The 22nd District Agricultural Association, operators of the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, is spending a record $1.3 million in advertising expenditures to promote this summer’s 20-day San Diego County Fair, which opens Wednesday, June 10.
It’s the highest dollar amount for advertising in the history of the fair, which traces its roots to 1880. As the region’s longest-running and largest community event, the fair generates roughly $328 million in economic impact on the region, said fair officials.
The fair’s ad campaign, highlighting the 2026 theme of “Once Upon a Fair,” began in February and will conclude when the fair ends on July 5. It will include television, radio and streaming audio, outdoor, print, digital and social media. Target audience includes residents of San Diego County, Temecula and Northern Baja California and Tijuana.
According to Jennifer Hellman, marketing director for the Del Mar Fairgrounds, roughly one-third of the overall advertising buy will be spent on TV and radio commercials and more than 22% dedicated to paid social.
Early ads encouraged participation in the fair’s many competitive arts, crafts, culinary and agricultural competitions, which resulted in a substantial increase in participation (for example, a 60% increase in woodworking exhibitors.)
In addition, about 15% of advertising dollars will be dedicated to Spanish-language messaging, targeting both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Outdoor advertising will include transit bus-side panels, freeway and service-street billboards, mall wallscapes and digital billboards near the international border. Digital transit shelters have featured creative counting down the days until opening day of the Fair.
New this year for outdoor advertising was outfield fence signage at Peoria Sports Complex targeting baseball fans attending San Diego Padres’ spring training games.
Publicity value generated by news coverage and live broadcasts is expected to exceed $3 million dollars. A variety of concert and general admission ticket giveaways are being offered on more than 20 radio and TV stations.
The Fair’s media team hosted media events leading up to opening day, including a partnership with San Diego City and County Libraries in February, a “sneak peek” of fair food and entertainment in May, a bi-national press conference held in Tijuana in May and an opening preview of the featured Theme Exhibit in early June.
New this year has been an expanded effort to connect with local social media influencers, those individuals who have built an audience and have the ability to shape opinions, behaviors and purchasing decisions over social media.
Hellman said fair officials are working with about 100 San Diego-regional influencers who have a minimum of 10,000 followers on either Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat or Threads.
“The Fair has deep roots in this community, so our marketing has to honor tradition while evolving with the way people discover and share experiences today,” Hellman told Times of San Diego. “Our approach is about bringing the Fair’s value to life in ways that feel relevant to each audience in their preferred language and on their favorite platforms. That’s how we build awareness, strengthen community connection and inspire people to attend.”
This year’s overall campaign is expected to generate more than 115 million impressions, said Hellman.
“The San Diego County Fair is the greatest story our community has ever told,” said Sam Nejabat, board chair, 22nd District Agricultural Association. “It’s a tale of food, fun, friends, family, laughter, tradition, music, amazement, and pure unbridled joy. Our fair is always an unforgettable event.”
The San Diego County Fair began as an agricultural fair in 1880 in National City. It was held in several locations before moving to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1936 with an 11-day run which began on Oct. 8, 1936 and drew 50,000 people. The fair was suspended in 1942 for World War II when the fairgrounds site was used for war-related training and manufacturing.
The fair resumed in 1946 and continued until a two-year hiatus related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 fair was cancelled. In 2021, when a total of about $50,000 was spent on advertising, the pandemic-affected fair limited attendance and required face masks for all guests, ages 2 and up.
The 2026 fair runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., July 10 through July 5, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. As in recent years, the fair is open Wednesdays through Sundays only.
Ticket prices vary by day of the week, age bracket and if they’re purchased in advance. Admission on opening day is $5 per person before 5 p.m. On other days, general admission prices for adults start at $17, if purchased in advance. Children ages 5 and under are free and children ages 6-to-12 are free on Fridays. For tickets and other information, visit SDFair.com.
c3 Communications retained by 365 Connect
San Diego public relations firm c3 Communications has been selected as the agency of record by 365 Connect, a non-profit that connects corporations and donors with nonprofit organizations to create a shared sense of purpose.
