Wednesday, April 10, 2019 (3:27 pm)

OC Dia del Nino is coming back for its second year at Imaginology!

Celebrate the arts with tons of hands-on workshops, including papermaking, mural painting, stop-motion animation, several different types of dance, circus and puppetry and so much more.

The children’s festival, presented by Arts Orange County, will take place Saturday and Sunday during Imaginology (find them in Nino Village, just north of Centennial Farm)

Imaginology is a three-day free family event centered around S.T.E.A.M. education, offering hands-on activities, workshops and more. Stop by Imaginology at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, April 12-14. Hours are Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, visit ocfair.com/steam

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 (3:23 pm)

“There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.” – Pythagoras

Elements of music – like rhythm and tempo – can be directly related to math. At Imaginology, we’ll have plenty of music, including choirs, high school and college bands, and even ballet folklorico!

You can check out a list of entertainers at ocfair.com/imaginology/exhibits-entertainment, or go to ocfair.com/imaginology/information for a complete schedule of events.

Imaginology is a three-day free family event centered around S.T.E.A.M. education, offering hands-on activities, workshops and more. Stop by Imaginology at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, April 12-14. Hours are Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, visit ocfair.com/steam

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 (9:57 am)

APOLLO 11 – An Immersive 360° Adventure touches down for its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl Stadium on July 5 with the next cities confirmed including OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa and Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas.

OC Fair & Event Center dates to be announced soon!

APOLLO 11 is a ground-breaking new theater show with an original story performed by a full cast and presented in the spectacular purpose-built, one-of-a-kind Lunar Dome with a jaw-dropping 40,000 square feet of 360° video projection.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of man’s first steps on the Moon, the time has come to tell one of the greatest stories in human history. Los Angeles will be this exciting new, truly immersive, live show’s first stop of an 18-city tour over the next three years. APOLLO 11 will launch July 5th for a limited engagement, in the all-new Lunar Dome on the grounds of one of Los Angeles’ most historic landmarks, The Rose Bowl Stadium.
APOLLO 11 is written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Scott Faris and brought to you by a world-class creative team.

“This truly immersive experience takes you from the thrill of the countdown to the enormous Saturn V rocket launch and on an unforgettable journey to the Moon and back,” said director Scott Faris. “We are excited to tell this unique story to the world and thrilled to be opening in Los Angeles. It’s guaranteed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience audiences will never forget.”

APOLLO 11 was written and created to tell some of the stories behind the 1969 Moon landing and to celebrate the incredible forces that came together to make history and inspire future generations.

“This show brings back the excitement of a special time in our history. I was fortunate to be one of the 12 people to walk on the Moon,” said Charlie Duke, a former astronaut who in 1972, became the youngest person to walk on the Moon. “I was also privileged to be the Apollo 11 CapCom [Capsule Communicator] in Mission Control communicating with Neil and Buzz as they landed on the Moon. It was a historic moment for America and the world and this production captures the intensity of that time and all the incredible accomplishments leading up to that moment and beyond.”

“Going to the Moon is something in your life you will never forget and an experience like the new APOLLO 11 – An Immersive 360° Adventure really takes you right back to that time,” said Gerry Griffin, Apollo Flight Director. “It was a different era back then, and the entire world was watching and rooting for us to get to the Moon. It’s pretty incredible to think if that was today, how many people would be watching it live and in color. This show really gives you the feeling as if you were there 50 years ago.”

For more information about APOLLO 11 – An Immersive 360° Adventure visit apollo11show.com.

APOLLO 11 is produced by Nick Grace Management, SwissApollo and Mat Churchill Productions in association with UnUsUaL Entertainment and Sliding Doors Entertainment. APOLLO 11 is written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Scott Faris. Creative Producer is Anthony Van Laast. Set and Costume Design by Leslie Travers. Video Design and production by Treatment Studio. The music is composed and arranged by James Seymour Brett. Lighting Design by Bruno Poet and Sound Design by Bobby Aitken. Original concept by Lukas and Bettina Viglietti. 

Thursday, February 14, 2019 (5:19 pm)

COSTA MESA (Feb. 14, 2019) – Kids will have a blast at Imaginology learning about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) at the annual free event at OC Fair & Event Center, April 12-14, 2019.

This exciting, three-day exploration of STEAM-related topics and careers features hands-on learning and is open Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free and most activities are included. Parking is free on Friday; $9 on Saturday and Sunday. Friday is field trip day and is open to the public. Schools and large groups of 10 or more are encouraged to register, but it is not required. For more information, visit ocfair.com/steam.

