Friday, June 15, 2018 (8:43 am)

It’s a once-a-year experience, something that can only happen at the Fair – a food frenzy beyond compare. The midway magicians in mini kitchens are cooking up inventions like donut-shaped spaghetti, caramel-drizzled fries and ice cream floats made for mermaids.

All this and more will be served up when the OC Fair opens July 13 and runs through Aug. 12.

A sampling of new food items for 2018

• Peanut butter, jelly and Siracha funnel cake – Dutchmen’s Funnel Cakes

• Deep-fried cheese curds, mac & cheese bites, shrimp & cheese jammers, and more – New stand! Who Fried the Cheese?

• Deep-fried filet mignon on a stick – Chicken Charlie’s

• Spaghetti donut formed with pasta and topped with pesto, alfredo, carbonara or marinara – Pignotti’s

• The OC Crunch Cinnamon Roll featuring caramel, cinnamon crunch cereal and frosting – D&D Country Fair Cinnamon Buns

• Lasagna nachos with pasta chips and pesto, veggies, cheese, marinara and meats – Pignotti’s

• Pine and Swine sourdough bread with butter, garlic, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, pineapple and ham – Ten Pound Buns

• Caramel Crack Fries featuring French fries tossed in butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar then drizzled with salted caramel sauce and topped with whipping cream and sprinkles – Biggy’s

• Chili chamoy candy apple coated with sweet and spicy chili and tamarind flavors – Brander’s Candyland

• Unicorn cotton candy donut with sparkling strawberry glitter glaze, rainbow candy, bubble gum cotton candy – Texas Donuts

• Boba flavors include passion fruit, Thai, oolong, mango, jasmine and lychee – New stand! Holy Cao’s Boba Tea

• Shrimp/chicken Ramen burritos, deep-fried pineapple on a stick – Chicken Charlie’s

• Unicorn, Orange Dream and Mermaid Floats featuring cotton candy and rainbow toppings – Candy Factory

• Big Skillet Cookie, an oversize chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup – Totally Baked Cookie Joint

• Toppings bar for cinnamon buns including cherry pie filling, Mini M & M’s, salted caramel and maple bacon frosting – JP’s Old West Cinnamon Rolls

• Poke and sushi bowls, orange chicken burritos – Eddie’s Asian-Inspired Cuisine

Returning favorites

BBQ chicken, grilled corn, tri-tip, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, turkey legs, Hawaiian chicken bowls, grilled vegetables, corn dogs, ice cream, shaved ice, smoothies, shakes, fruit bowls, waffles, crepes, flavored lemonade, spicy cheese curd burgers, beef tallow fries, buffalo chips and cheese curd chips and more.

Vendors include: Tasti Burgers, Tasti Chips, Pink’s Hot Dogs, Biggy’s, Juicy’s, Noel’s Mexican, Corn Star, Apollo’s Greek, Carmelot, Pepe’s Mariscos, Crutchee’s Ice Cream, Enzo’s Pizza, Fresh Frys, Fried Affair, Hussong’s Cantina, Hot Dog on a Stick, Planet Popcorn, Mucho Crazy Nachos, Mustards Café, Old West Cinnamon Rolls, Texas Donuts, Vinny’s Pizza and more.

Don’t forget: $3 Taste of Fair Food on Thursdays! 

Get a sampling of food and treats for only $3 each every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. Fun-sized samples include funnel cake, tri-tip, lemonade, cinnamon rolls, tacos, gelato, cotton candy and more.

Posted in: Food, OC Fair

Monday, June 4, 2018 (1:00 pm)

The heat is on for the 2018 OC Fair competitions!

Judging for the 31st annual Homebrew Competition was held May 19-20, and with 367 entries and 500 bottles of homebrew entered, the judges had plenty of beers, mead and ciders to sample. Under the guidance of the competition organizers and the Barley Bandits, all of the judges are Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) certified and are able to earn experience points.

“All beer tasting competitions and contests should be backed by a certification program in order to allow for standardized rules and structures,” said Ashley Ramos, one of the organizers of the competition and an OC Fair employee. “The BJCP gives as a resource to find educated, professional judges to judge our competition.”

The 80 returning and new judges use the BJCP Style Guidelines to evaluate 34 types of beer; however, there were not as many types of beer six years ago.

