Fair bests itself with record attendance

Bryce Alderton

COSTA MESA -- Numbers don’t lie or so Orange County Fair officials

hope as this year’s total attendance figures topped last year’s record

figures by more than 20,000 people.

By 6 p.m. Sunday, fair officials said 829,784 had past through the

turnstiles compared to last year’s 808,810.

Becky Bailey-Findley, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of

the fair, attributed the attendance increase to several factors.

“The weather has been beautiful, bringing in the [“I Love Lucy”

exhibit], the new carnival rides and the upgrade in entertainment have

all played a role in the increase,” Bailey-Findley said. “The fair is

still not overpriced. The food vendors and the carnival have reported

increased sales and when you put all these things together, it’s a good

value and the people here enjoyed themselves.”

Attendance increased despite the one dollar increase in general

admission price to $7.

Certain vendors and fair-goers keep coming back each year to partake

in the fair’s ambience.

Bob and Deena Jackson, co-owners of three stands at the fair, have

been regulars now for 35 years.

“Part of doing this is enjoying it and if you can earn a living and

enjoy [your job], it makes it a lot easier,” Bob Jackson said.

Jackson works an average of 16 hours a day during the fair. He arrives

at the fairgrounds at 7 a.m. and doesn’t leave until 12:30 a.m.

“The great thing about this fair is that the people enjoy themselves

and they support their fair. Everyone feels welcome here,” said Jackson,

who estimated that he sold about 30,000 ears of corn as of Sunday.

The Australian battered potatoes stand always has the longest of lines

during the fair, and manager Carmel Dyer said this year wasn’t any

different.

“When I see those lines, I can’t believe it,” Dyer said. “There have

been more people this year, but everything has pretty much stayed the

same except for a couple pictures of the food we serve that we didn’t

have before.”

Dyer, a 15-year fair veteran, demands a lot out of her employees,

often encouraging them when they have a headache or when they’re tired.

“If they can survive working here, they can make it anywhere,” said

Dyer, who has homes in her native Australia and in Carlsbad.

Dyer said she makes sure the oil is filtered five times a day so

customers are always getting the freshest oil on their potatoes.

* Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at o7 bryce.alderton@latimes.comf7 .