It's That Time Of The Year - Again

LET'S EAT!
It's time for the Orange County Fair Again. A couple years ago some thought we might not see this day, but they were wrong. So, after divisive debate, countless legal battles, friends pitted against friends and alliances some folks knew could never work, Friday was opening day of the most recent iteration of the Orange County Fair. Early reports indicate the attendance is up 25% - a wonderful, welcome bit of news in this kind of economy.

A SPECIAL KICK-OFF THIS YEAR
But this year the Fair was actually kicked off by a very special event on Thursday. The brainchild of Fair Board Chairman Dave Ellis, the Fair hosted foster children from around Orange County as described in the press release, below:

“A Fair To Remember: A Celebration Of Our Children”
OC Fair Preview A Huge Success

Costa Mesa, Calif. (July 15, 2011) – On the eve of the 2011 OC Fair, more than 8,200 foster children, foster families and county social services staff enjoyed a “Fair to Remember: A Celebration of Our Children,” sponsored by the OC Fair & Event Center. Attendees were treated to a complimentary dinner, dessert, Peking Acrobats performance, carnival rides, the Ice Museum and overall Fair merriment.

“The goal of this event was to put smiles on their faces and provide a rewarding Fair experience for them. We wanted to show our appreciation of the foster care community for the service they provide to our county,” stated OC Fair Board Chairman David Ellis.

More than 100 elected officials, including Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach and Assembly Members Allan Mansoor and Jim Silva, joined OC Fair Board members and staff to serve dinner to the visiting children and families.

“I hope ’A Fair to Remember: A Celebration of Our Children’ becomes an annual event. The OC Fair is all about children, families and family-friendly entertainment,” said OC Fair & Event Center CEO Dr. Steve Beazley.

The event was underwritten by donations from the community and OC Fair vendors.

“This event would not have been possible without the financial support of Orange County and the hard work of Fair Board Vice Chair Joyce Tucker to help secure the underwriting funds. Orange County is a compassionate and caring community that provided nearly $100,000 in donations to give the kids a Fair to Remember,” concluded Ellis.

Donors included: Argyros Family Foundation; Ben's Asphalt; Deborah and Larry Bridges; Tony and John Ginger; Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation; Simon Foundation; Ovations Food Services; Ray Cammack Shows; R.A Industries, LLC; Glen & Mindy Stearns; Joyce and Tom Tucker; Allen and Susan Boerner; Namkung Promotions Inc.; Madison Materials; Ware Disposal; Centennial Farm Foundation; Cinquini Family Trust; Dale and Sandi Dykema; David & Christin Ellis Family Trust; Hensel Phelps Construction Co.; Victoria and Gil LeVasseur; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Foundation; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; Diana Martin; Carl F. McLarand’ OC Employees Association; Red Capital Group, LLC; Robert E. and Linda Yellin; Michael Berns; California Community Foundation; Larane Cinquini-Rodnick; Harry & Diane Rinker Foundation; Peter & Cindy Stephan Bergkvist; Bergkvist & Carter, LLP; Doug & Bonnie La Belle; Steve and Diane Beazley; EDB Consulting, LLC; Jerome and Lisa Hoban; Orange County Advocacy Group, Inc.; Betty Presley & Associates, Inc.; RBF Consulting; Kathleen Blomo; Gerard and Cherisse Goedhart; and Thalman & Associates.

The 2011 OC Fair, themed LET’S EAT!, is July 15 – August 14 and will bring 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports and fun, as well as the popular Super Pass (season pass), Pacific Amphitheatre Summer Concert Series, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday. The OC Fair was ranked the eighth highest attended fair in the U.S. last year by Venues Today magazine.

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A NEW COLLABORATION - "@ THE FAIR"
One of the new features of this year's Fair experience is a collaboration between Costa Mesa TV and the Fair Staff called "@ The Fair", which is available for viewing on CMTV and on streaming video. Fair CEO Dr. Steve Beazley and CMTV's Dane Bora have teamed-up to present everything you want or need to know about this year's Fair. The link for the first edition of "@ The Fair" is available HERE. This looks like a great, easy-to-use resource for all those fair-goers who plan a big part of their summer around this month-long event.

FOR MORE INFORMATION....
For more information on all the entertainment, food and features available at this year's Orange County Fair, visit their web site HERE. The Fair runs from July 15th through August 14th, but is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. So, go to the fair and be the first person in your block to try this year's new culinary delight - Deep Fried Kool-Aid! What's next, Deep Fried Dust? Have fun...