“People started homebrewing because there wasn’t a lot of variety at the store,” said Bryan Dietz, a returning judge. “Homebrew has paved the way for craft beers.”

Each competitor brings in three bottles of beer and is given an anonymous code, and a group of four to five judges drinks the same beer. Judges use a beer fault list (provided by BJCP) to judge 21 characteristics, including aroma and estery. They also determine if the beer tastes sulfury, or like rotten eggs or burning matches, which would signify that the beer is infected by yeast health or yeast autolysis. These characteristics determine if the beer moves on in the competition or is cut short. The beers that move on in the competition are entered into the Best of Show round and are put back in the fridge for reconsideration.

“Judging homebrewed beers is a lot like judging a dog show. I may like the dog, but does the dog fit the set definitions that could make it a winner?” Dietz said.

The judging events also include stewards that clear and serve beers, and refill bread baskets for palette cleansing, as well as perform several other duties.

“There are many parts to homebrewing, like cooking,” Dietz said. “The goal is to get the perfect combination of flavors to make the best recipe.”

Since becoming one of the main organizers of the OC Fair Homebrew Competition a decade ago, Spencer Coleman has seen several changes in the homebrew industry.

“The beers have gotten much better since the increase of educational recourses that are available to brewers,” Coleman said. “The whole beer industry has changed, and there are more breweries since the pre prohibition era.”

There are plenty of aspects that homebrew competitors are competing for. Besides an award, competitors can also win tickets to this year’s OC Brew Hee Haw, held July 14-15 this year. Winners are awarded first place, second place, third place, or an honorable mention.

Winners will be announced on Friday, July 13. Check ocfair.com/competitions for winners.

Posted in: Competitions

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 (6:24 pm)

The OC Fair is seeking Orange County residents or students to sing the national anthem on select City Days during the flag ceremony at the 2018 OC Fair. Performers must be able to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” a capella. 

City Days are dedicated days during the Fair intended to honor and celebrate all the cities in Orange County. We are looking for performers from each of O.C.’s 34 cities. 

If you are interested in performing, please email khastings@ocfair.com by Friday, March 9, with your city of residence, the school in which you are currently enrolled (if applicable) and a video clip of you singing the national anthem. This video can be of a live performance at a local venue/event, or it can be from your home, but a video is required.

If you are chosen to perform, you will need to be available on a weekday in July or August from noon to 1 p.m.  We will contact you with the specific date. 

Please note: The national anthem performances are separate from the application to perform as part of the Community Entertainment program on one of the Fair stages. The application deadline to be considered for the Community Entertainment program is March 2. 

Monday, February 5, 2018 (10:01 am)

The 2018 OC Fair starts July 13 and goes through Aug. 12. But don’t wait to buy tickets to the performances happening on all 23 nights of the Fair!

Here’s what’s on sale now:

Straight No Chaser with special guest Jon McLaughlin at Pac Amp, July 8 (Tickets start at $27.50)

Rumours – The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show at The Hangar, July 13 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Dead Man’s Party – The Oingo Boing Tribute at The Hangar, July 14 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Firefall and Poco at The Hangar, July 15 (Tickets start at $20) 

Kool & the Gang with special guest Village People at Pac Amp, July 18 (Tickets start at $30)

Elton – The Early Years – A Tribute to Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at The Hangar, July 18 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Steve Martin & Martin Short with Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko at Pac Amp, July 20 (Tickets start at $55) 

Brett Eldredge with special guest Honey County at Pac Amp, July 29 (Tickets start at $45)

On sale Saturday, Feb. 10: 

Monster Truck Destruction Tour at Action Sports Arena, July 25-29 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Posted in Entertainment, OC Fair

Thursday, December 21, 2017 (4:10 pm)

Did you know? You can purchase catalogs featuring award-winning photography, fine arts and more featured at the OC Fair!

2017 OC Fair Photography Competition Awards 

This book features Best of Show, Division Winners and First Place in Adult, and Best of Show, Division Winners and Best of Class in Young Adult. Also, learn all about the judges.

Paperback: $15
 

2017 OC Fair Woodworking Competition Awards

This book features Best of Show, Division Winners and First Place in Adult. Also, learn about the judges, featured artists and more. 

