Agriculture, Adrenaline Attract County Fair-Goers

With sunny skies, a cool breeze and country-western singer Willie Nelson headlining the day’s events, the Ventura County Fair opened with a strong turnout Wednesday as thousands of visitors tried out the games, the food and, of course, the rides.

Despite its gut-turning moves and horrifying heights, a contraption called the Evolution managed to keep fair-goers lined up throughout most of the day.

Twenty-year-old Linda Morales joyously rode the 70-foot ride, which turns its passengers face down for about five seconds, then drops from side to side like an egg beater. Though she screamed and hollered, her face red from the height and the sudden plunge, the Oxnard resident couldn’t wait to get back on.

“I like that ride because you don’t know which way you are going,” Morales said.

That’s a lot like the county fair itself, which offered visitors as many as 21,000 exhibit entries and 5,000 exhibitors on 62 acres.

Wednesday’s crowd was greeted with 75-degree temperatures at Seaside Park.

Fair publicist Terri Raley expected more than 13,000 people to visit the fair on opening day, drawn partly by Nelson’s nighttime performance.

About 250,000 people are expected to visit the fair during its 12-day run.

This year’s event, with the theme Planting Memories, will pay tribute to the agricultural tradition in Ventura County. Agriculture and country music brought Shirley and Jim Turner of Simi Valley to Seaside Park. Walking hand in hand, wearing identical T-shirts emblazoned with the American flag, the couple were ready for a long day at the fair.

For Shirley Turner, this year would be special because she would get to see Willie Nelson--one of her favorites--sing his heart out. But along with the music, animals and farming exhibits, thrill-seeking youngsters, like 16-year-old Angela Cobos, could get their adrenaline rush on the carnival rides.

The Oxnard girl and a group of friends could barely contain themselves as they stood in line to jump on a ride. After all, Angela said, “we only get excitement like this once a year. We love it.”

On a more mellow note, across the way at one of the entertainment stages, Betty Long of Ojai stood beneath a few palm trees, clapping to the western harmonies of Buck Page and the Original Riders of the Purple Sage.

Others spent their time and money at the carnival games.

It was Billie Leslie’s lucky day. After winning an enormous Tasmanian devil, the 13-year-old from Ventura proudly noted that this stuffed animal would add yet another prize to his collection--a collection he has managed to compile from his county fair winnings.

Eleven-year-old Sarah Utley was enjoying her first fair. But she was not simply a visitor. As a member of the 4-H club--dressed in a green beret, bandanna and uniform--Sarah was in charge of the Uncle Leo’s Barn animal petting area.

Her job was to keep people from sticking their hands into the animal cages. Tough work for a shy 11-year-old, but Sarah said that both the people and the animals had been behaving themselves “pretty good.”

One of the most exotic animal displays came from St. Francis Ranch in Santa Barbara. Visitors inquired about the enormous water buffalo, lying lazily on its belly under a palm. They wondered about the strange hybrid called a zonkey, a cross between a donkey and a zebra. But the giant-horned Ankole Watusi steers stole the show at the livestock barn, scaring infants with a forceful mooo.

Crying 2-year-old Allison Dajnowicz could not be consoled when the male steer began his bellowing. Tired and ready for a nap, Allison was also terrified of the large beasts, said her father, Tony.

“She said she wanted to see the horses,” he noted, adding that it was her first visit to the fair. “And now that she has seen the horses, she’s not sure she wants to get to know them.”

* FAIR SCHEDULE: B2