Tradition gets early start

Deepa Bharath

The Orange County Fair has been a family tradition for Pedro

Hernandez.

The Santa Ana resident makes sure he and his family are one of the

first ones through the gate on opening day.

“You wait for it all year,” he said. “And it’s here at last.”

Hernandez and hundreds of area residents welcomed the 112th Orange

County Fair Thursday night, which got off to an explosive start with

rock and roll music and fireworks.

This was the first time fair officials had put together an opening

night, a community night to kick off the grand event. It’s the fair’s

effort to thank the community that supports it, said Becky

Bailey-Findley, the fair’s general manager and chief executive

officer.

“It’s just our way of giving back to the community,” she said.

“The response is great. It’s even better than we anticipated.”

Fair officials hope to make the kickoff an annual tradition,

Bailey-Findley said. It was also the first-ever fireworks display

ever put on by the fair, she said.

“It was inspired by the show the city put up for its 50th

anniversary,” Bailey-Findley said.

The opening night “is a great way to welcome the community to the

fair,” said Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder.

“The fair is here for 21 days, and the surrounding community has

to make adjustments for that duration,” he said. “This is a good way

to recognize them.”

Such events also give Costa Mesa a “sense of ownership over the

fair,” Roeder said.

“It’s like we’re the hosts,” he said. “And it’s nice to have our

own little preview.”

Hernandez said he is happy to be part of the fair’s festivities.

“I love the fair because it’s fun for the whole family,” he said.

“It’s not just fun and games. They have a lot of educational

activities for the children too.”

Hernandez said the kickoff helps him get into the spirit of the

summer celebration.

Costa Mesa resident Rick McCarthy said he read about the kickoff

on the Orange County Fair website.

“I heard it was free,” he said. “And that’s great because the fair

can be expensive, especially when you bring your whole family. So a

free preview is nice. It’s appreciated.”

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

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