The San Diego County Fair, widely regarded as the attraction that represents the beginning of summer in San Diego, is set to open up to the public on Friday, June 8 and will run to July 4.

This year features the theme “Out of this World.” The Fair will explore outer space and the universe along with all of their usual musical performances, scary rides, and fried food (sdfair.com).

The San Diego County Fair website features a “countdown to blastoff” ticking down to the moment the fair opens. Two new exhibits based on this year’s theme will be available: “Out of this World” and “Area Fifty-Fun.” The former will be mainly educational, while the latter will be alien, spaceship, and science-fiction centered (sdfair.com).

Some of the other highlights of the space theme will include a Mars simulation, a space shuttle program, an astronaut hall of fame, and NASA programs. In addition, there will be  “star-gazing,” “moon-walking,” and the chance to experience a “UFO.”

Another new exhibit this year will be “Our Body: The Universe Within,” which features real human anatomy, organs, and specimens. The exhibit will be an extra $7 in addition to general fair admission (sdfair.com).

Some of the big names that will perform on the Heineken Grandstand Stage are Demi Lovato (June 12), Cody Simpson (June 13), Switchfoot (June 15), Hot Chelle Rae (June 20), Scotty McCreery (June 26), and Train (June 30). There will also be countless other performances, and the Eighth Annual Gospel Festival will be held June 9 (sdfair.com).

As equally anticipated as the exhibits and performers is the selection of food that the Fair will have to offer. “I like eating all the different foods they have, and I love eating the caramel apples,” said Freshman Bailey Setzler.

The Fair is incorporating a new health kick, as they’re introducing healthier items to the traditional repertoire of fried food that Fair-goers have grown accustomed to. Pineapple Express and The Lobster Shack are two of the new restaurants with healthier menus that are being featured (sdfair.com).

However, the fried food will still be available as well. Bacon-A-Fair will wrap practically anything edible in bacon, and Chicken Charlie’s is expanding their fried foods to include deep-fried cereal, deep-fried pork chops, and deep-fried peanut butter and jelly. Various restaurants around the fair are serving deep-fried chili and cheese, deep-fried piecrust strips, and deep-fried green beans (sdfair.com).