The Orange County (OC) Fair in Costa Mesa returned for its annual summer event with the 2024 theme “Always a Good Time!,” offering food, rides and recreational activities for purchase. The fair is set to run from July 19 until Aug. 18.
The themes change annually, previously centering on “Feel the Sunshine” in 2022 and “Happy Together” in 2023.
With its first event held in Santa Ana in 1890, the OC Fair’s history includes visitations from former U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
The fairgrounds previously served as the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) and still contains the original barracks building from the 1940s. Open to fairgoers, the Heroes Hall features OC veterans such as Ed Bowen, renowned by the community for his artistic talent and artwork. On the second floor of the Heroes Hall, the SAAAB exhibit displays historical gas masks, bullets and military medals from the air base.
Since 2005, there have been over a million guests attending the fair annually. Sarah, 20, a LA resident, visited the OC Fair for the first time after hearing about it from a friend.
“I went to the [LA County Fair] a couple years ago so I’m pretty excited to be here today. I can’t wait to go on the ferris wheel and try the fair food,” Sarah told New University. “I’m also hoping to win a stuffed animal in one of the games for a friend.”
With over 50 vendors, fairgoers have the option to try popular fair foods such as fried Oreos, funnel cakes and Dole Whip.
The fair also features clubs, education-based organizations and family-owned businesses at booths. Oberlies Enterprises owner, Russ Oberlies, 77, from Bakersfield has been self-employed in woodwork and running his business for approximately 60 years. Oberlies and his wife, who sells crystals, began vendorship at fairs in 1991.
“I try to use wood that has a background to it. One of my pieces is from a 1908 farmhouse that was walked on by people who experienced WWI, Spanish Influenza and WWII,” Oberlies told New University. “If you don’t know your history you won’t know your present.”
Founded in 1968, the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) is an educational organization that booths at the fair every year. Retired engineer and CRFG member John Marzolino, 66, described how the community helps spread knowledge of horticulture techniques, with special regard to exotic fruits.
“Our purpose here at the fair is to educate people about fruit growing and function as a free resource,” Marzolino told New University. “We trade plans, teach each other techniques and give out scholarships to help students majoring in horticulture.”
In addition, the Centennial Farm offers activities, animal interactions and an agricultural display. The Millennium Barn demonstrates milking displays from Wednesdays to Thursdays and a container plants competition. A stall by Star Milling Co., one of the sponsors for this year, presented trivia questions, fun facts about oxen and two live oxen attendees could interact with.
An exhibit where fairgoers could go in for a fee to feed and watch butterflies was also available, along with farm animals such as chickens, goats and cattle on display.
Some new additions to the carnival rides are “Heidi,” “Overdrive” and “Enchanted Castle Funhouse.”
“Heidi” features a curved and moderate-speed roller coaster. Overdrive is a ride modeled after the movie “Fast and Furious,” with guests sitting in a makeshift car and spinning under LED lights and “Enchanted Castle Funhouse” is a new addition to the fair’s “Kidland.”
This year’s special events include “Out At The Fair,” celebrating the LGBTQ community, “Toyota SoCal Popups,” where fairgoers can meet professional athletes players from the Clippers, Lakers and Chargers, as well as an “OC Fair Fun Run” event.
Ticket prices for the fair begin at $13 for Wednesdays and Thursdays and rise to $15 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The fair is closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays. Attendance is limited in capacity, with tickets only being sold online after July 18.
Malaika Sultan is a News Intern for the summer 2024 quarter. She can be reached at malaiks1@uci.edu.
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon and Victoria Le.
