Fun and Games at the San Diego Fair

Written By Kyle Lundberg

It’s all about the game at this year’s San Diego County Fair. The theme of the fair is “Game On!” and the main exhibit, located in the activity center, features a variety of gaming genres, including board games, Legos and video games.

Kids can enjoy jumbo-sized versions of some of their favorite games, from Operation to Connect Four to Twister. For their parents, there are classic arcade cabinets featuring Pac Man, Donkey Kong and Galaga, as well as the Shooting Gallery Saloon, which also doubles as an actual drink bar.

The most impressive aspect of the exhibit is the in-depth historical background it provides. There’s an exhaustive feature on the history of Monopoly, as well as a section describing the evolution of some of the most well-known video game heroes. There’s also a modern gaming section that stands in stark contrast to the arcade games of yore.

In addition, there are a variety of tournaments and information sessions throughout the fair, including how-tos on designing games and tournaments.

Game On is an all-around impressive exhibit, particularly compared to last year’s somewhat underwhelming “Out of This World” space exhibit. It successfully mines gaming’s past, rejoices in its present, and looks forward to its promising future.

Where: Activity Center (just inside the main entrance) at the San Diego County Fair.

When: Every day during the fair, which runs through July 4.

For dates, hours, parking and everything else you need to know about the San Diego Fair read: Game On: Your Ultimate Guide to the San Diego County Fair 2013.