When I think of the County Fair I think of pie eating contests, pig races, great music and down home cooking. Throughout America, county fairs have resembled a wonderful group of energetic, hard working, and fun loving people.
Back in the day, the fair had all of the elements of an old home week. — families looked forward to seeing friends and family at the fair. It’s where great memories were made and these memories are still going strong at The Orange County Fair in Southern California. The Orange County fair started in 1889 on Fruit Street in Santa Ana as a small 5 day community celebration and has since become a 23 day event that is one of Orange County’s most eagerly awaited events of the year.
My family checks out the fair every year. We tend to go for my birthday since it’s during the fair’s July-August run. Some things have changed, like when I was 15 years old I wanted to buy an outfit with cow print and cow bells all over it (cute, but not great for my popularity — when I got to school in my new cow outfit and all the kids mooed at me) and now I want to buy appliances, but besides this it has always been a family tradition and this year was no exception. At one point my Mom, Dad, Husband, and I were so excited about all the amazing things we had seen, we were all laughing and talking over each other and my Dad said he had such a good time he felt as though it was HIS birthday.
Those are the feelings I equate with the fair: families coming together once a year to share this tradition. Everyone coming together to celebrate new recipes and new dreams. In an era of kids wanting to raise a virtual pet on Nintendo, more than a real pet at the fair, it’s neat to see so many kids in the 4-H and FFA. The memories for me will always live on and the county fair will always have a warm place in my heart.
We went to see Martina McBride who was amazing. She belted out into the stratosphere for a full hour and a half and I only saw her take a drink of water once, it was pure magic. The audience stood up after every song and she eventually got teary thanking them and saying that she wanted to sing her whole life and she is glad it worked out because she can’t do much else. Oh, except for make a great margarita. I am kinda’ the same way except its crème brule for me. Oh, and she even rocked Bon Jovi for her encore.
THINGS I RECOMMEND TO SEE…
Animals:
The baby piglets are next to the Centennial farm right next to the main entrance of the fair. Momma pig had a litter of 18 hungry little guys! If you go to ocfair.com you can also see pigs on the live web cam.
Food:
1. Foot long sausages
2. Chicken kabobs
3. Fresh peach ice cream sundaes
4. Fried artichokes
5. Cinnamon rolls
“And don’t forget to stop in for a laugh at the Heart attack cafe and take picture of the coronary combo consisting of chocolate covered bacon and fried butter. Gross.”
Entertainment:
Of the bands that are still to appear at the fair, I would recommend, B-52′s- Aug 5, or Blondie – Aug 8.
All concert tickets in the Pacific Amphitheater include free admission to the fair for the whole day of the day you are attending the concert and a free Ferris Wheel ride valued at $4.50 with your ticket stub after the concert. A whole bunch of tribute bands appear at the Hangar theatre with seats only $12.50 and that includes fair admission as well so if you are into tribute bands and are going to the fair anyway its a great deal.
All concert tickets in the Pacific Amphitheater include free admission to the fair for the whole day of the day you are attending the concert and a free Ferris Wheel ride valued at $4.50 with your ticket stub after the concert. A whole bunch of tribute bands appear at the Hangar theatre with seats only $12.50 and that includes fair admission as well so if you are into tribute bands and are going to the fair anyway its a great deal.
Products I recommend:
1. Water Rover-If you have a pet I highly recommend the water rover. Its hands free (clips to your belt or can fit in your purse), waste free (the extra water goes back in the bottle) leak free (even when held upside down) and hassle free (wide mouth bottle is easy to fill with water) The water bottle comes with a bowl attached to it so you can pour out the amount of water your pet needs. Its super handy when you are on the go and do not have a bowl for your pet. I already had a regular size one that I love and bought a purse size one at the fair. They range from $9-$20 and they even have one for horses.
