The 22nd District Agricultural Association, operators of the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds, is spending a record $1.3 million on advertising to promote this summer’s San Diego County Fair — the largest ad budget in the event’s 146-year history. The 20-day fair opens June 10, 2026, with the theme “Once Upon a Fair.”
The fair, which traces its roots to 1880, generates roughly $328 million in economic impact on the San Diego region, according to fair officials. The advertising campaign, which began in February and runs through the fair’s conclusion on July 5, spans television, radio, streaming audio, outdoor, print, digital, and social media channels.
Marketing director Jennifer Hellman said roughly one-third of the overall advertising buy will go to TV and radio commercials, while more than 22 percent is dedicated to paid social media. Approximately 15 percent of the budget targets Spanish-language messaging on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, reflecting the fair’s effort to engage audiences in Tijuana and Northern Baja California alongside San Diego County and Temecula residents.
Outdoor advertising includes transit bus-side panels, freeway and surface-street billboards, mall wallscapes, and digital billboards near the international border. A new addition this year was outfield fence signage at Peoria Sports Complex, targeting San Diego Padres spring training attendees.
The fair is also expanding its influencer marketing effort, working with approximately 100 San Diego-area influencers who have a minimum of 10,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, or Threads. Early advertising campaigns encouraging participation in competitive arts and crafts resulted in measurable increases, including a 60 percent jump in woodworking exhibitors.
The overall campaign is projected to generate more than 115 million impressions. Publicity value from news coverage and live broadcasts is expected to exceed $3 million. The fair began as an agricultural exhibition in National City in 1880 and moved to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1936.
Sources: Times of San Diego, San Diego County Fair
