a few years in the 1930s, the fair was held in conjunction with the Tucson Rodeo, and for most of the 1960s and early ’70s, it paired up with the Southern Arizona International Livestock Show. That could explain its heritage of hosting area 4H and Future Farmers of America livestock exhibits and auctions during the fair.

The sprawling livestock barn on the fairgrounds will be the temporary home to dairy goats, chickens, cows and pigeons. Yes, pigeons. The animals have been raised by teens throughout Pima County, many of whom have entered their animals to be judged before going to auction. Animals will be judged beginning April 21, and auctions will be held Aug. 29 for steers, hogs, lambs and market goats; and on Aug. 30 for poultry, pigeons, rabbits, pygmy goats and cavies, which include guinea pigs, according to Pima County Junior Livestock Sales.