Pitter-patter of piglets is near

Some of the most popular attractions at the Orange County Fair might surprise you.

In keeping with fair standards, they are quite large. But they aren’t really very colorful, nor do they spin in circles — in fact they are almost immobile.

They are Leilani, Kiele and Lokelani — three giant sows bursting with piglets.

Each year, the sows are bred so that the end of their three-month, three-week and three-day gestation period coincides with the first week of the fair.

“Every year the piglets are really one of the biggest attractions because they’re babies,” said Centennial Farm volunteer Ellie Neal. “They squeal and run around a lot, and then when one of them starts to nurse, you have this mass of piglets all nursing at the same time. It’s really something to see.”

Just ask Sydney Strabala, 13, of Costa Mesa, who squealed when she first caught sight of Leilani.

“You know, you see cute pigs in pictures and stuffed animal pigs, and then you wanna see the real thing, and they’re so cool,” she said, comparing the sows to the cartoon pigs on her T-shirt.

Leilani, who, like her sister sows, is named for a Hawaiian flower, was due to “farrow,” or give birth, on Tuesday. Kiele is expected to have her piglets today. Lokelani will have her babies around Aug. 9, after the fair ends.

The three pigs, who are permanent residents of the working farm, weigh about 400 pounds each and spend most of their time resting on their ample sides.

Neal said these sows can have between six and 16 piglets, though somewhere between eight and 12 is an average litter.

Neal, of Anaheim, has volunteered at the farm for the past 5 ½ years and is accustomed to answering fairgoers’ questions about the pregnant sows. She said an average newborn piglet will weigh about five pounds, but within three or four months, each will tip the scales at about 200 pounds.

Even with their celebrity status they have on the farm, Neal said the sows don’t get any special treatment. They birth their piglets in their pens on their own, and neither mother nor babies are given any medication or extra care unless they are in distress. Then they rest up.

Teri O’Laughlin and husband Harold of Foothill Ranch took the day off Wednesday to bring their two kids and some friends to the Orange County Fair, which they have attended every year for more than 30 years.

“Each year we do it the same way. We go through the gates and then we come here first,” Teri said, gesturing to the main gate and Centennial Farm. “They’re always the first thing we see, and for us it means the beginning of the Orange County Fair.”

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THINGS TO DO

Giant Sand Box

Be sure to secure a space at this Orange County Fair kids’ hot spot. The Giant Sand Box is open all day at Cowabunga Beach in the Ralphs Family Fair Way, and on most days it is filled with kids by about 1 p.m.

Basic Beekeeping and Beekeeping Crafts by Janet Andrews

The popularity of the beekeeping display at the farm and garden at Centennial Farm indicates that this exhibit and workshop will be very well-attended. Activities begin at 2 p.m. in the Silo Building at Centennial Farm.

The Magic of Frank Thurston

Each year Thurston brings a smile to fairgoers young and old alike with his tricks and jokes, using props such as white rabbits to brightly colored scarves and everything in between. The show is at 7 p.m. at Cowabunga Beach in the Ralphs Family Fair Way.