Space Age Fair : Shuttle Replica Joins Traditional Exhibits on Display

When the 63rd Los Angeles County Fair kicks off in Pomona today, Southlanders will have nearly a week more than in previous years to ride Ferris wheels, laugh at clowns, examine livestock, bet on horses and admire exhibits ranging from a life-size replica of the space shuttle Columbia to traditional home arts and crafts.

The Los Angeles County Fair Assn. has extended the event to 24 days this year, up from the 18-day fetes of the ‘80s.

Although organizers hope more people will turn out--attendance over the past five years has averaged about 1.3 million--the rationale behind the extension lies in practical considerations, they said. Officials hope people will space out their visits and thus lessen the size of the crowds, especially on weekends, when attendance normally doubles.

“On some weekends, we tend to get crowds of 160,000 to 170,000 on a single day,” said Sid Robinson, fair association spokesman. “That causes some inconveniences--traffic problems, congestion in the community as well as the freeways (and) the amount of time people have to spend in line at the fair at the ticket windows as well as the attractions.”

To promote weekday attendance, organizers have also instituted a two-tiered pricing structure. General admission tickets on weekdays will cost $6 for adults, compared to $8 on weekends. Last year the admission fee was $7 every day of the week.

The fair’s fare isn’t the only thing that has changed.

So have the exhibits and shows, as the towering space shuttle replica attests. There will still be the usual bill of fair--the expected assortment of jams and jellies, award-winning wines, flower shows and livestock contests. But the space shuttle, Robinson said, is in line with the theme of this year’s fair, “Discover America.”

The Columbia twin, provided by NASA and Rockwell International Corp., represents the nation’s technological advances. With a separate cockpit for visitors to peer inside, the shuttle replica is the centerpiece of the fair’s “Discovery Tour 1990,” highlighting space exploration.

To those who consider the Columbia to be light years away from the rural and agricultural history of county fairs, Robinson argues that there’s nothing anachronistic about it.

“County fairs are not just for who has the biggest pig and who makes the best pie. County fairs are traditional for showing what’s new,” he said. “The first purpose was to promote animal husbandry in Southern California, but it’s always had that future-looking atmosphere and intent as well. It’s a reflection of our American heritage as well as the direction we’re going.”

Also headed in a new direction is the fair’s monorail, Robinson said. Built in 1962, the ride now boasts 10 redesigned cars and a new station patterned after old-time train stations.

Amid these high-tech exhibits and innovations, visitors will still be able to sample rural pastimes showcased at fairs throughout the country. This weekend, visitors will be able to see the American International Cup Sheep Dog Trial. Sheep dogs, accompanied by their handlers, will show off their talents in a scene that would seem to belong more on the green hills of pastoral Scotland than the drought-ridden valleys of urban Southern California.

The usual round of contests--for those with the best hog calls, best chili or fastest pigs--will still be there.

Those blasts from the rural past are what keep people coming back, according to Ralph Hinds, president of the county fair association.

“The majority of the people who come to the fair come to see the animals,” he said. “Ninety percent of the fairgoers go through the livestock fair. . . . I think the fair’s a safe place to drop out and go back in time, what with all of the problems in today’s society.”

FAIR SCHEDULE: B2