That’s fair enough
Lolita Harper
It went up, down, twisted, turned and jolted, but the roller coaster
ride that was the 2003 Orange County Fair has come to a complete
stop.
The Red, Ripe and Rocking event had its last hurrah Sunday,
leaving merchants, ride operators and fair officials to assess the
success of the 111th annual summer event.
The fair climbed to new heights this year with the revival of the
Pacific Amphitheatre, a $5.8-billion entertainment budget and a
longer total running time. Things took a sharp turn after highly
publicized reports of injuries on two rides.
But the combination of great food, informational shows, live
entertainment and heart-pumping attractions got the fair back on
track, officials said.
Fair General Manager Becky Bailey-Findley said she is optimistic
about the final numbers.
“It is hard to predict, but it looks to be close to our 2002
attendance numbers,” Bailey-Findley said.
In 2002, the fair was open 17 days. This year, it was open 21
days. Officials did not necessarily expect to add more people by
adding more days, but really wanted to increase the enjoyment of
fairgoers, Bailey-Findley said.
“It gives the customer a better fair experience if they are not
crowded or standing in line for a long time or have to park far
away,” she said.
Summer Fitzgerald of Long Beach waited in line for the Ferris
wheel with her 5-year-old daughter on Sunday. It was their first trip
to the fair this summer, and they nearly missed it.
“We didn’t even know it was the last day today. It’s a good thing
we decided to come,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve only been on two rides
so far, but we have a few hours and a lot to do.”
Parents of younger children, such as Fitzgerald, had more room
Sunday afternoon to push strollers around and sit down for one last
funnel cake. People lined up to be spun, lifted, dropped, twirled and
shaken, but did not have to wait in very long lines. The parking lots
were nowhere near capacity, and traffic along Fairview Road was
light.
Final numbers for fair attendance and revenues were not available
at press time Sunday, but daily reports in general show attendance
levels down from last year. At 3 p.m. Sunday, 22,052 people had
walked through the fair turnstiles. Because the fair went four days
longer, there were no daily attendance numbers to compare with last
year.
In 2002, a record-breaking 898,197 people attended at the
water-themed fair. Officials reported a cumulative total attendance
this year of 849,548 at 3 p.m. Sunday -- leaving nine hours to
attract 48,649 people to match last year’s number.
Jeff McBrady, the owner of 10 Pound Buns concession stand, said
his business did well considering the drop in attendance. McBrady,
who has been at the Orange County fair for 12 years, said there was a
marked difference between this year and the previous two -- which
were both record-breaking.
His booth, which sells slices of sourdough bread slathered in
gooey cheese and covered with tasty toppings, would definitely back
next year.
“I mean, they made some changes, but I still think it’s a great
fair,” McBrady said.
* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and
covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or
by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.
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