Here is a guide on what to know for the 2021 Arizona State Fair

PHOENIX — After taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arizona State Fair returns to Phoenix on Friday.

The monthlong event will again have its share of peculiar tastes, smells and thrills, all of which were missing last year outside of occasional drive-thru festivities.

The fair has a special start time of 5 p.m. on opening day.

The fair nearly had its 2021 season somewhere else when its board unanimously voted in March to move the event to Chandler for more space.

The proposal to relocate to Gila River’s Wild Horse Pass was scrapped in early August.

The fair attracted more than 1.2 million visitors in 2019, the highest total seen in more than a decade.

Here’s a guide on what to know about this year’s edition of the fair:

Performances

There won’t be concerts inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum this year “due to the financial, safety and fluidity of the touring industry,” according to the fair.

Instead, tribute bands will play at the backyard stage on most nights.

Performances will happen at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

A full list of tribute bands and other performances can be found here.

COVID-19 protocols

Masks are encouraged but not required regardless of vaccination status.

The fair said it will monitor COVID-19 conditions and make adjustments as needed based on recommendations from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Attendees are also encouraged to buy tickets in advance to minimize touch points and wait times.

Activities

There will be more than 50 rides this year for fairgoers.

That includes Titan, the 17-story pendulum ride that flings riders into the air and back to the ground, potentially reaching 4Gs.

Titan, which debuted in 2019, is also the most expensive ride.

A full list of rides and their prices can be found here.

Food

The fair hosted multiple drive-thru weekend food events in 2020, but attendees will be able to enjoy all the fried, tasty goodness up close again on the grounds in 2021.

Here’s a tease of what to expect this year:

Fair Food is the BEST food! 🌭🍗🍿🍦 Come see for yourself next week! 🤤https://t.co/BztqmqCfXh pic.twitter.com/Qy1Kcbl1yG

— Arizona State Fair (@azstatefair) September 23, 2021

Tickets and hours

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (ages 55 and older) and children (ages 5-13), and are free for children under 5.

The fair will run Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 30. Hours will be noon to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Season passes will not be available this year.

Deals are available on certain days throughout the month.

Parking

Parking in the two lots owned by the fair will run you between $8 and $25.

The west lot at Encanto Boulevard between 19th and 20th avenues costs $8.

The north lot at 19th and Monte Vista avenues costs $12, with a VIP parking option for $25.

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