Category Archives: Community programs

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 (11:45 am)

COSTA MESA (Feb. 28, 2018) – A new cutting-edge cooking academy has opened at OC Fair & Event Center to empower underserved youth through free culinary education and mentorship. A commercial kitchen on the fairgrounds has been transformed into Hatch Culinary Lab.

The new education program is a partnership between OC Fair & Event Center (OCFEC), CulinaryLab Cooking School, Anaheim’s Innovative Mentorship Experience program (AIME) and Spectra, the Fair’s master concessionaire.

OCFEC has invested an initial $54,000 in equivalent value in this community program that this year will provide up to 50 students with training in everything from knife skills, cookery basics and making healthy meals to safety and sanitation. The spring session started Feb. 28 with the first 20 students from Kennedy, Savanna and Western high schools working for eight weeks. A summer internship program and fall certification series will follow, culminating in an event to feed the local homeless community.

“We have an opportunity to change the lives of students through Hatch Culinary Lab and it is important for us to step in to help,” said OCFEC CEO Kathy Kramer. “Here at the OC Fair we love food, so this program is close to our hearts and ties in perfectly with our community give-back mission. I look forward to growing this program to include training for both kitchen staff and front-of-the-house positions.”

The team from CulinaryLab in Tustin is donating staff and time to the program and has created new curriculum tailored to provide students with the basics on how food works, healthy cooking skills and simple recipes they can practice at home with minimal cost and prep time. The goal is to excite students about cooking and food service and empower them to be confident individuals ready to secure employment.

“At CulinaryLab, we do everything we can to immerse students in the world of cooking with experimentation, tons of repetitive hands-on practice, and by involving local chef partners in the teaching process,” said Chef Ryan Wagner. “The goal of the Hatch program is to bring that same high-level culinary education to high school students who might otherwise not have access to it.”

The OCFEC commercial kitchen has been revamped from a solely commercial facility to a fully equipped teaching kitchen with additional cooking stations, appliances, storage, tables and cookware. The approx. 6,500 sq. ft. facility is operated by Spectra and manager Juan Quintero says the company will also donate kitchen labor, such as dishwashers, to support the program.

“The Spectra team is excited to be part of this community education program. This is really a win-win situation for us,” said Quintero. “Not only do we get to work with the student chefs and see their transformation, but we want to hire program graduates to work at the OC Fair doing kitchen prep and cooking for special events.”

Students from Anaheim Unified School District’s AIME program have been selected to participate in the first Hatch Culinary Lab sessions. More than 70 percent of AIME students come from economically challenged backgrounds and spend their time outside of school assisting their families, either at home or by working. The program will provide transportation and additional supervision for Hatch students.

There are plans for the program to expand through partnerships with Costa Mesa and Santa Ana school districts to serve up to 80 students annually. Wagner estimated that students will gain up to $20,000 worth of culinary education through the Hatch program and he is seeking to secure restaurant partners to help further students’ training.

About CulinaryLab Cooking School
CulinaryLab is a forward-focused cooking school where timeless techniques meet cutting-edge curriculum and real-world training to cook up bold, contemporary cuisine. CulinaryLab seeks to reinvent culinary training with programs that harnesses the power of today’s innovations to train tomorrow’s culinary arts and management visionaries. CulinaryLab is the first school of its kind that combines community-built curriculum, tech-savvy training, hands-on learning and a 1,000-hour apprenticeship in high level local restaurants.

CulinaryLab’s Chef Ryan Wagner is a Certified Executive Chef with 23 years of food and beverage experience, including running restaurant kitchens, high-profile event catering and various leadership roles in culinary education.

More at https://www.culinarylabschool.com/

About AIME
AIME’s mission is to partner with businesses and community organizations to provide students in the Anaheim Union High School District with mentoring experiences that will enhance their college, career, and life-readiness skills, as well as build lasting connections within the community.​​ AIME, a comprehensive mentorship program that also includes opportunities for paid summer internships, holds the promise of transforming the lives of our students as they prepare for the demands of college and career and make connections in the community.

More at http://anaheimhs.org/Anaheim/72681-AIME-Internship.html

About Spectra
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships.

More at http://www.spectraexperiences.com/

About OC Fair & Event Center
OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa is home to the annual OC Fair. Year-round attractions include Centennial Farm, Table of Dignity, Heroes Hall and Pacific Amphitheatre. Throughout the year events ranging from recreation shows to cultural festivals are held at the fairgrounds.

