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.