SPECIAL REPORT: COUNTY FAIR
FREEWAY COWBOYS: This year’s Orange County Fair, which opens Friday and runs through July 24, is called “Saddle Up for Fun,” and for good reason. Not only are there a rodeo and scads of horse shows, but on July 15, 250 head of cattle will be led down Fairview Road to the Costa Mesa fairgrounds from Costa Mesa High School, two blocks away. Los Angeles lawyer Eugene Veenhuis, who owns a Montana cattle ranch, will be among the 100-plus guest riders. . . . “It’ll be great fun,” he says. “With about one rider for every two cows, we shouldn’t have too much problem with any of them running off down the street.”
PRETTY FAIR STATS: Last year’s total fair attendance was 668,096, down slightly from 1992’s heavily promoted 100th anniversary event but in line with previous years. . . . Among last year’s big numbers: 56,000 ears of corn were eaten, 43,000 people tried the “Footsie Wootsie” foot massager, 31,000 visited the traditional log cabin, and 15,000 rode the elephant. . . . To avoid the crowds, try a day besides Saturday. Last year’s two Saturdays drew almost 20% of the 17-day attendance.
RIDING HIGH: Maybe you like the shows, the farm animals, the baking competitions. But for some folks, the fair is the rides . The fair’s carnival vendor for 10 years, B&B; Amusements of Yuma, Ariz., is returning. Back again also is its highly popular wave swinger (above), but new is the Ejection Seat. Don’t eat cotton candy first: It’s described as “a reverse bungee jump.” Says a promoter: “It’s like being shot out of a cannon.” . . . This year the fair offers unlimited rides for $11 Mondays through Wednesdays, and $15 on the two Sundays.
IT MUST BE HER: It’s no coincidence that Vikki Carr is the fair’s July 24 closing act. That’s Fiesta Day, the fair’s salute to Mexico. That means five mariachi bands, a Mexican market and a Mexican rodeo. . . . Carr, Mexican-born, has performed worldwide since her 1960s hit, “It Must Be Him.” She’ll sing in both English and Spanish at the newly renovated Pacific Amphitheatre.