Paperback: $15

2017 OC Fair Fine Art Competition Awards 

This book features Best of Show, Division Winners and First Place in Professional and Amateur, and Best of Show, Division Winners and Best of Class in Young Adult. Also, learn about the judges, featured artists, and exhibits on display at the 2017 OC Fair, including Kiel Johnson’s Garden Variety.

Paperback: $15

Shop the 2017 and 2016 collections on Amazon at amzn.to/2BOvTX8.

Bonus

Use smile.amazon.com and set Centennial Farm Foundation as your charity, and a percentage of your purchases will benefit the foundation behind our farm!

Posted in: Competitions

Thursday, December 14, 2017 (1:52 pm)

The 2018 OC Fair theme invites Fairgoers to embrace simple joys, get back to basics and “Free Your Inner Farmer.” The theme was announced today for the Fair which will run July 13-Aug. 12, 2018.

This is the second year of a three-year initiative to focus OC Fair themes on agriculture. The 2017 theme was “Farm Fresh Fun,” a nod to agriculture products. “Free Your Inner Farmer” salutes all the people involved in raising and enjoying the fruits of agriculture. The 2019 Fair theme will focus on land and the environment.

“We are going to have a great time with our ‘Free Your Inner Farmer’ theme,” said OC Fair & Event Center CEO Kathy Kramer. “It really speaks to what we all love about the annual OC Fair – animals, uncomplicated summer fun, making memories and reconnecting with our agricultural roots.”

The official theme was presented today to the OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors. Michele Richards, VP of Business Development, shared artwork and the creative brief on the theme at the board meeting.

Year two is all about people – the farmers who raise our food, the workers who harvest it, the folks who cook and bake and the people like us who enjoy eating.

Whether you’re a backyard gardener, a culinary experimenter or a farmers-market fan, there’s a farmer in all of us. And the OC Fair gives us the opportunity and permission to let our farmer flag fly.

Whether you have a curiosity about where food really comes from and people who bring it to our tables, or a desire to disconnect from the artificial and reconnect with the natural, or maybe an appreciation for timeless joy in the great outdoors, the OC Fair frees that inner spirit and connects us as a community.

It’s about back-to-basics family fun and making lasting memories. The OC Fair is a place where joy has no age limit. It’s where we can roam free under the sun, moon and stars – no matter who we are.

So whether you want to shake hands with a working farmer, watch kids clamber on farm equipment, feel the earth between your fingers as you learn to plant your own garden or enjoy the simple pleasure of learning to cook a farm-fresh meal, the 2018 OC Fair invites you to “Free Your Inner Farmer.”

Hooray for the farmer in all of us!

HOURS

OC Fair admission and parking prices will not increase in 2018. General admission will remain $12 for Wednesday-Friday and $14 on weekends, senior and youth tickets are $7 every day. Parking is $10. Military service members and veterans always get in free and can purchase up to six half-price general admission tickets for friends and family.

The Fair will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to midnight and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, July 13-Aug. 12, 2018.

DISCOUNTS

Popular discounts and promotions will also be back for the 2018 OC Fair including the opening day Tree ‘Til Three deal, the Read and Ride program for children and We Care Wednesdays offering free admission and a carnival ride to Fairgoers who bring donations for local nonprofits. There will also be seniors days, kids days and discount days for carnival ride wristbands. Admission for children age five and younger is always free. A full list of deals and discounts will be posted on ocfair.com. 

JOBS

The 2017 OC Fair attracted 1,334,753 Fairgoers and brought in $34.5 million in revenue. This year, 1,456 seasonal employees worked at the Fair and a similar number will be hired in 2018. Employment opportunities are posted at ocfair.com/jobs.

SUPER PASS

OC Fair Super Passes, which provide admission to all 23 days of the Fair, are on sale now at the lowest prices that will be offered, $30 for general admission and $23 for youth and seniors. Prices will increase on March 1 and again on June 1. Super Passes come with two-for-one discounts on select shows at Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena along with discounts on food and an offer to purchase additional Fair tickets for only $10. The passes are sold at ocfair.com/superpass.

Announcements and ticket sales for Fair entertainment will start in January.

Concessionaires are now cooking up new concoctions to reveal at the 2018 OC Fair; details to come.

