Eight rides at this year’s California State Fair promise a “100% thrill” for adrenaline junkies. But do they deliver on the heart-pounding, stomach-dropping experience they advertise?
The fair, which opened last week and runs through Aug. 2, offers a wide range of attractions, from live entertainment acts to livestock exhibitions. But among its biggest draws is, of course, a fair staple; the carnival rides. Thirty rides are available for adults to try out at the fair this summer, and eight promise a “100% thrill” experience, boasting speeds of up to 70 mph, rapid flips and 360 degree spins for ride goers.
As a summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee and casual adrenaline seeker (my credentials are limited to prove the latter point, but I can assure you I do love a good rollercoaster ride, and I have bungee jumped, if that offers anything) I decided to test five of the eight “100% thrill” rides to determine if they delivered as much bang for one’s buck as promised.
On Monday afternoon, I set out with a fellow intern video journalist, a GoPro around my neck and a pink fast-track wristband. We traipsed through the fair, and I made my choices based on the promising lines of waiting ride participants: The King XXL, Inversion, Vertigo, Supershot Drop Tower and Hip Hop. Although I was unable to attempt the Turbo Speed, Mega Flip or Invader, if they were anything like the rest, I’m certain I would have been in for a good time.
My review standards were simple: did my stomach drop? Did I get pleasantly dizzy? Did I scream and yearn for solid ground as I flew through the air?
At 8:30 p.m., I left the fair, my adrenaline fix satiated. Here’s how they fared, with information on how to give them each a whirl yourself at the end.
5. Vertigo
- Stomach drop: 0/10
- Dizzying effect: 8/10
- Scream impulse: 0/10
- Tickets to ride: 6
- Selling point: Swinging in a circular motion atop a 100-foot tower with 23 other passengers.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t a big fan of Vertigo. From the ground, the smooth, rotating ride looked interesting — suspended in twelve pairs of seats, passengers spin at a slight angle for about a minute before descending back to the surface. I figured surely there would be some thrill in that for this ride to be rated 100%.
But once I belted myself in, I realized my expectations were a bit too high. While Vertigo didn’t offer a major “scream” impulse as the other rides I tried out, it did exert some uncomfortable forces on my body that pushed me back into my seat. At the tilted angle, I also found myself rather dizzy — an experience that was true to the ride’s name but erred on the side of being downright unpleasant.
I decided that Vertigo may just not have been my cup of tea — after all, I prefer a carnival ride that makes me want to yell in terror to one that makes me nauseated. However, as we descended, the stranger-turned-ride-companion sitting next to me voiced similar sentiments, explaining that she was underwhelmed and mildly dizzy in a manner that she did not enjoy.
Still, passengers behind us stumbled as we got off the ride with grins on their faces. A line of waiting participants watched us as we went up the tower, spun, and came back down, eager for their turn. So, perhaps Vertigo would be, and was, enjoyable for a certain type of adrenaline-seeker, even if that wasn’t the case for me.
4. The King XXL
- Stomach drop: 8/10
- Dizzying effect: 8/10
- Scream impulse: 8/10
- Tickets to ride: 8
- Selling point: Towering over almost every other ride, you swing on a claw pendulum with 19 other people, up to the point of being tilted at a 90-degree angle to the ground.
Let me preface this by saying that The King XXL appeared to be a crowd favorite — and deserved the mantle. Scores of people lined up to board at 6:30 p.m. on a Monday, and my fellow passengers screamed and clutched each other as the pendulum reached the heights and angles it promised.
My ranking is therefore more reflective of a personal preference I have for rides where you feel like you’re flying freely and aren’t facing anyone else (there’s less of a safety net feeling, which can be truly thrilling). On The King XXL, you’re seated in four gondolas that face inwards, so much of the ride’s views are the parking lot, sky and other passengers — which I imagine would be fun if you were with a large group of people. I, unfortunately, was on a solo intern adventure.
Speaking of the adventure itself, The King XXL started off slowly, swinging to the left and right like a pendulum. We were above the ground but not to any staggering height. I was beginning to mentally reorder my rankings to reflect a mounting feeling of disappointment when suddenly, the ride swung us with such force that I was thrust back into my seat, unable to even muster a scream. The parking lot was to my left, and a picturesque blue sky to my right, as I found myself experiencing the notorious 90-degree angle in the ride description. My mind whirled as I thought about my earrings and GoPro and uttered a silent prayer they wouldn’t fly off.
When we descended, I found myself grateful for solid ground — a sign of a successful carnival ride endeavor. So, while The King XXL may not have been my favorite, owing to my lack of company, it’s definitely worth a try — especially you have a few friends who agree to go along.
