California's official state fair, held at Cal Expo in northeastern Sacramento for two weeks in late July and early August. The fair is genuinely agricultural at its core — livestock judging, crop competitions, butter sculptures, and competitive canning are as prominent as carnival rides and commercial exhibitions. The Central Valley's farming communities take the competitions seriously.
The fair also programmes significant concert acts at its amphitheatre and has a large wine and craft beer competition that is taken seriously by California producers. The summer heat (regularly above 38°C during the fair) makes the evening hours more pleasant than the afternoon; the fairgrounds are not well shaded. Attend for the agricultural spectacle rather than the entertainment; the former is unique to California, the latter is not.