Posted in: Community Programs

Wednesday, November 15, 2017 (10:44 am)

The OC Fair Visual Arts Competition receives about 6,000 entries each year submitted by artists from Orange County and throughout Southern California. Types of art include woodworking, painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography and graphic arts.

The OC Fair is often the first exhibition experience for an artist. The thrill of being selected for exhibition and then winning an award nurtures, encourages and inspires artists, instilling confidence in their creativity.

Each year, the OC Fair purchases a few of the exhibited entries to add to the permanent collection. There are more than 150 pieces of artwork in the collection dating back to the 1970s. The collection focuses on the traditions, people, life and beautiful landscapes of our region, state and country. Most of the artists in the collection are Orange County residents.

The exhibit will be on display at the Fullerton Arboretum’s Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum through Dec. 3, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, noon-4 p.m. For more information, visit fullertonarboretum.org.

To enter artwork for the 2018 Fair, go to  ocfair.com/competitions to find details in the OC Fair Visual Arts Competition Guide that will be available in April. 

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 (1:35 pm)

Kathy Kramer, CEO of OC Fair & Event Center, was proud to take the stage at Samueli Theater on Oct. 17 to help honor the best, brightest and most generous members of the Orange County arts community.

Kramer joined Rick Stein, CEO of Arts Orange County, to recognize recipients of the 18th Annual OC Arts Awards, including Charlie and Ling Zhang, art patrons of the year; performer James Luna; choreographer Molly Lynch; Casa Romantica; impresario Kevin Staniec; and the musical ensemble Trio Celeste.

For more information on the OC Arts Awards, visit artsoc.org.

Kramer shared the following information with attendees and honorees at the awards ceremony:

OCFEC has been serving our community for 127 years. The arts play an important role in what we do all year long:
• We recently opened a new museum, Heroes Hall, dedicated to telling the stories of veterans.
• We just dedicated a new large-scale work of public art, Table of Dignity, honoring the important contributions of Orange County’s agricultural workers.
• We are also proud of our educational and community service work including Imaginology, our free STEAM education event, and Centennial Farm, where thousands of school children learn where their food comes from.
• In all, OC Fair & Event Center welcomes more than 3 million guests annually and hosts over 150 events each year – many of them cultural celebrations such as Tet Festival, Scottish Fest and Japan Fair. And we are excited to announce that Cirque du Soleil is making OC Fair & Event Center its Orange County home for the next 10 years.
• Of course, our annual competitions for professional, amateur and student artists have long been part of the OC Fair, as has been presenting world-class musical acts in our Pacific Amphitheatre.
• We delighted with our new partnership with Pacific Symphony in hosting its summer concert series in Pacific Amphitheatre. And are thrilled to work with Arts Orange County on a number of projects.

OC Fair & Event Center is very proud to be part of Orange County’s family of arts & culture organizations. We look forward to continuing to grow our engagement with the creative community for many years to come.

Thursday, October 12, 2017 (11:42 am)

OC Fair & Event Center is a designated large animal rescue facility and we had a plan in case of emergency, but we could not have assisted the animals evacuated from the Canyon Fire 2 area without the help of amazing volunteers, nonprofits and local businesses.

We housed 127 horses, six pigs, six goats, six mini-horses/ponies, three tortoises, two sheep and one steer. We appreciate all who donated feed, stalls and even food to keep our volunteers fortified.

Fair staff quickly moved into action after the Fairgrounds was activated as an evacuation center. Temporary stalls were erected in the Action Sports Arena, show ring and in our livestock area. Key personnel were designated to handle processing the animal intake and to help owners get their animals settled in. During the week, staff members were on hand 24 hours a day to assist with the care of the evacuated animals and to make sure owners’ needs were met.

A huge thank you goes out to Star Milling Company, Kruse Feed & Supply, Inc., Laughing Pony Rescue, Midway City Feed Store, Feed Barn Costa Mesa, Hitching Post, Vons, Stater Bros., Carl’s Jr., L.A. on Cloud9, OC Fairgrounds Equestrian Center, the City of San Juan Capistrano’s Large Animal Response Team and the numerous individual volunteers who donated their time and effort. We had help feeding and watering the evacuated animals, walking horses, cleaning stalls and assisting with intake and check-out processes.

Join us in thanking these groups, businesses and individuals for their time and donations. And best wishes to the animals as they head home.

