Fair Drive to close on and off

The half-mile stretch of Fair Drive in front of Costa Mesa City Hall will be closed at different times this week during the city’s 60th anniversary celebration.

The street will be home to a festival-like celebration Friday through Sunday that commemorates the 1953 milestone of unified cityhood, achieved in the years after three communities — Fairview, Paularino and Harper — combined to make Costa Mesa.

The various full or partial closures begin at 9 a.m. Thursday and end by midnight Monday. The festivities begin at 5 p.m. Friday and end at 8 p.m. Sunday. Other events will also be held at City Hall and the Orange County Fairgrounds.

The closures are not anticipated to adversely affect police and fire vehicles, which will be able to use Vanguard Way and an emergency access lane along Fair Drive to respond to service calls.

There will be bike racks, free parking at the fairgrounds and a shuttle for seniors coming from the Costa Mesa Senior Center. The Orange County Market Place at the fairgrounds will still be taking place, but 60th anniversary visitors are asked to not use that event’s fairgrounds parking.

Instead, officials ask that attendees use other fairgrounds lots, which are accessible from Arlington Drive and Fairview Road.

Market Place attendees will be able to access the event using westbound lanes of Fair Drive between Newport Boulevard and the fairgrounds’ Main Gate from about 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 6 to 11 a.m. Sunday.

Detour signs will be placed throughout the area.

For a detailed list of closures, visit https://www.costamesais60.com, click the “About” tab and then the road closures link on the bottom of the page.

The Daily Pilot is a sponsor of the event.