OC Fairgrounds get a new name for brevity’s sake

Many Costa Mesa residents refer to it simply as the fairgrounds; but until recently, the venue on Fair Drive sported a lengthy official name: the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center.

Starting New Year’s Day, however, the home of the Orange County Fair and Market Place boasts a new moniker. In December, The Fair Board renamed it the OC Fair and Event Center.

The fairgrounds adopted the previous name in 1992 to coincide with the Orange County Fair’s 100th anniversary. The venue itself was built in 1949 after the Santa Ana Army Air Base closed following World War II.

— Michael Miller