Thursday, January 27, 2022 (4:11 pm)

OC Fair & Event Center celebrates and welcomes all communities. Today the OC Fair Board voted to approve the Community Affairs Committee’s recommendation to adopt a policy to fly the PanAfrican flag at OC Fair & Event Center each February in recognition of Black History Month.

A flag-raising ceremony is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 9 a.m. at the OC Fair & Event Center administration building and all are welcome. 

This is the full text of the resolution that was approved:

RECOMMENDATION The Community Affairs Committee’s recommendation to the Board of Directors is to approve the proclamation and resolution below, and adopt a policy to fly the Pan-African flag at the OC Fair & Event Center each February in recognition of Black History Month.

BACKGROUND PROCLAMATION AND RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE 32ND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION REGARDING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND THE EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF DIVERSITY PRESENTED AT THE ORANGE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

WHEREAS, the mission of the 32nd District Agricultural Association (the “District”) is the celebration of Orange County’s communities, interests, agriculture and heritage; WHEREAS, the District recognizes and affirms the Black/Afro-American community as one of the communities that makes up the fabric and heritage of Orange County;

WHEREAS, in fulfilling its mission, the District is proud to celebrate the Black/AfroAmerican community;

WHEREAS, February is observed across the United States as a month to recognize, educate, and celebrate the history of Black/Afro-American contributors to American history, infrastructure, politics, entertainment, education, business/entrepreneurship, science/technology/engineering/math, anthropology/culture, and global civil/human rights movements; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the District recognizes the Pan-African/Black Liberation flag as a symbol of welcoming and inclusiveness of the Black/AfroAmerican community specifically and of all ethnically diverse communities generally;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Directors of the District hereby proclaims February as Black History Month at the OC Fair & Event Center;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the District hereby reaffirms the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and nondiscrimination as core institutional values of the District and the OC Fair & Event Center;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors hereby reaffirms its policy prohibiting discrimination by the District on the basis of any characteristic protected by law, and, in proclaiming Black History Month at the OC Fair & Event Center, expressly notes that this prohibition applies to discrimination against any person on the basis of their race, ethnicity, or nationality; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors hereby directs that the PanAfrican flag be flown every February henceforth alongside all official flags that are displayed on the District’s property, as a symbol of the District’s belief in the equal dignity of all persons who visit the Fair’s grounds and of the District’s commitment to welcoming and including people of all backgrounds and identities to the OC Fair & Event Center; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors, in the continued belief in the equal dignity of all persons who visit the Fair’s grounds and commitment to welcoming and including people of all backgrounds and identities to the OC Fair & Event Center, hereby proclaims that no community member be left in the dark, unrepresented by the OC Fair & Event Center.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022 (10:44 am)

Western Fairs Association honored  OC Fair & Event Center with 19 Achievement Awards at its annual convention in Reno this month.

First-place awards included the new fair exhibit, California Fresh, and new children’s program for the OC Fair’s Experience the Great Outdoors exhibit. Other honors included the fair theme – Time for Fun – the fair logo, fair TV commercial, Junior Livestock Auction and several first-place photography awards. OCFEC also received second-place honors for agricultural programming. 

Western Fairs Association is a trade group supporting the fair and festival industry.

OC Fair & Event Center earned the following awards:

Single Television Ad

1st Award and Judges’ Choice 

Fair Logo

1st Award

Year-Round Logo

1st Award

Special Event Logo

1st Award and Judges’ Choice 

Virtual & Live Auctions

1st Award for pre-Fair Junior Livestock Auction

Agricultural Programming

2nd Award for Centennial Farm’s partnership with Don Knipp, a.k.a. “Mr. Fertilizer,” and La Verne Nursery during the 2021 OC Fair

Theme Program

1st Award and Judges’ Choice for Time For Fun and its  programming during the 2021 OC Fair

New Fairtime Exhibit 

1st Award for California Fresh: Celebrating the Bounty Of Our Counties

New Children’s Program

1st Award and Judges’ Choice for Explore the Great Outdoors

Give It Your Best Shot: Animals

Two 1st Awards

Give It Your Best Shot: Carnival

Two 1st Awards, Award of Excellence – Overall Best Photo, and Award of Excellence – Third Best Overall Photo

Give It Your Best Shot: Exhibits

1st Award and 2nd Award

Give It Your Best Shot: Entertainment

1st Award and 2nd Award

Give It Your Best Shot: People at the Fair

1st Award and 2nd Award

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 (2:31 pm)

OC Fair has announced more if its 2022 summer entertainment lineup. Live music performances at Pacific Amphitheatre include Kool & the Gang with Sister Sledge on opening weekend, and Jim Gaffigan on Aug. 4.