3. Supershot Drop Tower
- Stomach drop: 9/10
- Dizzying effect: 0/10
- Scream impulse: 9.5/10
- Tickets to ride: 6
- Selling point: A classic attraction, you and 11 other passengers ascend to the top of a multi-story tower and drop rapidly in accelerated free fall.
A drop tower has been on my list of rides to try again for a while, so I was ecstatic to find the carnival staple available at the state fair. I eagerly sat down in one of twelve seats in the circular passenger station, and gawked with glee as the ride began the slow climb to the top of the 90-foot tower.
I must say — the climb to the top created some stomach-dropping tension. Every moment that I was certain we would stop soon, we climbed even higher, where I gaped at the sweeping view of the midway and the little people below, and sighed wistfully at the solid ground so far below me.
The moment the ride paused at the top — the very split second of anticipation before the drop — was equally fantastic, and worth a return trip. As soon as I tried to brace myself, I was plummeted in a rapid free fall that compelled a yelp of pure shock and delight. I stumbled off the ride feeling truly thrilled.
However, I will cushion my comments by adding that for thrill-seekers who prefer rapid spins and flips to get their adrenaline kick, the Supershot Drop Tower may not be for you. It’s not disorienting and the ascent, while enjoyable for me, could seem tedious to those who prefer to jump right into a ride experience that leaves you breathless and ever so slightly jarred.
Still, I would say the Supershot Drop Tower is a must-do, and lives true to its promise of delivering a thrill.
2. Hip Hop
- Stomach drop: 8/10
- Dizzying effect: 8.5/10
- Scream impulse: 8.5/10
- Tickets to ride: 7
- Selling point: A “spectacular, high-octane assault on the senses” that will propel you 18 meters into the air, tumbling and flipping through the sky
Hip Hop was deceiving. The ride started off mundanely — I was in an independent seat, no companion by my side, being jerked to the left and right by a crane-like arm without any major terror or thrill. LED lights pulsed and music roared as I spun towards the sky, my brows furrowed, wondering when I would get to experience a carnival ride that would leave me exhilarated.
Just as I began to question if that was all Hip Hop had to offer, my seat was yanked several meters into the air by the massive robot arm. One moment, I was looking at the side of the ride, and the next, I was staring at the ground, rotated upside-down as my hair flew in all directions. I couldn’t help but scream — and use some language I hoped the GoPro didn’t pick up.
As the ride ended — and there were moments when I felt I would be stuck on it forever — I both wanted to go again, and get away from the bright-green ride decor. Hip Hop had truly delivered its promise of a “spectacular, high-octane assault on the senses,” and while I enjoyed it for the most part, I knew that one moment longer, and I would have been left with the bitter taste of bile in my mouth.
That said, Hip Hop is the perfect ride for those who enjoy freer suspension, rapid speeds and twists — in both the literal and figurative sense, as the ride keep you on your toes (while throwing you into the air, with the ground roughly 60 feet below).
1. Inversion
- Stomach drop: 9/10
- Dizzying effect: 9.5/10
- Scream impulse: 8.5/10
- Tickets to ride: 7
- Selling point: Open air seats, intense G-forces, and being flipped over in a continuous 360-degree spin.
This ride was exactly what I was hoping to experience at the state fair.
Inversion delivers on stomach-dropping, dizzying and scream-inspiring thrills. I had minimal expectations when I boarded the ride. Quickly, I learned that even if I did, it would have made minimal difference because Inversion would have defied them anyway.
I was thrown into the air, my legs swinging in suspension as I clutched the GoPro around my neck and hoped it wouldn’t fly off. During several moments, I was upside-down and gawking at beautiful blue skies and then the ground, which was so far below. Nearby, other passengers screamed and hollered for their lives. I couldn’t help but shriek myself and laugh as the ride tossed me into the air.
Inversion is the kind of ride I would recommend to someone who loves the feeling of free-flying, and desires a jam-packed rollercoaster ride with all the components an adrenaline junkie would desire. You can’t go wrong with giving it a try — unless you’re prone to motion sickness and hate heights, in which case I would say, stay far away.
How can I ride the carnival rides at the State Fair?
Pay One Price, or POP, Ride wristbands are $45 Monday through Thursday and $50 Friday through Sunday, separate from admission fares, and grant visitors access to all the carnival rides the fair offers — provided passengers meet height and condition requirements. Adult rides, for example, do not have age restrictions, but riders below the minimum height specifications are not permitted to board the ride.
Each POP Ride wristband is valid until 11 p.m. and can be purchased in advance or day-of until 10 p.m.
The carnival rides are open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Tuesdays, kids ride free all day and all guests pay $2 per carnival ride. On Wednesdays, carnival-goers can save $10 on ride passes as well.
The Sacramento Bee
Reeti Malhotra is a 2026 summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee covering breaking news. She is a junior at Yale University, where she works as a city beat reporter and personal essay staff writer for the Yale Daily News.
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