
By SDCN Editor
Del Mar, CA–The 22nd District Agricultural Association — which produces the annual San Diego County Fair and owns and operates the Del Mar Fairgrounds — recently received 40 awards for excellence from the Western Fairs Association (WFA).
The honors for the 2024 Fair and the District include 20 first-place awards, including a Featured Category award.
The award announcements were made in conjunction with WFA’s annual Convention in Reno, Nevada, earlier this month.
WFA has developed its awards programs to recognize fairs for extraordinary achievements in their marketing, publicity, competitive exhibits, photography, and agricultural education efforts, among others. Entries are judged by panels of experts in their respective fields. The judges base their decisions on creativity, use of theme, production excellence, best use of resources, highest level of innovation, and other criteria. The District competes in divisions with other mega-fairs across the nation.
“We are proud to have produced a high-quality Fair in 2024, and these awards from our industry colleagues are a reflection of our team’s hard work and dedication,” said Carlene Moore, the District’s CEO. “We look forward to building on our successes this year as we invite our community to experience the joys, thrills, and Pet-tacular fun of the 2025 San Diego County Fair.”
Nearly 900,000 people attended the 20-day 2024 San Diego County Fair. The Fair’s theme was “Let’s Go Retro,” a nostalgic and fun journey through the cultural zeitgeist of the ‘50s through the ‘90s.
In November, the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) also presented the San Diego County Fair with an unprecedented 24 awards. With the WFA awards haul, this brings the total number of honors for the 2024 season to 64 — a significant increase over the 48 awards in 2023 and the most the District has received in recent memory.
The 2025 San Diego County Fair will open on June 11 and run through July 6. This year’s theme is “Summer Pet-tacular” – a celebration of pets and pet ownership. Fair admission and concert ticket sales are scheduled for sale in March.
Here is the full list of WFA award-winning entries for 2024:
First Place
Featured Programs
- Best Use of Artificial Intelligence: Illustrations for “The Daily Buzz” employee newsletter
Competitive Exhibits
- New Competition: Eclipse Photography
- Best Way to Celebrate Exhibitors: Exhibitor Appreciation Night
Innovations and Management Excellence
- New Fairtime Event, Exhibit or Program: Let’s Go Retro Theme Exhibit
- New Cultural Program: Powwow at the Fair
- Community Partnership: Street Banner Program
- Overall Fair Sponsorship Program: Let’s Go Retro Sponsorship Campaign
- Partnership between the Fair and Service Member: The Flying Royals and North County Transit District Outreach & Bilingual Videos (English) (Spanish)
Media and Marketing
- Television Ad Series: Let’s Go Retro campaign
- Single Radio Ad: Chevy 75th Annual Junior Livestock Auction
- Radio Ad Series: Let’s Go Retro campaign
- Single Radio Ad – Foreign Language: Northgate Hispanic Concerts (Spanish)
- Single Social Media Ad – Foreign Language: Los Tucanes de Tijuana Promotion (Spanish)
- Self-Produced Social Media Video: Visit the Fair on a $50 Budget
- E-mail campaign: Let’s Go Retro campaign
- Fairtime Advertising Poster: Toyota Summer Concert Series
- Public Relations Campaign: Community Outreach & Binational Media Relations Efforts
Photography Competition
- Carnival: Girl on Dad’s Shoulders
- Exhibits: Fine Art Exhibit
- Commercial Vendor Booth: Fairgoer trying on a Hat
Second Place
Featured Programs
- Creative Promotions to Combat Inflation in the Fair Industry: Fair Discount Offers
Competitive Exhibits
- Agricultural Programming: The Farm & Plant*Grow*Eat
- Best Solution for a Display Challenge: Chalk Art Displays
Innovations and Management Excellence
- Volunteers: Photography Judges
- Community Outreach – Embracing Diversity: Growing the Fair’s Diversity Program
Media and Marketing
- Social Media Ad Series: Toyota Summer Concert Series
- Fair Logo:Let’s Go Retro logo
- Special Event Logo:Fair-tastic Food Competition
- Fair time Commemorative Poster: Let’s Go Retro poster
- Outdoor Advertising: Bulletins/Billboards
- Theme Program: Let’s Go Retro theme
- Overall Fair Marketing Campaign: Let’s Go Retro campaign
Photography Competition
- Food & Beverage: Boy with Funnel Cake
- Animals: Petting Zoo
- Entertainment & Ground Acts: Lumia at The Sound
Third Place
Media and Marketing
- Single Television Ad: Pepsi Pay-One-Price Days
- Television Ad – Foreign Language: $3 Off Albertsons Offer (Spanish)
- Single Social Media Ad: Meta ads promoting Carnival Rides
Photography Competition
- People at the Fair: Couple with Giant Stuffed Panda
- Food Concession Stand: Artist painting the Avenue