Board: Fair is still a bargain

Alicia Robinson

It will cost $1 more to attend the Orange County Fair in 2005, but

fair board members opted to keep largely the same special offers and

discounts as fairgoers got in 2004.

Fair board members voted Thursday to increase the fair admission

price to $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 to 12 -- $1 more

than 2004 prices. Admission for seniors will stay at $6, but the

qualifying age was increased from 55 to 60 years.

The last price hike at the Orange County Fair was in 2001, when

admission went from $6 to $7.

Despite the price increase, the Orange County Fair is still one of

the cheapest in the area. The San Diego County fair cost $10.50 this

year, and Los Angeles County’s fair charged $10 on weekdays and $14

on weekends.

Board members were divided on the issue. Supporters of the

increase, who said it’s keeping pace with the cost of living and

allows the fair to support discounts and other programs that benefit

the community, ultimately won out.

“At a dollar increase, I think it’s negligible to people coming

into the fair,” board member Frank Barbaro said. “I think it does

increase our revenues.... I think that helps subsidize some of the

really positive things that we want to do.”

Other board members held out against a price hike.

“I still think that we really have a great opportunity here to

separate ourselves from the other fairs, because the other fairs are

a lot more expensive,” said board member Ruben Smith. “I like being

the best bargain in town.”

To offset admission costs in 2005, board members approved a set of

promotions that includes free admission days for children 12 and

under, canned food and book drives and senior discount days.

The board voted down a proposed $4 before 4 p.m. deal because they

thought it would be too confusing in light of other discounts.

Concert costs for 2005 were slightly modified, with the board

opting to add 50 cents to the current $2.50 facility fee. That fee

pays for maintenance and upgrades to the Pacific Amphitheater. Friday

concerts, when all tickets are one price, will cost $19.99 in 2005

instead of $19.

Fair statistics show admissions and revenues have been swelling in

recent years. The number of fairgoers has grown 19% since 2000,

reaching nearly 964,000 this year. Income from the fair has more than

doubled in that time, shooting up from $6.5 million in 2000 to $14.8

million in 2004.

Fair board members also voted to have architects begin planning a

new 47,750-square-foot exhibit building that will include a

commercial kitchen, second-story administrative offices and flexible

exhibit space.

It will replace an 11,200-square-foot building used for youth

events during the fair and other events during the year.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.