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 25, 2017 (11:34 am)

If you know Carnival Eats, you know Noah Cappe doesn’t mess around when it comes to fair food. He travels around the country visiting various fairs and carnivals, trying out the most outrageous, the biggest and the tastiest foods he can get his hands on.

And on the new episode of Carnival Eats – a TV show on the Cooking Channel – you’ll see food from your favorite fair: the OC Fair! 

Noah was at the OC Fair with his crew during the 2017 season, and he tried all kinds of good stuff. The premiere episode, which airs Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. on the Cooking Channel, will feature the Unicorn Leg and deep-fried pizza. Yuuuuum.

Also, keep an eye out through all of Carnival Eats’ Season 5 for more OC Fair appearances. 

Friday, July 14, 2017 (12:06 pm)

Maybe you didn’t grow a blue ribbon tomato, perhaps your jam didn’t quite gel, or you missed the deadline to enter your most popular Instagram photos in the visual arts competition – don’t fret, you can still be a winner at the 2017 OC Fair!

Try your luck at our contests or just stop by to watch the hilarity. If you don’t win, you can always head to the midway and work on bringing home a giant stuffed gorilla.

OC Promenade contests

These contests in our culinary department are free to enter and winners will be awarded prizes and ribbons. Make sure to register starting at 5 p.m., before competitions begin at 7 p.m. in the OC Promenade Culinary Arts Building on the Mail Mall. Two age groups compete: 9 to 17, and 18 and up.

• Egg Toss Contest, July 14
• Spice & Utensil Guessing Game, July 16
• Cupcake Eating Contest, July 19
• Pie Dough Roll-Out Contest, July 20
• Milk & Cookies Eating Contest, July 21
• Fruit and Vegetable Culinary Contest, July 28
• Pie Eating Contest, Aug. 2
• Cheese Carving Contest, Aug. 3
• Watermelon Eating Contest, Aug. 4
• Chef Hat Decorating Contest, Aug. 9
• Orange Juice Squeeze Contest, Aug. 10
• Count Your Beans, Aug. 11
• Find the Worm, Aug. 12
• Cake Decorating Contest, Aug. 13

Kids’ contests

Over in the Explorium in the Family Fairway area, there are nightly Children’s Eating Contests for our younger Fairgoers, ages 5-18, at 6:30 p.m. Generous Fair vendors supply the food. Sign-ups begin at 6 p.m. – don’t be late, this is a standing-room-only event.

Seniors’ contests

One of the great things about the OC Fair is that there is something for everybody. Senior contests are open to Fairgoers 55 and older and take place each Friday at the Meadows Stage near Centennial Farm. The fun starts at 2 p.m. and contestants must sign up at 1:30 p.m. First-, second- and third-place ribbons are awarded in each category.

• Senior Hat Contest, July 21 – Categories include best all-around, funniest, smallest, biggest, prettiest, most colorful, most patriotic and best representation of the Fair theme: Farm Fresh Fun. After the winners are announced, the annual hat parade begins.
• Senior Friendship Contest, July 28 – Contestants will be asked a series of questions do discover how well they know their Fair companion.
• Senior Bowling Contest, Aug. 4 – Contestants are given three chances to knock down a set of bowling pins and the senior with the highest score wins. There are separate competitions for men and women.
• Senior “Minutes to Win It” Contest, Aug. 11 – Seniors will work to beat the clock while performing a set of skills.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 (2:25 pm)

The OC Fair & Event Center is bursting with Farm Fresh Fun – and it’s free admission and parking for the first three hours on Opening Day from noon to 3 p.m. July 14.

The midway is bustling with set-up activity, exhibits are being spiffed up, competition judging is under way and the Fairgrounds have been transformed into the summer’s best party.

Here are some highlights:

New OC Fair rides

The OC Fair is adding three new rides this year and one new funhouse, making the carnival bigger and more exciting than ever before!

The new La Grande Wheel XL is so big that it was transported on 22 semi-trailer trucks to get to the Fairgrounds. It is 130 feet tall, weighs 616,000 pounds and features a half-million LED lights. The 36 cabins are climate-controlled and hold six to eight people. It takes the Ferris wheel about three and a half minutes to make a full circle and can carry about 2,000 passengers an hour.

La Grande Wheel XL cost $6 million to build and is one of the largest traveling observation wheels in the western hemisphere. This giant new Ferris wheel was manufactured in Europe and is known as the Mercedes Benz of carnival wheels.

