Deepa BharathIt’s red, it’s ripe and it’s...

Deepa Bharath

It’s red, it’s ripe and it’s all set to rock today.

Opening ceremonies for the 111th annual Orange County Fair, whose

theme this year is “Red, Ripe and Rockin’,” will begin at 10 a.m.

with a festive procession leading to the Heritage Stage.

The fair also has several new attractions this year, said Steve

Beazley, deputy general manager of the Orange County Fair.

“Our biggest new attraction is the Pacific Amphitheatre,” he said.

The amphitheater, which reopened this year, will feature a 15-day

concert series with several big names including Bob Dylan, Duran

Duran and Melissa Etheridge.

The other star attraction at this year’s fair promises to be the

Skyride, a ride that operates like a ski lift, taking visitors from

one end of the fairgrounds to the other.

“The ride is about 55 feet off the ground,” Beazley said. “It’s

kind of a slow ride, and we hope it’s a lot of fun for people.”

New also at this year’s fair is the Orange Groove, a museum

showing the history of Orange County music and venues, he said.

In addition to the rides and special attractions, there is the

food -- mostly deep-fried. This year, they’ll be frying a lot of

stuff, including Oreos and Twinkies.

“We’re also having a new crepe stand, the Chocolate Tortilla

Factory, and a new fish taco stand,” Beazley said.

Fair officials expect a large crowd this weekend, he said.

“We have the concerts, the motorcycle jumping and demolition derby

this weekend,” he said. “The entertainment is really strong. So we do

expect big crowds.”

The weather also seems to favor the Fair, Beazley said.

“The forecast is it’s going to be in the mid-70s,” he said. “The

weather is always great in Costa Mesa, and that’s always one of the

selling points of the fair.”

Security is also beefed up this year, with officers checking

bigger bags, including backpacks, diaper bags and briefcases.

“But we don’t believe that’s going to cause any major delays,”

Beazley said. “In this day and age, we think people are ready for

it.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.