The LA County Fair is returning this week, after years of pandemic-induced delays.
The fair’s return to Fairplex in Pomona, also means the return of fried Oreos, carnival games and hog races. And for the first time, the fair will take place in May, just in time to celebrate its 100th birthday.
The buzz has been building at the fairgrounds for weeks, Fairplex CEO and President Walter M. Marquez said on a tour last week. After shifting gears from entertainment, he said, organizers are ready to “welcome the public back to a place where memories are made.”
The fair’s return comes after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, including a smaller event in September called the Bite-Sized Fair.
“The last two years our focus has been on meeting the needs of the community, that was great, but we’re happy to now be back doing what we do best: putting events together and bringing the community out to celebrate everything that a county fair brings,” Marquez said. “There’s nothing like the fair.”
This year’s event will run May 5-30 and operate only Thursdays through Sundays, opening with a Cinco de Mayo weekend celebration and ending Memorial Day. The fair’s concert series highlights include The Beach Boys, WAR, Juanes, Ramon Ayala, and ZZ Top.
In the past, the fair typically opened Labor Day weekend. This year’s spring event is a departure from sweltering Septembers and with that comes optimism for more comfortable weather and more fairgoers altogether. Attendance expectations are to match those in 2019, Marquez said, which saw over 1.1 million people visit.
Workers on Friday, April 29, 2022, prepare for the return of the LA County Fair at Fairplex in Pomona. The fair, running in May for the first time, opens Thursday, May 5. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Opening day in 2019, midday temperatures hit the mid-90s, this year on Thursday, a high of 80 degrees is forecasted.
This year and the spring start also brings new programming.
“We get to open Cinco de Mayo, we have Mother’s Day, graduations, this creates a whole new opportunity,” Marquez said. “There is something here for everyone.”
Opening week will feature Latin Heritage entertainment, Mother’s Day brunch and resident discounts.
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Pomona residents get admission for $1 on opening day May 5, the same for La Verne residents the following day, May 6, while LA County residents receive $10 admission on Saturday, May 7. Tickets must be purchased online prior to admission day at lacountyfair.com.
Other events during the fair’s run include the Sharp International Cheer & Dance Competitions on May 7. Additionally, four stages will be set up throughout the fairgrounds that will feature indie bands, part of NextFest.
Rocky Pollitz works on the Venice display in the flower house on Friday, April 29, 2022, as workers prepare for the first full-scale version of the LA County Fair since 2019 at Fairplex in Pomona. This is the first year the fair is being held in May. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Weekend 2, May 13-15, will be “CEEM Takeover Weekend,” highlighting the work of the Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement to support Black professionals and entrepreneurs. This includes live music and panels, Black-owned vendors and food trucks, Gospel Sunday and more, according to the fair’s website.
The Future Farmers of America competition return to the fair this year — the first time since 2007 — where students will showcase their animals, according to Fairplex spokeswoman Renee Hernandez.
The public can also expect larger petting zoo areas to accommodate for crowd-control concerns and a new open location for the pig races. More than 100 animals will be part of this year’s petting zoo, all from Cal Poly Pomona.
More than 130 food stands will be on site this year, including new crispy chicken sandwiches made with cherry Kool-Aid at Chicken Charlie’s. Tony Boghosian, whose brother Charlie owns the company, said they hope the cooler weather will be a benefit.
“The customer is not going to have that factor of dealing with the sweat and the heat,” Boghosian said. “Cooler weather is always better eating weather.”
As part of the fair’s 100th anniversary celebration, the fair will pay homage to its past with an exhibition in the Millard Sheets Art Center, featuring archival findings from fairgoers, as well as artists’ interpretations of the centennial. Meanwhile, the Haunt Show exhibit is returning and will feature its 100 Years of Monsters museum.
The flower and garden pavilion, which is also celebrating its 70th anniversary, is commemorating the centennial through floral displays and vignettes.
“Everything on display came from the inspiration of what we did in the past and and how we look back at it,” said Marcus Pollitz, flower and garden pavilion designer. “This is important to know how much has happened here at the LA County Fair, as well as the flower and garden history.”
For Marquez, the fair’s long-awaited return closes one chapter in Fairplex’s history and opens a new one, as well as a new century.
“To return on our 100th anniversary is special but to also be the first fair in SoCal as opposed to being the last one, that’s special,” Marquez said, mentioning the Orange and San Diego county fairs that begin in June. “Now we get to kick off the fair season in Southern California, we can get used to that.”