EDITORIAL:

Say cheese.

The Orange County Fair is once again bringing smiles to the faces of thousands of residents from our county and beyond.

Not to mention a variety of cheeses, served up in a variety of ways, including on hats crafted by some, well, crafty senior citizens.

It’s all things cheese — the theme extends to smiling for a doozy of a camera, but more on that in a minute — at the fair this year, keeping in line with the “Say Cheese” theme that organizers came up with months ago.

But it’s much more, as well.

B.B. King, the king of blues, made an appearance at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Fergie, Tom Jones and Emmylou Harris are just a few of the other headliners. East Coast natives and fans of the “Harold and Kumar” movies have the chance to sample White Castle sliders at this year’s fair. A host of the typical deep-fried offerings and giant turkey legs are also on hand. And, of course, Alaskan pigs will be testing their speed against one another in their annual, incredibly entertaining races.

But back to the “Say Cheese” theme.

A camera obscura — a periscope of sorts projecting high-resolution video — allows fairgoers to observe others with complete anonymity, adding both an educational and voyeuristic exhibit to the lineup.

We suggest you give it a try.

You won’t be disappointed.

And if you choose not to, well, smile for prosperity’s sake, because there are many reasons to do so.

This is about the best family fun, and, at $9 admission — the best deal — Orange County has to offer; to not take advantage of it is to forgo a uniquely O.C. event.

The fair, at 88 Fair Drive off the 405 and 55 freeways, runs through Aug. 3. It is open noon to midnight Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. It’s closed on Mondays.

For information, go to www.ocfair.com.