Acres of Fun at the OC Fair!

Acres of Fun at the OC Fair!

By Bobby Navarro

The OC Fair is back! From July 12th to August 11th, The OC Fair and Event Center is hosting “Acres of Fun” running Wednesday to Sunday in Costa Mesa. Every year the fair brings nearly 1 million visitors with entertainment, rides and food that have now become an annual meeting grounds for local families and tourists alike. We were invited by Melissa’s Produce to get a first look at the sights and sounds of the start of fair season, and wanted to share some of our finds.

THINGS TO EAT – There are some people I look at for fair food trends, that I know are constantly innovating. Chicken Charlies is a long standing fair food aficionado, breaking barriers and making waves year after year on the fair scene in Southern California. The favorites this year are not as fried as in years past, but they will still make a real foodie question themselves. Chicken Charlies has two locations, one in Midway accessible from the main Blue Gate Entrance, and the second is across from the Kids Land entrance closest to green gate. In addition to the common favorites on his menu, like the skewered chicken, many fair fiends find themselves gravitating to the things on the menu that make you squish your face. Think Triple Decker Cheeseburger with a Krispy Kreme bun!

His newest creations include an ice cream sandwich with donut buns, stuffed with fried chicken. The flavors were salty and sweet and surprisingly more delicious then you might originally think.

We also tried the new Buffalo Chicken Chimichanga, which was stuffed with Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese wrapped in a green tortilla and then topped with hot cheetos. Even though I am a sucker for interesting burritos, I knew too many bites of this hot headed buffalo chicken style was going to have me wanting to take a nap. There are many more interesting foods to find at the fair, and there are a few vendors that always have something new, so make sure to take a menu peak at vendors like Biggies, Bacon-A-Fair, and Get Fried.

THINGS TO DO – The OC Promenade is located off the main Midway between the two art exhibit hangers. The OC Promenade has always been known for its culinary programming and its visual displays. Here you can see the entries for some of the local competitions like cake making, spices and table settings. In addition to all the photo opportunities, the OC Promenade has invited some exciting people to make the space a full culinary experience. Northgate Market has some guacamole and avocado toast offerings, find yourself transported to a Parisian Patissiere complete with macaroons and chocolates, and finish with learning the art of fermentation at the kombucha counter. If that wasn’t enough, every day is filled with different kinds of culinary programming including cooking demos, culinary education panels and cooking competitions. This is a great way to kick off your fair experience, or stop by when you need to break up your day with some shade and seating.

TIPS AND TRICKS – There are tons of promotions that the fair provides to make the fair accessible to everyone. We have listed a few to make sure you are totally prepared for your fair excursion.

OC FAIR EXPRESS: Don’t let parking take up all your fair time! Take the local OCTA for $2 ($4 round trip) to the OC Fair and get a coupon for a $4 fair ticket (valid on day of service only)

WE CARE WEDNESDAY: Every Wednesday the OC Fair partners with local charitable organizations to provide a free entrance and single ride ticket in trade for a donation. This is a great way to teach your children about the power of helping others in need. Each Wednesday is a different donation supporting a different cause, so make sure to read the website for the most up to date information, but here is what we know.

July 24th – Noon – 3pm – Second Harvest Food Bank – Donate five canned food items.

July 31st – Noon – 3pm – Think Together – Donate 3 new or gently used children’s books.

August 7th – Noon – 3pm – Goodwill of Orange County – Donate 5 new or gently used clothing items.

KID’S DAY: Children under 5 are always welcome free at the fair, but on Thursdays, children under 12 are all welcome for free. A great way for families of all sizes to join in the fair fun.

The fair offers many promotions to support all ages, visit the OC Fair website to plan the best time to go in the most affordable way that is best for your group. Summer isn’t the same without some deep fried food, heart pumping rides, and some good ol’ entertainment so stop on by the OC Fair!

Be sure to check out this amazing video below for more food and fun highlights from this years OC Fair!

 

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“Home Sweet Home” at the Orange County Fair

The rides, the food, the exhibits, the animals, the shows! There is something for everyone at the fair and it is one of my favorite summertime hang-out spots to enjoy some good food, good company of friends and family, and some top-notch entertainment or a lazy summer afternoon of wandering around the exhibits, rides, games, or just sitting back and taking it all in.  This is the last week of the fair, so if you have not already had the chance to go, then make sure you head down there by Sunday August 12th!!

Here are some of my favorite things about the OC County Fair:

1. The FOOD!! You cannot go to the fair and NOT have any of the spectacular food options they have. Ranging from the healthy to the not-so healthy, whatever you fancy, I can guarantee you will find something delicious! Fresh Berries. Roasted Corn on the Cob. Deep-fried. Wrapped in Bacon. On-a-stick. Battered. Breaded. Dipped in chocolate. Eating at the Fair is a unique experience. 😉

Two of my favorite things!! Chocolate and STRAWBERRIES!!

I ended up getting a basket of  nice ripe, juicy berries and a chocolate covered strawberry!! YUM!

Bacon Wrapped… everything… I just love this sign.

Fresh Roasted Corn

OMG this was amazing!! Pulled-Pork Waffle Sandwich!! Totally curbed my craving for a funnel cake for dessert! So I ended up getting a chocolate dipped vanilla cone instead. I WILL get my funnel cake fix at the LA County Fair next month! 😉

My Dipped Cone… notice I still managed to get my funnel cake in the picture as well…. 😉

2. The ANIMALS! I’m sure you all know by now that I am a HUGE animal lover. I’m a sucker for a cute critter. The Centennial Farm and Petting Zoos are both great places to make some new four-legged friends.

3. The ENTERTAINMENT! As if the super adorable animals were not enough, since I could easily stay all day just visiting and making friends with them, the fair has endless opportunities for some breath-taking, action packed entertainment. One of my favorites since I was a young child, is the Peking Acrobats. I have to watch them whenever I make it out to the OC Fair!

4. The RIDES! What’s the fair without some exhilarating rides with some of the best views around of Orange County?

Some of the amazing views you will find when you catch a ride on the Sky Ride at night! Just DON’T look down below if you are afraid of heights! 😉

The La Grand Farris Wheel

View from atop the Ferris Wheel

5. FACE PAINTING!! If you didn’t notice already, my friends and I all got our faces painted. Being a kid at heart, the fair is the place to be a kid again and you can get away with doing silly, fun stuff like that. So it is NOT just for kids. Best part was, it was only $5 and we kept hearing comments from others on how cute our Hello Kitty’s were. 🙂

Mary, from Along Comes Mary getting her face painted!

Group Pic!

Close-Up of how my Hello Kitty turned out. I loved it.

6. All of the EXHIBITS & SHOPPING!! I didn’t have time to get pictures of all the Exhibits. I will have to cover that this weekend when I go again. 😉 There are TONS of awesome and unique items at the fair that you won’t find anywhere else. The fair truly is a one of a kind experience that everyone can enjoy.

Have YOU gone to the fair yet? If you’re not in SoCal, have you been to the fair this summer near you? What’s your favorite things about the fair? I’d LOVE to hear all about it! 🙂