Imaginology is where curious people of all ages go to discover the opportunities available in science, technology, engineering, arts and math fields. Students are encouraged to explore the possibilities as they learn by doing at a variety of workshops and exhibits. Food will be available for sale at the event.

Family-friendly activities and competitions for Imaginology include:

• NEW e-sports gaming: Imaginology’s new e-Playground will feature an e-sports tournament for high school students, free-to-play PCs with STEAM games, and a parent and educator panel with industry professionals to discuss misconceptions about video games and share facts. Careers in the esports/gaming field will be emphasized.
• Workshops and makeshops: Students can participate in activities including woodworking, sewing, creative crafting, tech play, ceramics, sun prints and more. Local professionals and Imaginology staff lead the demonstrations and all necessary equipment and supplies are provided. Participants can take home the crafts and artwork they create.
• Youth competitions: Budding scientists and artists will showcase their talents in photography, videography, fiber arts, fine art, poetry, science and engineering divisions. Competitions include 3-D printing, computer-generated art, fashion design, drawing, kinetic art, jewelry making, clay crafting, wood and metal art and more. All competitions are free to enter and open to Orange County students. The deadline for online entry submissions is March 22.
• Cultural celebration returns: Día del Niño, Day of the Child, will be back for a second year at Imaginology on Saturday and Sunday, bringing an additional day of interactive arts workshops and performances by professional artists, local arts organizations, schools and community groups. Dia Del Nino is presented in collaboration with Arts Orange County and Media Arts Santa Ana. 
• Free on-site creative contests: Family members and friends can team up at Imaginology to compete in an on-site contest to decorate the best scarecrow on Saturday, April 13. Kids can enter the steampunk hat contest on Sunday, April 14. There are awards and prize money. It’s free to enter and basic materials will be provided but people are encouraged to bring their own decorations to make their entry special. Visit ocfair.com/steam for details.
• Centennial Farm: Imaginology visitors can check out animals and crops on the three-acre working farm and enjoy free tractor rides, an oxen exhibit, blacksmithing, sheep-shearing demonstrations, radish-seed planting, terrarium-making and the OC Beekeepers exhibit.
• 4-H competitions: Local youth are judged on their abilities to raise small livestock, their understanding of animal and veterinary sciences and their projects on community service, aerospace, electricity and more.
• Vital Link STEM + the Arts Career Showcase: Vital Link provides resources to help students discover and consider professional careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics with exciting displays, workshops and competitions.
• More free activities: Exhibitors will offer things to do and see including Wild Science Activity Area and family-friendly entertainment. Also new this year is Fort Blisters Boot Camp, located near Heroes Hall, where kids can enjoy fun physical activities.

Imaginology is easily accessible from the 55, 405 and 73 freeways and from the OCTA 47, 55 and 178 bus lines. 

Please see OCTA’s traffic advisories for information on impacts of the I-405 Freeway construction project:

Maps & directions

Monday, January 14, 2019 (3:09 pm)

Help us evaluate our brands:

• OC Fair & Event Center
• Pacific Amphitheatre
• Heroes Hall
• Imaginology
• Centennial Farm

We have begun to evaluate out family of brands to determine current value in the marketplace and whether or not changes are warranted. We have grown and it is time to reassess.

In addition to our OC Fair & Event Center brands, the exercise will include discussions about our property partners: equestrian center, OC Wine Society, Orange County Market Place and Spectra.

Public participation is being sought during this process – community input is important as the fairgrounds looks toward the future.

The advertising firm IMW of Costa Mesa has been contracted to perform the brand assessment and to offer recommendations. They began with meetings with staff groups and a workshop with the board of directors. A meeting of property partners and stakeholders has also been scheduled.

The public is invited to participate in a branding assessment workshop – options are:

• • Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2-3 p.m. at OC Fair & Event Center OR
  • Wednesday, Jan. 30, 6-7 p.m. at OC Fair & Event Center

The OC Fair & Event Center is located at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. These workshops will take place in the administration building.

Those who are unable to attend one of the public meetings will have the opportunity to participate by completing an online survey that will be posted here following the workshops.

Please continue to check ocfair.com/branding and @ocfair on social media for the latest updates on this project.

A little about brands …

Brands are not just logos. A brand is more than what a product does or what it might communicate. Brands are the total perception of the entity’s “persona” in the marketplace, including an implied promise to customers that the facility and service will consistently meet their expectations. Brands evoke emotions. They delight us and make us feel that they are familiar and reliable. Branding differentiates a product from its competitors and creates added value for partners.