Napa Town and Country Fair returns with new performances, Porchest ‘pop-up’ and more

With summer ending soon, it’s time to enjoy a weekend at the fairgrounds with an array of live entertainment, carnival rides and food as the four-day Napa Town and Country Fair returns.

And this year it’s expected to be bigger than ever.

“I’m excited for people to kind of turn the corner at the midway and see the carnival setup and see the size and the scale of it this year,” said Corey Oakley, CEO of Napa Valley Expo.

With an attendance last year of about 42,000 people over four days, Oakley said he believes this year will attract even more as it boasts more entertainment offerings and there’s been increased marketing.

“The last couple of years have been a little different and have been good guest experiences,” Oakley said. “I think that will bode well for us this year.”

This year’s fair, which runs Aug. 8-Aug. 11 at the Napa Valley Expo, features several new additions, including a Porchfest “pop-up” Aug. 10.

Organizers of the beloved downtown music festival teamed up with fair officials to revive it on the fair’s stage after its cancellation earlier this year.

“I think it’s a cool partnership and a cool way during their gap year to be able to keep their messaging out there,” Oakley said.

The re-imagined Porchfest will debut on the fair’s Locals Live! Stage, transformed into a “fair porch” for the day.

The fair’s three stages will also host other performances, from the return of the Fierce and Fabulous drag show to popular country music band, Parmalee.

All the live performances are included in the price of admission.

“I think the value for what people are going to be able to get is one of the things I’m excited about,” Oakley said. “We did kind of step up our entertainment a little bit.”

The locals stage will also feature performances from Crush 29, who will play daily, and nightly shows from hypnotist Dr. Jon Comedy. The Pepperettes, Pomo Dances, Let’s Tap, Son Dé Metztli Grupo, Ding-a-Lings, Harmonizers and more will round out the lineup.

The Joe Anderson Plaza Stage will feature Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Aug. 8, North Carolina county music band Parmalee on Aug. 9, Breland and Chingy on Aug. 10 and La Original Banda Limon on Aug. 11.

On Aug. 9, the Fierce and Fabulous drag show, featuring Sasha Glam Devaroe and her queens, will grace the Bandstand Stage at 6:30 p.m., followed by a DJ Rotten Robbie Dance Party. Fair organizers said this event has quickly become one of the most popular events.

The Bandstand Stage lineup will also feature 7 Summers: Morgan Wallen Tribute on Aug. 8, Led Zeppelin and country cover band Township on Aug. 10 and RED: A Taylor Swift Tribute and cover band Power Play on Aug. 11.

The beloved All-Alaskan Racing Pigs will also be making a comeback, with races held three times a day on all four days of the fair.

In addition to performances, the fair is hosting a selection of carnival rides, from a grand carousel to the largest spinning roller coaster, PLUR, to ever be set up in Napa County. A designated area for kids will have smaller and tamer rides, such as slides and a circus train.

Maddy Moos will be at the fairgrounds selling cheese sticks and cheese curds, Suck It Up will be frying up fresh funnel cakes with ice cream and the classic jumbo hand-dipped corn dogs will also be available.

The Junior Livestock Auction will take place at 9 a.m. Aug. 10, with hogs, goats and lambs and more available to bid on, with each purchase helping support agricultural education for Napa County 4-H and FFA members.

A country store will be at the fairgrounds in Zinfandel Hall, where 4-H and FFA members will be selling crafts and baked goods, from freshly baked cookies to handmade candles.

An Adult and Junior Arts and Craft exhibit and competition are planned to showcase the artistic talent of Napa residents, and creations such as photography, sculpture and wood working will be available to purchase.

The fair gates open Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. and Aug. 10 and Aug. 11 at 1 p.m., with gates closing at 9 p.m. each night.

New for this year, entry tickets can only be purchased online — none will be sold on-site. All purchased tickets will come with a unique bar code that will be scanned on your phone at the entrance.

Tickets are on sale now at a special discounted price until midnight Aug. 7. They’re available at napafair.org. Prices are $12 for youths ages 6-11 and seniors 62 years old and older, and $14 for adults 14 to 61 years old.

Day of ticket prices, if available, are $15 for youth and seniors, and $18 for adults. Children 5 years old and younger are free with an accompanying adult ticket holder. Carnival wristbands for unlimited rides are $35 in advance and $50 the day of.

On opening day, all youth, seniors and active military with ID are offered free entry. On-site parking will be available for a fee, according to the fair’s news release.

All guests will be subjected to bag and security checks.

Reusable water bottles are allowed to be brought in along with homemade lunches and snacks, but fair attendees are encouraged to review the list of items prohibited from the fairgrounds.