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OC Fair Announces Changes for
2017 Season |
Submit Your Students or Childs Best for Annual Imaginology Youth Projects |
At their December meeting, the OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors approved several changes for the 2017 OC Fair (July 14-August 13):
New Weekend Hours
The OC Fair will open at 11 a.m. on weekends.
New Gate Promotion
For the first two hours (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) every Saturday and Sunday, admission is only $7.
Opening Day – Free ‘Til 3 p.m.
On the first day of the 2017 Fair (Friday, July 14), everyone can enjoy free admission & parking until 3 p.m. Gates open at Noon and parking lots open at approximately 11 a.m.
New Weekend Prices
In an effort to encourage attendance on the less busy weekdays, the general admission price on Saturday or Sunday is now $14. Weekday general admission is $12. Senior (60+) and Child (6-12) are $7 any day.
The 2017 OC Fair is July 14-August 13 and is open Wednesday-Friday Noon-Midnight and Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-Midnight. Admission is General Weekday $12, General Weekend $14, Senior (60+) $7, Child (6-12) $7, Military (active duty & veterans) free and Children 5 & younger free.
The 2017 theme will be presented at the January meeting and will be announced in the next issue of @The Fair. A full list of promotions will also be provided in the next issue. |
Teachers, parents and youth organization leaders are encouraged to help the young people in their lives showcase their talents by entering their students’, children’s and members’ projects in the OC Fair Imaginology Project Competitions.
Divisions Include:
3-D Printed Art
Cardboard Engineering
Computer-Generated Art
Drawing
Farmology
Fashionista!
Fiber Arts
Jewelry
Kinetic Art
Make It With Clay
Motion-Based Media
Painting
Digital Photography
Manipulated Photography
Poetry
Read & Draw
Upcycle It!
Wood & Metal Arts
Entry registration deadline is March 24, 6 p.m. Competition Guide and registration information is here.
The 2017 OC Fair Imaginology event is April 21-23 and offers educational fun for every member of the family focused on the S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) fields plus farm-related activities. Details are at ocfair.com/steam. |
| On Sale for the 2017 OC Fair |
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Space Oddity
45th Anniversary of Ziggy Stardust
Friday, July 14
In The Hangar
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Which One’s Pink?
A Tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd
Saturday, July 15
In The Hangar
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Winter 2017 at the OC Fair & Event Center
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Check out the events scheduled for January through March:
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| Weekly Events |
Farmers Market
Free admission & parking
Thursday
9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Lot D |
Orange County Market Place
$2 admission
Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.-4 p.m. |
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Hold your next event at the OC Fair & Event Center
The OC Fair & Event Center offers a unique space for public and private events with its 150 acres of diverse event space perfect for trade shows, company picnics, fundraisers, weddings, cultural events and more. For a specialized pricing quote for your event needs and desired dates, please contact Tandem Partnerships at (415) 705-5408. |
 Like “CentennialFarmOC” on Facebook for the latest news from the Farm including birth announcements, special closure announcements and fun facts with Farm Fact Fridays. |
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| Centennial Farm Births |
Visit the Farm – Winter Public Hours |
The Centennial Farm celebrated two sets of births during fall:
Jersey Twins on Nov. 18
Angus Calf on Nov. 20
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The Centennial Farm is open to the general public to view its beautiful gardens and animal pens for free. Below is the Farm’s schedule for January-March:
Free Public Hours
No reservations are required to enjoy the Farm during these public hours. Generally, parking and admission are free and fees may apply during all-grounds events.
Monday-Friday 1-4 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Holiday Closures
The Farm is closed on all major holidays.
Jan. 1-2 New Year’s
Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 20 Presidents’ Day
Mar. 31 Cesar Chavez Day
Visit ocfair.com/centennialfarm for updated public hours and a list of all-grounds events. |
| Winter Garden Class Schedule |
| The Centennial Farm is offering multiple classes this winter for amateur gardeners and urban farmers 16 or older. Each class is intended for ages 16 and older. Space is limited and attendees must submit the online RSVP by the Thursday prior to the class at ocfair.com/gardenclasses. Class starts at 9:30 a.m. and is 1.5 to 2 hours long. |
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Fruit Tree Pruning
January 21 (RSVP by Jan. 19)
$5 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speaker: Isabel Barkman, Master Gardener & California Rare Fruit Growers
Learn the art of pruning in this hands-on, how-to learning experience. This class will cover the basics of pruning: from why we prune to how to successfully begin pruning. Leave with the knowledge and even some pruning tools to help you begin pruning at home. |
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Urban Chickens Demystified – Beginner
January 28 (RSVP by Jan. 26)
$5 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speakers: Therry Vargas and Lindsey Koob, American Poultry Association (APA)
Therry Vargas and Lindsey Koob will focus on what is needed to raise healthy, happy and productive backyard chickens. |
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Southern California Avocados
February 4 (RSVP by Feb. 2)
$5 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speaker: Isabel Barkman, Master Gardener & California Rare Fruit Growers
Isabel Barkman will cover the basic tasks of growing avocado trees, including choosing varieties, site selection, planting, irrigation, and year-round care. |
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Urban Chickens Demystifyed – Advanced
February 18 (RSVP by Feb. 16)
$20 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speakers: Therry Vargas and Lindsey Koob, American Poultry Association (APA)
Therry Vargas and Lindsey Koob will focus on what is needed to raise healthy, happy and productive backyard chickens for those already familiar with caring for chickens. Therry and Lindsey will also teach about chicken feed and will help attendees create their own custom blend. |
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Home Grown Tomatoes – Beginner
February 25 (RSVP by Feb. 23)
$5 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speaker: Dave Freed
