Del Mar Fair — 4th of July

The San Diego County Fair on the Fourth of July is the version of the fair that has its own finale built in. The day starts the same — the midway, the food that makes no nutritional sense and tastes exactly right, the livestock pavilion, the exhibits, the concerts on the main stage, the crowd that spans every demographic in a way that county fairs uniquely manage. And then the sun drops behind the hills and the fireworks start over the fairgrounds and you realize you picked the right night to come.

Del Mar is the best fair in the region — bigger than most county fairs, with better food and better concerts, and a setting that mixes classic carnival energy with something that feels specifically Southern Californian. On the Fourth it adds the one thing that makes summer feel like summer: fireworks you can watch while standing on a midway with a corn dog in your hand.

Tickets at sdfair.com. Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar. July 4th. Arrive before dark if you want to walk the fair. Stay for what happens after.