Keeping with tradition at the fair

Lolita Harper

From “We’re Having Bushels of Fun” in 1993 to “Red, Ripe and Rockin’”

the Sankey family has been coming to opening day at the fair for 10

years.

Mother Paula Sankey said it is a tradition that started when her

oldest was just a baby. It was July 1993 and the fair was saluting

crops and vegetables for its 101st fair. Sankey took her little one

to the face-painting booth for her inaugural “fair experience.” She

didn’t remember what the painting was but she remembered the booth

and has gone back every year for the same artistic touch.

“He has watched my children grow up,” Paula said.

Ten years ago the fair included an educational packet with

vegetable fact sheets, planting tips, Guinness vegetable records, a

farm fact quiz and coloring for elementary school-aged children.

Sankey’s only daughter was too young for the material but it wouldn’t

be long before the children would read the fair theme themselves.

There was a petting zoo, the livestock display, plenty of rides

and food and concerts. The Pacific Ampitheatre was still up and

running.

The decade of fair-going tradition has come full circle as the

theme is once again vegetable themed -- this time its tomatoes -- and

the Pacific Ampitheatre made its big comeback with a blockbuster list

of performances.

Lauren Sankey, 7, said she enjoyed the tradition, although she

doesn’t remember her first trip to the fair. She has seen pictures

and looks forward to it every year. Each summer, the family adds more

memories to their opening day archives.

Lauren proudly showed off the colorful dragon painted on her face

and this year stepped up the body art to a temporary tattoo.

Ten years at the Orange County Fair is just the beginning of the

Sankey family tradition, Paula Sankey said.

“We’ll be back again next year too.”