Triple-digit heat could temporarily close carnival rides, Mid-State Fair warns
Some carnival rides at the Mid-State Fair may face “temporary closures” as a heat wave moves through San Luis Obispo County and brings high temperatures to Paso Robles on Wednesday.
That’s according to an announcement made on the Mid-State Fair’s Facebook page on Wednesday — the first official day of the Fair’s 2026 season.
“Due to today’s high temperatures, some carnival rides may be temporarily closed throughout the day if ride surfaces reach unsafe temperatures,” the post said.
Most rides were expected to remain open, but the post emphasized that temporary closures may occur as conditions change. Fair rides were free on Wednesday with the price of admission.
“The safety of our guests is always our top priority,” the post said.
The announcement comes as SLO County faces a heat advisory due to a “heat dome” bringing possible triple-digit temperatures to some inland communities. The National Weather Service forecast for Paso Robles showed that temperatures could reach a high of 107 degrees on Wednesday afternoon.
The heat wave was also slated to cause PG&E public service power shutoffs near Lake Nacimiento on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the SLO County Office of Emergency Services.
And the heat advisory was not the only thing causing a stir at the fairgrounds this year.
On Tuesday, a large tree branch fell on a parked vehicle, injuring one person who was then sent to the hospital, a news release said.
Soon after, a city water main broke in the roadway right in front of the fairgrounds, The Tribune reported.
The water main break caused a northbound road closure on Riverside Avenue between 24th Street and Gregory Avenue, a news release said, and caused water to be shut off to local businesses in the area including portions of the Paso Robles Event Center.
Neither the fallen tree branch incident nor the water main break were expected to impact operations at the Mid-State Fair on Wednesday, according to fair spokesperson Shonna Howenstine.
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