If there is just one edible plant that you should choose to grow at home, it is the tomato. Nowhere else is the contrast in flavor, nutrition and variety between “home-grown” and “store-bought” more evident. This how-to class for beginners will provide all the practical knowledge necessary to begin growing tomatoes today. Learn which varieties to grow, how to plant and care for tomatoes and common diseases and pests that afflict them. |
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Make It, Take It Food Preservation – Strawberry Jam
March 18 (RSVP by March 16)
$30 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speaker: Pam Wnuck
Ever wonder how to preserve great garden produce? UCCE OC Master Food Preservers’ hands-on food preservation workshops will teach you the basics of canning and freezing, including how to use pressure canning, water bath and steam canning to preserve fruits and vegetables. Learn from the experts and take home some of your very own product made in class. Fresh produce, equipment and canning jars will be provided and attendees will leave with three half pints of strawberry jam. Attendees have the opportunity to enter the Preserved Foods competition of the OC Fair for $5. |
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Make It, Take It Food Preservation – Pickles
March 25 (RSVP by March 23)
$30 (Includes materials & handouts)
Speaker: Pam Wnuck
Ever wonder how to preserve great garden produce? UCCE OC Master Food Preservers’ hands-on food preservation workshops will teach you the basics of canning and freezing, including how to use pressure canning, water bath and steam canning to preserve fruits and vegetables. Learn from the experts and take home some of your very own product made in class. Fresh produce, equipment and canning jars will be provided and attendees will leave with three half pints of bread and butter pickles. Attendees have the opportunity to enter the Preserved Foods competition of the OC Fair for $5. |
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Heroes Hall Updates
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News From the CEO’s Office |
| Heroes Hall Dedication & Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
On Veterans Day, November 11, hundreds of veterans and members of the public gathered in the new Medal of Honor courtyard of Heroes Hall at the OC Fair & Event Center to celebrate the dedication of the exhibit building with a ribbon cutting and speeches by supporters of Heroes Hall and celebrated veterans Vincent Okamoto – the most decorated Japanese American veteran of the Vietnam War and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge – and Santa Ana Army Air Base veterans.
Click here to see photos.
Grand Opening – February 15, 2017
Heroes Hall will officially open to the public on February 15, 2017, 75 years after the opening of the Santa Ana Army Air Base. The inaugural exhibitions include:
The SAAAB Story
The OC Fair & Event Center stis on land that was once part of the Santa Ana Army Air Base during World War II. This second floor exhibit tells the story of veterans, former SAAAB residents and celebrities Joe DiMaggio, Gene Autry, Joseph Heller and Don the Beachcomber in addition to special units that were active on the station or significant during the war including the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, Chinese National Air Force Detachment, Tuskegee Airmen, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Navajo Code Talkers.
The Things They Carried
Based on and named after the book by Tim O’Brien, the first-floor exhibit will feature stories abotu Vietnam War veterans as told through text, photography, film, audio, digital media, art and personal items. Additional narratives and objects will be included from Orange County veterans from World War II up to current military involvement in the Middle East.
Local veterans and their loved ones are asked to contribute to the Things They Carried exhibit by loaning Heroes Hall personal items carried by U.S. soldiers in combat that have a significance to the individual. Examples are good luck charms, a letter, a photograph, a coin or a cigarette lighter. Contact heroeshall@ocfair.com with your story.
Admission and parking for Heroes Hall will be free and open daily 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with considerations for State holidays, all-grounds events, exhibition installations and any special events.
Like “HeroesHallOC” on Facebook. |
A Message from CEO Kathy Kramer
A New Year…A Renewed Focus
 Each new year brings with it the opportunity to reflect on past accomplishments, focus on new goals and recommit to the foundational principles that unite us as a community. This new year – 2017 – will present an opportunity for the OC Fair & Event Center to do just that. We reflect on the accomplishments of 2016 including the completion of Heroes Hall, increased attendance at the summer OC Fair, and a record-breaking year round events season. As we look ahead, our opportunity will be to continue utilizing our great public asset to offer the community more agriculture and education opportunities.
Throughout 2017, you’ll see an increase in programming to the community that will not only showcase the importance of agriculture, but provide a variety of educational opportunities – all presented in a fun and entertaining way. Through expanded exhibits at the OC Fair this summer, gardening classes at Centennial Farm, farm-to-table dinners in Millennium Barn, free farm tours, nutrition and culinary programs, Heroes Hall veterans museum opening February 15, our Imaginology event and much more, the OC Fair & Event Center will continue to be the center of fun … entertainment … learning … community … and business in Orange County.
On behalf of the staff and Board of Directors, we wish you a very Happy New Year and invite you to check our web site often for more information about all that the OC Fair & Event Center has to offer. Visit www.ocfair.com. |
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@The Fair is a quarterly newsletter from the OC Fair & Event Center, home to the annual OC Fair, and is managed by the Communications Department. The OC Fair & Event Center, as the 32nd Agricultural District of the State of California, follows a mission statement of “Celebration of Orange County’s Communities, Interests, Agriculture and Heritage.” Follow us year-round on Facebook and Twitter as “OCFair” and on Instagram as “oc_fair”. |
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OC Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626
www.ocfair.com, (714) 708-1500 |
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Board of Directors |
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Chair
Nick Berardino
Vice-Chair
Barbara Bagneris |
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Ashleigh Aitken
Sandra Cervantes
Douglas La Belle
Gerardo Mouet |
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Newton Pham
Robert Ruiz
Stan Tkaczyk |
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Management Staff |
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CEO
Kathy Kramer |
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VP Business Development
Michele Richards |
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VP Operations
Ken Karns, CFE |
VP Finance
Adam Carleton |
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