2. Vita Mix- If you have ever wanted this amazing machine the fair is the place to get it. It’s cheaper at the fair than on line and you don’t have to pay shipping. I have one myself and it is fantastic. It makes smoothies, soup, and frozen desserts all with the same blender and you can put whole apples in it. It’s better than a juicer because you get the extra vitamins from all of the fruit and you can even sneak in veggies without tasting them. Forget about needing complicated food processors, hand blenders, choppers, or anything else in your lifetime. You can get all that room back on your counters by having one simple machine. It’s pricey, but worth it. If you have one already they have a mini blender that has a dry blade for chopping nuts, making peanut butter and dough for bread. Stop by the Vita Mix booth at the fair for samples of all the yummy goodness this machine can make.
3. Infrared Saunas- Ok now these range from 2K-5K so they are not an impulse buy. Infrared saunas are dry heated saunas so they penetrate the body deeper. Many doctors are recommending them for weight loss, blood pressure control, cholesterol, anti aging, and many other health issues. Because the heat is dry it does not feel as uncomfortable as traditional saunas. Many health spas such as the OC Spa and Wellness Center incorporate these saunas into their therapy treatments. The company selling them at the fair is the original manufacturer and they are available in an array of woods and sizes depending on your preference and budget. If you are in the market for one this is the place to get it.
4. Shoes for $20-Sorry I had to throw it in there. There is a tent over by the crafts aisle with a sign that says “3 Shoes for $20.” Not 3 pairs of shoes, but 3 shoes. Yes, you actually get 3 pairs of shoes for $20. And if you don’t happen to find 3 pairs you can buy one pair for $10. I was able to find a funky pair of black and white sneakers to go with my black and white polka dotted birthday dress. They are mostly off-brands, so the quality is not great, but they had some great summer flip flops and at that price who cares if they only last for one summer. They also carried real Nike brand shoes for $35 a pair.
Products to stay clear of:
Steam Mop-There is a product called the steam mop for sale at the fair. While at first glance it seems as though it’s an excellent product and price, upon closer research and inspection it is misleading on both fronts. As far as product goes, the seller claimed the steam would last for 30 minutes yet it only lasts for 12 minutes. As for price, the seller claimed it was sold on QVC for $169 BUT, you can get it at the fair for $149. I was able to find out that the same mop is available at the Home Depot for $33.
“Don’t waste your money on this product. If you really want one, get it at Home Depot and take your honey to din din, with the rest of the $’s.”
Activities:
1. Pig races
2. Pie eating contest
3. Rodeo
Contests:
Check out the jalapeno jelly (my friend Heather Stolftuz won 2nd place) as well as her canned peaches.
Rides:
Check out the sky buckets. They are super fun and you get to see the whole fair from up there. Ever since Disneyland got rid of them, its a real treat to get to ride something like that again. Word of advice though, if you are wearing slip on shoes take them off and hold onto them. I learned that the hard way:-) The cost of this ride is $3.50 per person one way.Another fun ride is the Ferris Wheel. On this one you can see a fair amount of Orange County and its beautiful day or night. The cost of this ride is $4.50 per person.
Fair info:
The fair is located at:
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, California 92626
Contact (714) 708-1500
Website:: www.ocfair.com
Hours: Wed-Friday Noon-Midnight and Sat/Sun 10AM – Midnight
Tickets:
General-$10
Seniors( 60+) $7(free on Fridays)
Children( 6-12) $5 (free on Thursdays)
Kids under 6 are free
Free admission for active military duty with ID everyday
If you see a tribute band show at the Hangar Theatre, or a headliner show at the Pacific Amphitheater, your admission to the fair is free.
Clothing drive:
Wed August 4th
Bring 5 items of gently used clothing per person between 12-6 pm and receive free admission to the fair and a carnival ride ticket
School supply drive:
Wed August 11th
Bring in one brand new school supply item valued at $3 or more and receive free admission to the fair and a carnival ride ticket.
Food tastings:
$1 food tastings every Friday from 12pm-4pm
Carnival promotions:
$25 unlimited rides wristband Wednesdays and Thursdays
$1 rides and games every Friday
Senior activities:
Friday August 6-1:30pm Senior beet toss open to contestants 55 and older at the meadows stage.
Friday August 13-1:30pm Senior bowling open to contestants 55 and older at the meadows stage.
Author:: Cara LaGreen.