Read more about the evacuation and the wonderful people who helped:

Daily Pilot: Animals evacuated from O.C. wildfire find a temporary home at the fairgrounds

OC Register: Canyon Fire 2: Fairgrounds or Noah’s Ark? OC Fair becomes safe haven for displaced animals

Monday, October 2, 2017 (9:00 am)

Community Forum

Be a part of OC Fair & Event Center’s Strategic 5-Year Business Planning Process

In conjunction with the 10-year Master Site Plan, OC Fair & Event Center will be launching a Strategic 5-Year Business Plan to develop our organizational goals.

We will be seeking input at two open community discussions on how OC Fair & Event Center can further support our mission of developing programs focused on community, education and agriculture.

If you’re an interested neighbor, educator, member of the agricultural community, non-profit leader or business associate, we value your input.

Join us:

Wednesday, October 18
2:30-4:30 p.m.

or

Thursday, October 19
7-9:30 p.m.

OC Fair & Event Center
Administration Building
Corner of Fairview & Arlington in Costa Mesa
(714) 708-1500

RSVPs are not required. If you’re unable to attend but would like to provide input, please email your thoughts and ideas to CommDept@ocfair.com.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 (2:23 pm)

On Aug. 25, OC Fair & Event Center will officially unveil Table of Dignity, the newly renovated agricultural workers memorial. The public art piece commemorates the contributions of agricultural workers to the growth and prosperity of Orange County.

The memorial was designed as a restful place for guests to gather and celebrate the beauty and abundance created by those who have worked in the fields and on the farms of Orange County.

The memorial is comprised of three key design elements: two large-scale entry portals made of rammed earth (creating the impression of free-standing walls), a central sculptural table made of a large boulder and a single-cut tree slab (designed to commemorate agricultural workers’ contributions of food on our tables), and a perimeter bench constructed of large timber surrounding the landscape. A grape arbor stretching above the memorial is growing to create a shady place for visitors to pause and reflect.

New additions to the memorial include plaques explaining the meaning and intention of the Table of Dignity and the names of OC Fair board members recognizing their dedication to the project. The arbor and additional seating have been added to the original design and the rammed earth walls have been renovated and stabilized.

The unveiling of the memorial will be held on Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. at the east end of Centennial Farm. Admission is free. Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/table-of-dignity-unveiling-tickets-36801894457.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 (4:47 pm)

A new program will help as many as 1,000 children visit the 2017 OC Fair – children who otherwise might not have the means to attend. Students from Title 1 and other programs will receive a free bus trip to the Fair, carnival ride coupons and a gift card as participants in the OC Fair Kids Club.

Most Wednesdays and Thursdays during the 23-day Fair, busses will arrive before the Fair opens and children will get the opportunity to enjoy special activity stations at Centennial Farm. They will also learn about Heroes Hall veterans museum, which will be open during the Fair for the first time this year.

Organizations had the opportunity to apply to participate in OC Fair Kids Club, a program that is fully funded by the OC Fair & Event Center to provide a chance for children in underserved communities to enjoy the Fair.

“When I was meeting with a nonprofit manager earlier this year, I heard that families served by the organization couldn’t afford to come to the Fair and I knew I wanted to do something to change that,” said OC Fair & Event Center CEO Kathy Kramer. “In this first year we will help 1,000 children experience the Fair and we want to keep expanding OC Fair Kids Club annually. These community programs are so important.”

OC Fair Kids Club is the third community give-back program aimed at making the Fair more accessible and more charitable. OCFEC was honored earlier this year by the Western Fairs Association for its Friends of the Fair and We Care Wednesday initiatives.

Friends of the Fair

The Friends of the Fair program provides a free, private fair experience each summer for guests with special needs. The event is held in the morning before the fair officially opens and participants enjoy carnival rides, interactive experiences with first responders and visits to livestock areas. On July 20, more than 8,000 people are expected to participate in the program that was launched in 1989.

Without the usual number of visitors on site, Friends of the Fair guests with wheelchairs and other assistance devices can more easily enjoy the attractions. Event attendance is limited so visitors can also enjoy the experience at their own pace, in a calmer environment.

Thanks to a partnership with Ray Cammack Shows, Friends of the Fair guests have fun on midway rides that might otherwise be difficult for them to enjoy. Employees of the carnival company arrive early to operate the rides and assist participants.

