Santa Cruz METRO Announces Free Service to the 2026 Santa Cruz County Fair

METRO riders also receive discounted admission to the Fair

For Immediate Release
Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Contact: Danielle Frost
(831) 420-2550
dfrost@scmetro.org

Santa Cruz, CA (August 28, 2026) — The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) is offering free fixed-route and ParaCruz service to the Santa Cruz County Fair, taking place September 16–20, 2026, at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. 

To provide additional transportation to the Fair, METRO has created Route 79F, a special route offering free daily service to the fairgrounds. METRO will also provide free weekend service to the fairgrounds on Route 79 on September 19–20. Registered ParaCruz customers can receive free daily service to and from the Fair throughout the five-day event with advance reservations.

Route 79F will depart from Westridge Drive at the Government Center at 35 minutes past each hour. Service will operate from 10:35 a.m. to 9:35 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 8:35 a.m. to 9:35 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The bus will travel to the Watsonville Transit Center before continuing to the fairgrounds, serving all scheduled stops along the route.

Return trips from the fairgrounds will depart on the hour from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

METRO riders who take Route 79F, Route 79, or ParaCruz to the Fair can also receive discounted admission. Upon arriving at the fairgrounds, riders should request a voucher from their operator and present it at the Fair ticket window when purchasing admission. Adults will receive a $7 discount, and youth ages 6–12 will receive a $6 discount.

Fair Service Hours

• Wednesday–Friday: 10:35 a.m.–9:35 p.m.
• Saturday–Sunday: 8:35 a.m.–9:35 p.m.

Free fares apply to eligible fixed-route and ParaCruz trips to and from the Santa Cruz County Fair.

For additional information about taking METRO to the Fair, visit scmetro.org/fair. For Fair admission and event information, visit santacruzcountyfair.com. Discount ticket details are available on the County Fair Tickets page.

About Us 

Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) 

Established in 1968, METRO’S mission is to provide environmentally sustainable transportation to Santa Cruz County. METRO directly operates county-wide, fixed-route and Highway 17 commuter service, with connections to Santa Clara County and Monterey Salinas Transit at our Watsonville Transit Center. The agency also operates ParaCruz paratransit service. Today, METRO operates a fleet of 104 buses on 20 fixed routes and 32 paratransit vehicles. 

In FY26 METRO provided 5.5 million fixed-route trips and 55,000 ParaCruz trips connecting residents to employment, schools, and medical appointments. In the last three years METRO’s ridership has increased over 70%, now 10% above pre-COVID levels, resulting in the agencies highest ridership levels since 2011.

Every ride on a METRO bus takes cars off the road, significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports economic opportunity and quality of life in our community. Moving into the future, METRO strives to increase transit ridership to 7 million trips annually within the next five years, transition to a zero-emissions fleet with a mix of hydrogen and electric vehicles, and increase affordable housing at METRO-owned transit centers to 175 units in the next 10 years. 

For more information, visit scmetro.org.