The Kern County Fair – the cultural event of the year in Bakersfield – is open from Sept. 23 to Oct. 4.  From the deep-fried Twinkies to the pig races and the Spam cooking contest, the fair is full of quirky fun. Here are some highlights.

The Balloon Samba ride from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Photo from www.kerncountyfair.com

New Rides

This year, a ride from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is making the county fair circuit, including here. The Balloon Samba will be part of the kiddie carnival and take children around in hot-air balloon carriages. Other new attractions include the Wind Surfer, a seated ride with wings controlled by the riders to simulate wind surfing; the U-Toob Funhouse, a movie-themed fun house; a new thrill ride called Spin Out, and a three-story musical maze called Club Idol.

Grandstand

It wouldn’t be the fair without rodeo, motorcycle races and … wrestling? If heart-pumping competition is your cup of tea, check out the weekend fun at the Grandstand.

• Digger Helm Short Track races: 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Free with paid admission.
• Lucha Libre: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Free with paid admission.
• PRCA Rodeo: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3. Tickets available at vallitix.com.
• Fiesta Rodeo: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. Free with paid admission.

Concerts

The Budweiser Pavilion is always great for shows we missed in decades past. And this year’s lineup is no disappointment. All shows are at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and free with fair admission.

• Country singer Phil Vassar, Wednesday, Sept. 23
• Soul group Tower of Power, Thursday, Sept. 24
• Country group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Friday, Sept. 25
• Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Skynnyn Lynnyrd, Saturday, Sept. 26
• Country star Crystal Gayle, Sunday, Sept. 27
• Boy band Hanson, Monday, Sept. 28
• Rocker Rick Springfield, Tuesday, Sept. 29
• Country group Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Wednesday, Sept. 30
• Latin jam band Salvador, Thursday, Oct. 1
• Funk band Grand Funk Railroad, Friday, Oct. 2
• Pop and R&B group The Spinners, Saturday, Oct. 3
• “Queen of Mix-Mex” Carmen Jara, Sunday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.

Theme Days

• Seniors Day, Friday, Sept. 25. Free admission all day to seniors 55 and older, and free parking until 4 p.m. Parking is $5 after 4 p.m. The fair opens early to seniors, at 9 a.m. Morning entertainment includes opening ceremonies, health screenings, entertainment on the Bolthouse stage, a Best Dressed contest, and give-aways.
• School Days, Sept. 29 and 30. Free admission from 9 a.m. to noon for children from preschool through 6th grade. Features include children’s entertainment, the Kern County Fire Department, and visits to the exhibit halls and livestock areas.
• Special Friend’s Day, Thursday, Oct. 1. The Kern County Fair welcomes people with disabilities to Special Friend’s Day from 9 a.m. to noon. There will be several entertainment acts, as well as the exhibits halls, and the Kiddie Carnival will be open from 10:30 a.m. to noon featuring six of the fair rides.

And you don’t want to miss these:

• Spam Contest, 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28, Fine Arts Building
• Diaper Derby, 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4, Circus Tent

More details

The Kern County Fairgrounds are located at 1142 S. P Street, Bakersfield. Hours are 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday Sept. 25, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday Oct. 2, noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 10 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $8 adults, $3 children 6 to 12, free for children 5 and under. Parking is $5. Carnival ride passes are $30. Buy advance tickets online at a discounted price of $6 for adults and $23 for carnival ride passes. Visit www.kerncountyfair.com or call 833-4900 for more information.

Also, you can find individual top entertainment listings in the Bakersfield Express calendar.