Also performing during the OC Fair at The Hangar: Elton – The Early Years – A Tribute to Elton John, Dog N Butterfly – The Heart Experience and The Long Run – Experience the Eagles. OC Brew Hee Haw, the annual craft beer festival, will return this summer at a new venue: Action Sports Arena.

Tickets for these shows will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.

COMING TO PACIFIC AMPHITHEATRE

Kool & the Gang with Sister Sledge
July 15, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $39.50-$79.50

Get ready for a dance-filled summer night with Kool & the Gang and special guest Sister Sledge. Formed as a jazz ensemble in the mid-’60s, Kool & the Gang became one of the most inspired and influential funk units during the ’70s, and one of the most popular R&B groups of the ’80s after their breakout hit “Celebration.” They’ll follow Sister Sledge, the sibling vocal group behind the anthem “We Are Family.”

Jim Gaffigan
Aug. 4, 2022, 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are $55-$95

It’s about time for some belly laughs. Jim Gaffigan is a five-time Grammy-nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, best-selling author, two-time Emmy-winning top touring performer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist. He is known for his unique brand of humor, which largely revolves around his observations on life. Gaffigan recently released his seventh stand up special, Quality Time, with Amazon Studios, making history as their first original comedy special. He also continues to tour around the world.

COMING TO THE HANGAR

Elton – The Early Years – A Tribute to Elton John
July 21, 2022, 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are $20-$25

Accomplished musician and vocalist, Kenny Metcalf recreates the multiple Grammy-winning legend and flamboyant superstar in each and every performance. Dazzling outfits, stunning vocals, and a spectacular backing band complete this reproduction that brings the audience on an adventure of both sight and sound.

Dog N Butterfly – The Heart Experience
July 29, 2022, 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are $20-$25

Created in late 2003, Dog N Butterfly is a five-piece band dedicated to bringing their talent and love of Heart’s memorable music to the stage. Complete with retro-inspired costume and dance, Dog N Butterfly performs all the ’70s hits as well as the chart-toppers that brought Heart back into the lime light in the ’80s.

The Long Run – Experience the Eagles
Aug. 4, 2022, 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are $20-$25

The Long Run is a hard-working tribute act from Los Angeles dedicated to faithfully recreating the timeless music of The Eagles. Marked by lush harmonies and exceptional musical accuracy, every performance delivers a reverence for the beloved Eagles recordings, blended with TLR’s own live-concert personality.

COMING TO ACTION SPORTS ARENA

OC Brew Hee Haw – A Craft Beer Roundup
Tickets are $50 (GA) / $60 (VIP) / $25-$30 (no-alcohol tickets)
Session 1: July 15, 6 p.m. (VIP) / 7 p.m. (GA)
Sessions 2: July 16, 12:30 p.m. (VIP) / 1:30 p.m. (GA)
Sessions 3: July 16, 6:30 p.m. (VIP) / 7:30 p.m. (GA)

Following another record-breaking year, the 8th Annual OC Brew Hee Haw Craft Beer Roundup will return to the OC Fair on July 15 & 16, 2022! In addition to delicious unlimited beer tastings, each session will include entertainment with epic themes in their genres by some great live music. Band information to be announced, so stay tuned!

Tickets to these shows go on sale to the public Saturday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster. Tickets to concerts occurring during the OC Fair include same-day admission to the OC Fair. The 2022 OC Fair is July 15-Aug. 14, open Wednesday-Sunday. Advance tickets are required.

Monday, December 27, 2021 (8:03 am)

Congratulations to OC Fair & Event Center CEO Michele Richards on being named one of the most influential people of 2021  in Orange County by the OC Register.

“Michele Richards

As CEO of the OC Fair & Event Center, Richards helped shepherd the return of the OC Fair during the coronavirus pandemic with several sold-out dates. Even with caps on attendance, the fair turned a profit in 2021.”

Read the full article:

Most influential: Meet Orange County’s 125 top influencers for 2021

Friday, December 17, 2021 (2:25 pm)

During December’s OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors meeting, members paid tribute to International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which was Dec. 3, 2021. 

The presentation slide is below (click to view pdf):