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.

Monday, May 1, 2017 (3:44 pm)

New Program Gives Underserved Kids a Trip To The Fair

We’re launching a great new community giveback program at this year’s fair: OC Fair Kids Club. In its first year, the goal is to provide a free fair experience and bus transportation for 1,000 underserved children. The young fairgoers from local Title 1 afterschool and summer programs will also receive carnival coupons and a gift card for food and beverages.

“We are so excited to offer this program to help young people who would normally not be able to afford a trip to the fair,” said OC Fair & Event Center CEO Kathy Kramer. “Wewant to help these children enjoy the best event of the summer and can’t wait to provide them with a memorable fair experience.”

OC Fair Kids Club joins service programs that include We Care Wednesdays, serving local nonprofits, and Friends of the Fair, a special annual event for disabled fairgoers. These initiatives were winners of the Western Fair Association’s Merrill Award for industry excellence in 2016.

For more information about these community programs, or to submit an application for your Title 1 program (minimum 50 participants, maximum of 70 including chaperones) to be a part of OC Kids Club, contact ocfinfo@ocfair.com.