Joice Truban Curry, c3 president and CEO, said 365 Connect, founded in 2021, orchestrates events that connect employees at corporations and businesses with nonprofits needing volunteers. As a leader in corporate engagement and social impact programs, 365 Connect is committed to creating a culture that meets community challenges head-on, she said.
Curry also said 365 Connect believes volunteer engagement is the glue that holds a community together, uniting people, strengthening organizations and creating lasting social impact.
“We are very excited to work with 365 Connect helping expand their voice and brand’s impact on communities,” she said. “Helping others and making an impact is part of the core values of c3 Communications. We are honored to partner with a like-minded, wonderful organization that at the end of the day makes a difference.”
Working with Home Depot, one of the nonprofit’s biggest clients, 365 Connect has provided turn-key solutions that take the guesswork out of corporate volunteerism and employee engagement. Recently, 365 Connect organized San Diego-area Home Depot employees who painted a building serving military veterans, said Curry.
Former KUSI-TV news director Steve Cohen advances to Nov. 3 general election
Former KUSI-TV news director Steve Cohen has advanced to the Nov. 3 general election to face incumbent Rep. Scott Peters to represent California’s 50th Congressional District, which includes part of the city of San Diego and inland North County.
With an estimated 77% of ballots counted in San Diego County from the June 2 primary election, Peters leads Cohen by just over 6 percentage points (47.74% to 41.42%) with 80,635 votes for Peters compared to 69,951 for Cohen.
The percentages and vote totals are likely to change until the Registrar of Voters certifies the results by July 10. But, the order of finish is expected to remain unchanged.
As of press time, four other challenges had received less than 8% of the vote combined, including Democrats Aishwarya “Sparky” Mitra (6.97%), Tim Arnous (1.76%), Joseph “Joe” Shea of the Libertarian Party (1.60%) and Lucinda Jahn with no party preference (0.52%).
Cohen was the only Republican in a field of six candidates that included Peters, who has served in Congress for 13 years and is currently in his seventh term.
“I want to thank what will be more than 70,000 voters in this primary who proved that a change is required in Congress District 50,” Cohen told Times of San Diego.
“My support is from all parties. The message of having an advocate for the majority of us is resonating. This is the strongest showing in a primary against an incumbent in memory. It offers great hope that I can prevail in the general to all voters.”
Cohen’s 20-year run as KUSI’s news director ended in October 2023, when Nexstar Media Group finalized its acquisition of McKinnon Broadcasting Co. and San Diego’s KUSI-TV station. At the time, Cohen was in his 50th year of working in television news.
During his half-century in TV newsroom executive positions, Cohen managed TV newsrooms in some of America’s largest markets, including New York, Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as stations in Arkansas, Utah and Buffalo, New York. His earned his first news director job in 1973 in Peoria, Ill.
Cohen, 79, recently told Times of San Diego he received a phone call last March from the Republican Party of San Diego County.
“They were looking for candidates to run for Congress against Scott Peters, and they wanted someone who they considered `substantial,’ as they put it,” Cohen said as he launched his campaign. “I thought about it, called them back and said, `Let’s give it a shot.’
“So, here I am, giving speeches, asking for votes and campaigning like I was a 20-year-old. Sure, I could be talking walks on the beach, but I would prefer to be in the game. I’m not afraid of swimming in the deep end.
“I’m not a politician, but I’ve spent my entire career covering politicians. I’m running for Congress because I’ve watched from behind the camera long enough. It’s obvious to me that Congress is broken. I’ve spent 50 years holding the powerful accountable, and I’m not stopping now.”
Of the roughly 760,000 residents who live within the 50th Congressional district boundaries, Cohen said registered Democrats outnumber Republican voters by nearly a 2 to 1 margin. Registered voters total about 475,000, according to the Secretary of State.
California’s 50th Congressional District includes key San Diego County communities, such as La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Point Loma, Coronado, downtown San Diego, Poway and portions of San Marcos and Escondido.
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