During their visit, guests tour Centennial Farm to learn about fruits and vegetables and see the resident farm animals. They also explore the competitive livestock area and petting zoo. Local police and fire departments and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department have partnered with the fair to showcase their ground and air vehicles and allow guests to take pictures from the driver’s seat.

We Care Wednesday

On We Care Wednesdays, guests receive free fair admission and one complimentary carnival ride when they bring donations for partnering nonprofit organizations. The donations support a different nonprofit every Wednesday between noon and 3 p.m. during the run of the Fair.

July 19 – donations of five nonperishable food items per guest benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and the OC Food Bank. 
July 26 – donations of three new or gently used children’s books per guest go to Think Together. 
Aug. 2 – donations of five clothing items per guest benefit Goodwill Orange County. 
Aug. 9 – donations of school supplies valued at $5 or more (receipt required) per guest go to Share Our Selves.

In 2016, the We Care Wednesday program provided 28 tons of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank, more than 56,000 new and used books to Share Our Selves, some 37,000 pounds of clothing to Goodwill Orange County and more than 150,000 school supplies to Think Together to assist low-income children.

The popular We Care Wednesday program was launched in 1999 and attracts more than 20,000 Fairgoers each week. Every three years nonprofit organizations have the opportunity to apply to become a We Care Wednesday partner.

Thursday, June 15, 2017 (5:03 pm)

Congratulations to the La Habra culinary team for winning the Cooking Up Change challenge!

The contest, sponsored by Kid Healthy, was held on June 12 and featured a total of seven teams. 

Centennial Farm hosted a workshop for Orange County’s Cooking Up Change students early in the season. Kid Healthy is one of the programs Centennial Farm’s supervisor Evy Young and Culinary Arts supervisor Pam Wnuck have supported because they promote agriculture, nutrition, culinary initiatives and healthy eating.

Read more about the competition on OC Register

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 (4:42 pm)

There’s a lot of fun to be had at the 2017 OC Fair. We’ll have tons of games, entertainment and delicious treats. But don’t worry, parents – there will be amazing learning opportunities too.

One such opportunity is the Read & Ride program. Perfect for bookworms – or kids who need a little extra motivation to pick up a book – the program is simple: read two books and get three free carnival rides!

How to participate in Read & Ride:

1. Read two books.
2. Write a brief summary (approximately 25 words) of each book.
3. Bring the completed form to Centennial Farm’s information booth.
4. Ride three carnival rides!

The Read & Ride program is open to children ages 5 to 11. Five-year-olds may draw pictures instead of writing a summary. Completed forms must be signed by a parent or teacher, and children must be present to redeem the form for ride tickets. Only one form per child per day; a maximum of two forms may be submitted during the run of the 2017 OC Fair.

Get the official Read & Ride form, and start reading!

Friday, May 5, 2017 (3:45 pm)

Imaginology judge is a community arts leader

Trinh Mai is not just a judge for Imaginology, she’s also an arts advocate, educator and community leader.

Through Cal State Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center (GCAC) program, which helps bring art to low-income communities, Mai works with Heninger Village Senior Apartments in Santa Ana to help facilitate workshops that focus on sharing residents’ stories through visual arts.

The goal of the workshops is to help residents to not just create art, but to help heal them as well. 

“My aim has been to help them get involved outside of their environment, since the elders are often isolated,” Mai said.

Since starting in February 2016, Mai has been able to get her students’ work displayed at the Bowers Museum, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Grand Central Art Center and, most recently, Coastline Gallery in Newport Beach. 

Through Community Engagement, a nonprofit that is funding Mai’s residency, GCAC also provides artists-in-residents with housing, studio space and support.

Mai was also a featured artist in The Artist Odyssey’s award winning documentary Honoring Life: The Work of Trinh Mai. The film went on to be the Audience Choice Award winner for Best Short Film at the 2016 Viet Film Festival in Orange.

With the help of Mai’s influence, some of the “Villagers” have started taking life drawing lessons at Q Salon in Santa Ana. Even some of their family members have taken inspiration from Mai.

Parker Cupa, 8, is the son of one of the villagers, and he had a painting on display at Imaginology.

“It’s amazing how they’ve been growing and are now so excited about getting involved in the art scene,” Mai said.

Imaginology is an annual educational and entertainment event focusing on activities related to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math held at OC Fair & Event Center.

Visit ocfair.com/steam for more information.