Thursday, July 16, 2020 (9:58 am)
2020 OC Virtual Fair launches Friday!
The 2020 OC Fair is going virtual! While fairgoers may not be able to hop on their favorite carnival ride or enjoy crazy Fair food in person, we are keeping the spirit of the Fair alive on social media and ocfair.com.
Starting tomorrow, July 17, several Virtual OC Fair elements will be highlighted for 10 days on social media, through July 26, with lots of fun content on ocfair.com all summer long.
Videos of your favorite performers, photo galleries of summer memories, family activities, special contests and more will bring that OC Fair connection to people no matter where they are. Even the OC Fair Fun Run 5K is going virtual and the prizes are terrific!
Virtual fairgoers can learn how to create Fair-style crafts at home, get the skinny on making deep-fried Oreos, take a tour of Centennial Farm, decipher a magic trick, get the best garden pesto recipe and more from OC Fair staff and partners. There is even a virtual dance party in the works.
Plus, there are ways to win virtual ribbons this year with contests and the public can vote on the winners starting July 17 on ocfair.com. There are 33 unique categories this year, including Doughmestic Baking, Home Landscapes, Best Hen House and photography categories like Bedhead, Empty Streets and Essential Workers.
In a twist to the virtual theme, We Care Wednesday will take place July 22 with our nonprofit partner Goodwill of Orange County. Participants can donate gently used clothing items at specific Goodwill locations instead of at the fairgrounds. Donors will receive a ticket to the 2021 OC Fair and a coupon for a free Wahoo’s taco as thanks for giving back to the community.
Through this year’s Virtual Market Livestock Show, 49 agriculture students who raised 82 animals to show at the Fair had the opportunity to be matched with buyers. Usually 4-H and FFA students can sell their animal projects at the Fair’s Junior Livestock Auction, but with that not possible this year, OC Fair staff wanted to help the students recoup costs and devised a virtual way to make that happen.
For more information on the 2020 Virtual OC Fair, visit ocfair.com or follow @ocfair on Facebook and @oc_fair on Instagram.