Entries still being accepted for OC Fair competitions, plus judging in full swing

COSTA MESA, Calif. (June 15, 2022) – If you are a talented baker or have the greenest thumb on the block, there’s still time to enter various Culinary Arts and Horticulture competitions for the 2022 OC Fair!

The entry deadline for several Culinary Arts competitions is July 5. Horticulture entry deadlines begin July 13, with weekly entry deadlines and events through the annual OC Fair. The competitions still accepting entries are:

Culinary Arts
Cookies
Bars & Brownies
Sugar Arts & Confections
Yeast & Quick Breads

Horticulture
Cut Flowers
Fruit & Vegetables
Container Plants

There are also designated divisions and separate competitions for youth. Be sure to review the specific deadlines for weekly competitions and guides for entry to each competition at ocfair.com/competitions.

The OC Fair received more than 3,000 entries and issued about 1,400 awards in 2021. This year is turning out to be just as successful as judging for some of the 2022 competitions has already begun. First-round results for several Fine Arts competitions were sent last week, and the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition judging event was held recently at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa.

OC Fair’s Commercial Wine Competition

The OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition is the largest California-only wine competition and is in its 46th year. Only the best winemakers and winery principles were invited to be a part of the 17 panels of up to five judges who blindly tasted 2,516 wines June 4-5.

Fran Gitsham, the president of Orange County Wine Society and host of the event, was in charge of this massive production powered by 300 volunteers. “The flow” is how Gitsham referred to the system of how the wines were judged.

First, the bar-coded wines were poured in sequence by stewards, who delivered them carefully to each table. Once a judging table completed their tasting, they waved a green “pick up glasses” sign, signaling the stewards to retrieve the glasses and walk them to a side room to be cleaned for the next wines. At the same time, their judging forms were picked up and taken to the data validation and entry room. The data was then verified using computerized lists, and by the end of the day they had complete reports of the day’s judging. This was repeated until all wines had been judged.

Results for the 2022 Commercial Wine Competition are now available at winecompetition.com/results/2022. Plus, the wines will be available to purchase by the glass at the annual OC Fair in the Courtyard.

Don’t miss out on seeing the Blue Ribbon winners at this year’s OC Fair, which will take place July 15-Aug. 14.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Advance ticket purchase is required, and tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices: $12 general admission on weekdays (Wednesday, Thursday) and $14 general admission on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Tickets for seniors 60+ and kids 6-12 are $7 all days. OC Fair will absorb the general admission ticket transaction fees. Parking is $10 for cars and motorcycles and $20 for buses and limos.

Tickets are also on sale for performances in Pacific Amphitheatre, Action Sports Arena and The Hangar.