Gear Up for the Orange County Fair

The Orange County Fair is a local institution that celebrates the work of artists and crafty people, agriculture aficionados and youth programs. Additionally, the fair is the biggest party in town offering top rate entertainment, thrilling carnival rides and fabulous food. In its 121 years, the fair entrants have evolved to incorporate trends of the day, currently including the use of technology and multimedia. Fountain Valley residents annually participate in several of the competitions, and they frequent the fair’s attractions.

What are your plans for the fair days of 2011? I love the concerts and the home craft exhibits. Kids seem to gravitate to the livestock barns and the rides. Regardless of your interests, the fair is close, reasonably priced and a great outdoor experience. This year’s celebration is themed LET’S EAT!, and runs for 23 days, from July 15 to  Aug. 14, but don’t wait to get involved. Now is the time to plan for concerts and events. Many competition entry deadlines are quickly approaching, and concert tickets are now on sale. Online submissions for most contests are due by June 1, and online agriculture entries close on June 10. 

Feeling the urge to make your mark? Competitions are slated for the following categories: homemade beer, youth contests, collections, home arts and culinary, floral, photography, jewelry, fine arts and woodworking. Find information for entering the fair competitions here.

Among the Fountain Valley success stories from last year’s OC Fair are:

Collections
Crystal Eckman (in the age 13-15 category) and John Borack (sports)

Home Arts and Crafts
Alice Pauck, for her cookies, bars and brownies; Alice Pauck for various cakes; Amy Davis Iversen for cookies, bars and brownies, quick breads and muffins; Christine in quilts and coverlets; and  Pat Wells for tole painting

Woodworking
Stan Macrill, for several categories, and Carol Walling won for her boxes

Concerts and more
My family loves the concerts at the fair. Each year we purchase tickets to several events, held under the stars in nearby Costa Mesa. The venue is clean and comfortable, and you can actually make eye contact with the performers from many seats for a special experience. Concert tickets include fair entry for the entire day. Each year our friends ask as where we get our tickets. So here's the scoop:

Whether your passion for music lies in country, rock or pop, you will find great artists performing on OC Fair stages at reasonable prices. Scheduled to perform are Bob Dylan, Neon Trees, Chris Isaak, Blake Shelton (featured on “The Voice”) and more. Tribute bands will play music of Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Journey, The Beatles and others. Fans of motocross, kart racing (new this year), rodeo and mixed martial arts will enjoy events at the fair. But don’t wait to purchase tickets; some go very fast.

Can’t get enough? A SuperPass gives you entry to the fair every day of the 2011 season. The prices are a bargain for anyone planning a couple visits, but special events and concerts are not included in the package. Enjoy the leisurely approach to seeing the fair with a SuperPass – and some event purchases can gain you a complimentary SuperPass.