The “Biggest Little Fair Anywhere” is making its return to the Central Coast next month and many people are looking forward to the summer event.
San Luis Obispo County resident Riley Warren plans to go to the fair this year for his first time.
“The headliners seem pretty cool and I've seen cool pictures of it so I want to go,” he said.
With hundreds of thousands of people attending the fair every year, there is a lot of foot traffic around the Paso Robles Event Center.
“There's numerous pedestrians that walk during the Mid-State Fair," said Paso Robles Capital Projects Engineer Ditas Esperanza.
The city has been working to make roads near the event center more accessible. That includes paving the intersection of 24th St. and Park St., and new additions to the 24th St. and Riverside Ave. intersection right outside the fairgrounds.
"We were able to install a new sidewalk there and then, towards 24th St., the grade starts getting steep, so there's a handrail there too," Esperanza said. "Then we were able to put a new curb ramp at the corner there."
There are also new crosswalk push buttons to improve pedestrian safety.
According to Esperanza, the city plans to continue working on accessibility in that area for future fairs, including widening the two-lane bridge over the railroad tracks on 24th St., making way for a clear pedestrian path.
The city’s accessibility funding is paying for the projects.
“We put away a little bit of money every fiscal year to this fund," Esperanza said.
“I think that's a good thing. If it's helping pedestrianize the area. I'm sure, [with] thousands of people, it's going to be crazy," Warren said.
The Mid-State Fair will kick off on July 16.