But two is better than one! For the first time ever, OC Fair will feature two giant Ferris wheels to whisk riders high into the sky for a panoramic view. La Grande Wheel XL will be joined by the Big Wheel. Standing more than 108 feet tall, the Big Wheel features the newest technology for a smooth ride. It’s equipped with LED lights and 24 open-air gondolas.

Also making its debut at the OC Fair is Endeavor – an open-air ride in which passengers are suspended in their seats and experience 3G acceleration. Riders will feel the sensation of flying 60 feet through the air at 25 miles per hour.

A new funhouse, Rockin’ Rodeo, will be coming, too, with zany twists and turns around every corner.

These are all from Ray Cammack Shows, and join returning favorites such as Big Top Swinger, Cliff Hanger, Cyclone, Insanity, Mach 1, Speed, Wild River and more.
View a full list of carnival rides.

Opening weekend entertainment

Friday: Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias kicks off the Fair in Pacific Amphitheatre at 8:15 p.m. Tickets start at $45. The David Bowie tribute band Space Oddity is performing in The Hangar at 8:30 p.m. and tickets start at $17.50. It’s X-treme Freestyle Mo-X in the Action Sports Arena at 8 p.m. with tickets starting at $17.50.

Saturday: Lynyrd Skynyrd and OC’s own Jeramiah Red perform in Pacific Amphitheatre at 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $37.50. In The Hangar, the Pink Floyd tribute band Which One’s Pink? takes the stage at 8:30 and tickets start at $17.50. It’s Speedway Fair Derby in the Action Sports Arena at 8 pm; tickets start at $17.50.

Sunday: The Happy Together Tour starts at 8 p.m. in Pacific Amphitheatre with tickets starting at $22.50. Blue Oyster Cult takes the stage in The Hangar at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20. In the Action Sports Arena, it’s SummerFist 10 at 6 p.m. and tickets start at $15.

All tickets include OC Fair admission. Get your last-minute seats at Ticketmaster.

Fun for everyone

OC Brew Hee Haw brings the best in craft beer to the Fair and fans can sample more than 80 brews. Saturday the taps are flowing from noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $65 at the door, if available, and $55 in advance at ocbrewheehaw.com and include Fair admission.

If you prefer wine, visit The Courtyard for wine tastings, vino by the glass and assorted nibbles.

There is plenty for children, too. Check out the Kids Can Cook show at Centennial Farm and while you’re there, catch milking demonstrations, look for new baby animals and visit the honey-tasting bar.

Returning favorites for the whole family include the Peking Acrobats, Russell Brothers Family Circus, All-Alaskan Racing Pigs and kids’eating competitions every evening in the Explorium. Don’t miss Crafters Village, Carnival of Products and Parade of Products – tons of special shopping deals for Fairgoers.

OC Fair deals

Super Pass – Enjoy all 23 days of the Fair for the best price! Super Passes are $35 for general admission and $28 for seniors and youth ages 6-12. New this year: Super Pass holders who come to all 23 days of the 2017 OC Fair will win the Perfect Attendance Award and receive a free 2018 Super Pass.

Veterans and active-duty military personnel – Admission is always free with ID and their guests can purchase up to six half-price tickets.

Read and Ride – Kids ages 5-11 can read two books to earn three free carnival rides. Download book report forms at bit.ly/ocfairread and redeem them at the Centennial Farm information booth.

Seniors Day – Those 60 and older get in for $5 every Friday.

$2 rides and $2 games – On Fridays noon-4 p.m. rides and games are just $2 in the main carnival and the kiddie carnival.

Best Deal Ever – On Saturdays and Sundays, Fairgoers can take advantage of this promotion featuring half-price admission and carnival rides for half the usual number of tickets.

OC Fair Express – Take an OCTA bus from one of nine locations direct to the Fair and receive a coupon for $3 general admission, one coupon per person. Bus fare is $2 each way on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.-midnight. For more information and locations, visit ocfairexpress.com.

Free offsite parking on weekends – Park in the Experian structure at 475 Anton Blvd. (near the Bristol exit off the 405 Freeway), in Costa Mesa and catch a free shuttle to the Fair 10 a.m.-1 a.m.

View a full list of deals and promotions.