Del Mar Fair to Open on Friday

Merry-go-round horses sit on the pavement at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, waiting to be pieced to their poles. There’s a smell of fresh paint, not popcorn and cotton candy.

Friday the fairgrounds will come alive with the bright lights and pounding music of the grandstand stage, hawkers selling their gadgets and exhibitors showing off their handicrafts.

The state’s second-largest fair opens Friday with 150 amusement rides and games, more than 40,000 exhibits, and 29 major musical acts--a bit of something for everyone.

“This fair brings out the best in everything and everyone. You have the opportunity to see the best flowers, dairy cattle and jars of orange jelly,” said Chana Mannen, exhibits manager.

The county fair, held every year since 1947, will include the staples of years past: cows to milk, the Grand Ferris Wheel, Mackinack fudge, the High-Miler roller coaster and wonderful cinnamon rolls.

“We put an emphasis on trying to keep things the same. For many people, it’s a comfortable feeling to come to the Del Mar Fair and have the same things in the same places,” fair spokeswoman Diane Scholfield said.

New this year is use of the race-track infield, which has never been used for fair activities. It will showcase attractions normally found in the northeast corner of the fairgrounds, where a new horse arena and off-track betting parlor are being built. (Both are scheduled to be open for next year’s fair.)

The hobby show, along with camel and elephant rides, will be in the infield this year. Seven musical acts will also perform in that area.

Although the big animals and food vendors are popular attractions, this year’s theme is rabbits and roses.

“Each year, we select a theme to remind people that this is an agricultural fair. The rabbits are a symbol of the small animals, and the roses are a symbol of the plant industry that is rather substantial here,” Scholfield said.

More than a million fair-goers passed through the turnstiles last year, making 1989 attendance the largest in fair history. The Del Mar Fair is ranked 13th largest in the nation, based on attendance, Scholfield said.

“We’re not predicting attendance. Our main goal is to make sure those who attend have a good time. Then attendance takes care of itself,” Scholfield said.

With an average of 57,000 people a day, the fair caters to nearly everyone’s needs and interests, Scholfield said.

For musical tastes, “we’ll have everything from Expose, which appeals to a younger crowd, to the Harry James Orchestra, which is from the Big Band era. We’ll have country, jazz, pop, rock, and rhythm and blues,” she said.

Some of the big names in the lineup are Willie Nelson, Dionne Warwick, Donny Osmond, Tom Jones, Gordon Lightfoot and the Oak Ridge Boys. Scholfield said there will be a different act performing every night of the fair’s run.

Of the 12 exhibit areas, the hobby show is a popular exhibit, as is the flower and garden show, Scholfield said. Virtually all exhibits, except those displaying perishable items, will be shown for the duration of the fair.

The fair runs through July 4. Scholfield said the fair usually builds up, from a small attendance on opening day to larger crowds around the Fourth of July.

“Ironically, in the past years, the days surrounding the Fourth of July drew bigger crowds than July 4 itself,” she said.

Scholfield said the smallest attendance last year was just under 40,000 and the largest crowd came on a Sunday, 88,000 strong. She said she advises people to attend on a weekday, since weekends are usually crowded.

Weekday specials include two-for-one rides on Mondays from noon to 6 p.m. and kids’ day on Tuesdays. During the Monday special, two people can ride the same ride for the price of one, Scholfield said. On Tuesdays, all children 12 and under are admitted at no charge.

The fairground will open daily at 9 a.m., exhibits at 10 a.m. and the midway Fun Zone at noon. On Tuesdays and weekends, the midway will open at 11 a.m. Fair-goers will be allowed to enter until 10 p.m., and gates will close at 12:30 a.m.

On-site parking is available for 12,000 cars, with trams available to shuttle fair-goers from the most distant lots to the gates from 9:30 a.m. to midnight at no cost, Scholfield said.

On weekends and July 4, off-site parking for an additional 5,500 cars will be available. Lots are at Torrey Pines High School (I-5 and Carmel Mountain Road), Eastgate Technology Park (I-805 and Eastgate Mall) and UC San Diego (I-5 and Genesee Avenue). Shuttles will also carry fair-goers from the off-site lots to the fairgrounds.

All parking is free, and Scholfield said signs and attendants will help parkers find a spot.

The fair, which dates from 1880, was the first agricultural fair in San Diego County. Its run was interrupted only by World War I and World War II.

The 22nd District Agricultural Assn., a state agency, runs the nonprofit carnival that covers 350 acres. Scholfield said the fair has a $25-million budget, with profits going into planning the next year’s fair.

Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for persons 62 and older and $1 for children ages 6 to 12. Children under 6 are admitted free.

Rides and concessions cost extra, but all grandstand shows and other entertainment are free.