County Fair Opens Today, Celebrating Its 50th Year

Organizers of the San Fernando Valley Fair spent Wednesday putting the final touches on the annual extravaganza.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the four-day event opens at 4 p.m. today at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank. For Ra Jeanna Runyan, who has spent the last several days preparing the home arts pavilion, it will be a welcome moment. “We were here until 2 last night,” she said Wednesday morning.

Around her, the space had slowly been transformed into a showcase of more than 1,000 entries in categories such as fine arts, baked goods and industrial arts.

Ruth Eddy, who is supervising the fair’s farming, gardening and floral pavilion, agreed.

“This is an old-time country fair,” she said, noting that the event offers a window into the Valley’s rural past. “I think we need a taste of that. We need to know where our food comes from. It doesn’t really grow at Ralphs.”

In addition to perennials such as livestock, cotton candy and thrill rides, this year’s event will feature performances by the Flying U Rodeo and the Skyriders Bike & Blade Aerial Thrill Show.

Peter Hopkins of Trendwest Resorts, a fair sponsor, said that although the Valley’s warm climate may tax adults and children alike, he is looking forward to the variety of entertainment and exhibits that will fill the fairgrounds through Sunday.