Community Corner

Crowds Line Up to Be First at this Year's OC Fair

As the gates to this year's summer fair opened, crowds lines up around the Orange County Fair Grounds

Festivities kicked off at noon for the opening day of the Orange County Fair, bringing out tens of thousands of fairgoers for fried food, fuzzy farm animals and classic carnival rides, embodying this year’s theme of “Come and Get It.”

The line to get in the fair wrapped all the way around the venue Friday as crowds gathered to be the first to experience this year’s fair. Tears from impatient children quickly gave way to giggles as they entered the fairgrounds to gobble down corndogs and cool off at the splash pad while many parents fought off the sun with hats and umbrellas.

New exhibits this year include “Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders,” a live museum filled with creepy crawlers.

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rides and games can be found in the Carnival area or Family Fair Way, which offers amusement rides for kids and shaded seating for parents.

Farm animals, pig races and a petting zoo occupy the Livestock section. It will host auctions throughout the summer.

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Family Fair Way also includes some less-than-cuddly critters, including a rattlesnake, an American alligator, a frill neck lizard, and ball python.

It’s easy to identify all the snakes, explained Lauren Henry who handles the reptiles and the Reptile Zoo pet shop in Fountain Valley.

"All of the snakes are named Bob," said Henry.

Inside Memorial Gardens, located in the Park Plaza section of the fair, the exhibit is divided up into eight different sections with names like “Glowing Terror” and “The Devil with Two Heads.”

“Swing it Trapeze,” another new segment this year, offers high-flying entertainment and an opportunity to learn the art of the trapeze. The Newport Beach company offers trapeze-flying classes throughout the year in addition to every day at the fair.

Beyond extreme sports and insects, the fair offers plenty of entertainment for everyone throughout its nine different sections.

Gardeners and veggie enthusiasts may stroll through the Park Plaza or Centennial Farm to enjoy butterflies, pony rides, a crafter’s village and more.

Live music, food and shopping are guaranteed in Fair Square or the Main Mall, which includes The Hangar, a stage that will host different tribute bands every night.

The Pacific Amphitheatre will host concerts, and death-defying stuntmen will perform in the Action sports Arena all summer long. Events at either of the two are not included with fair admission, but tickets can be purchased separately.

The annual fair comes to the Orange County Fairgrounds, right across Fairview Street from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, every year during July and August. This year the fair will be open from Wed.-Sun. until it ends on Sunday, Aug. 12.

Fair hours are open from noon–midnight on weekdays and 10 a.m.– midnight on weekends.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here