Youth Expo packs kids into Fairgrounds

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Thousands of children have overrun the Orange County

Fairgrounds for this weekend’s Youth Expo.

“This is our favorite weekend,” Becky Bailey-Findley, general manager

of the Fairgrounds, said Friday. “This is what the fair is all about. You

won’t see a child without a smile. They are learning new things, trying

new things and seeing what ribbons they won. There is a lot of

excitement, a lot of energy.”

Children wandered around the free expo in groups with their parents,

their schools or youth organizations on Friday, petting animals, admiring

the science projects and listening to the jazz bands.

“It’s fun going places and talking to people,” said Emily Premo, a

9-year-old at Panorama Elementary School in Santa Ana. “We see what we

can do, and it’s also exercise because we have to walk so much.”

More than 7,000 school projects are on display at the expo, along with

science projects and exhibits by the Orange County Girl Scouts and 4-H

clubs.

The expo will continue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday, and

will include a science fair, talent search, jazz festival, pampered pets

contest and a petting zoo.

The Orange County Fairgrounds estimated that approximately 8,000

attendees visited the expo on Friday.

“Seeing the art has been the most fun thing so far,” said Christina

Machuca, a 10-year-old at Panorama Elementary School in Santa Ana, who

was waiting in line to get her face painted Friday morning. “I’m looking

forward to seeing the 4-H thing next, with the animals.”

Several students said that the science fair was their favorite part of

of the expo.

They had different opinions about which of the projects, ranging from

research on which fruits produce the most energy (apples) to what

substances best removes oil from water (hair,) were the best, however.

“This one is the coolest so far,” said Gerald Dalisay, pointing at a

project studying whether the speed of a roller coaster is affected by its

slope.

The researcher, 10th grader Nathan Goodrich of Estancia High School,

tested differently sloped roller coasters using Roller coaster Tycoon, a

computer game.

Dalisay, a 12-year-old student at St. John Baptist Roman Catholic

Elementary School in Costa Mesa, said he was surprised by the results of

the experiment.

“I thought the speed would be affected by the slope,” he said. The

experiment showed that the speed at the bottom of the drop was not

affected by the steepness of the slope.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” said Michael Mendez,

another 12-year-old from St. John Baptist. “It’s a roller coaster game

used for a science project.”

Christine Lehart, an 8-year-old who attended the expo with the

Covenant Christian Academy, said her favorite project was one about ocean

pollution.

“I like this one,” she said, pointing to the project by Max Suann, a

7th grader at Bernice Ayer Intermediate School. “He tested the amounts of

pollution in the ocean and I think that’s interesting.”

Some of the adults said they were having as much fun as the children.

“I’m really enjoying this,” Deanna Moeller, a parent volunteer at

Woodsboro Elementary School in Anaheim Hills who was watching the Travis

Ranch Middle School band from Yorba Linda, said. “I haven’t seen a lot of

middle school bands, but they are very impressive. It’s a really good

band.”

Jeanne McMahan, an Estancia High School special education teacher,

said she appreciates having a fun, safe place to take children.

“It’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “There are so many things for

kids to do. It’s really exciting. We saw the police dog already and went

into the DARE car, where some of the kids locked themselves in the back

seat. They’re getting their faces painted and we’re going to see the art

that other children painted. I get to see people I don’t get to see at

other times and this is a place where kids can wander around and you

don’t have to worry about them.”

YOUTH EXPO SCHEDULE

The Youth Expo, which is free, is being held this weekend at the

Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Information: (714)

708-3247.

SATURDAY

9 a.m.: Poultry, cavy and swine showmanship, knowledge and games in

the livestock area and the show ring; 4-H club dog show in the livestock

area

9:30 a.m.: Newport Harbor High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

10 a.m.: San Clemente High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage; 4-H

show and judging contest in Building No. 17

10:30 a.m.: Esperanza High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

11 a.m.: Edison High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

11:30 a.m. Valencia High School Jazz Band at the Heritage Stage

Noon: Jazz band awards at the Heritage Stage; beef progress and

showmanship at the show ring

1 p.m.: Mater Dei High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage; rabbit

knowledge, egg judging and chicken races in the livestock area

1:30 p.m. Woodbridge High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

2 p.m.: Poultry evaluation at the livestock area

2:30 p.m. Woodbridge High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

3 p.m.: Valencia High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage; adult large

animal round robin at the show ring

3:30 p.m. La Habra High School Jazz Band at Heritage Stage

4 p.m.: jazz band awards at Heritage Stage

SUNDAY

9 a.m.: Rabbit show at the livestock area and goat showmanship at the

show ring

9:30 a.m.: Scavenger hunt at Centennial Farm

10 a.m.: Pampered pet contest at Centennial Farm; 4-H club judging

contests in Building No. 17

11 a.m.: Progress shepherd showmanship at the show ring

1 p.m.: 4-H kite making in Building No. 17; master showmanship at the

show ring

2 p.m.: Small pet show and games on the Arena Lawn; school project

awards ceremony at Heritage Stage

3:30 p.m.: Science fair awards ceremony at the Arena Lawn