Opening Is Another 1st for Veteran Fair-Going Family

As hundreds began lining up outside the main gate of Seaside Park for the opening of the Ventura County Fair on Wednesday morning, the Stewart family was partaking in a 10-year ritual.

For a decade now, the Simi Valley clan has aimed to be the first to enter the gates.

“It’s become a family tradition,” said James Stewart, who waited with wife Linda and sons Michael, 16, and Tommy, 10. “We started when our youngest was born and brought him as an infant. We’ve been doing it ever since.”

There was no need to camp out for the spot. Over the years, as long as the four arrived a couple hours before the 11 a.m. opening, they say they’ve been first.

But the cross-county drive makes for an early morning.

“We get a lot of rebellion from the kids when we try to wake them up in time,” said Stewart, who is serious enough about maintaining the tradition to take the day off work.

The family agreed that Dad was the most excited about the fair, although they all wanted to stay through the fireworks at 9:30 p.m. As for being first, Tommy figured it had some perks.

“It’s weird,” he said. “But it’s pretty cool being first in line for the rides. That’s what I come for; they’re fun.”

At precisely 11 a.m., fair organizers cut a red ribbon as the nearly 400 people waiting to get in cheered.

Before the gates opened, workers had gathered for a staff breakfast, resting after their final push to get the fair ready.

All the preparations gave fair-goers lots of choices. There were rides with stomach-churning names like the Orbiter, Looping Star and Tornado. And there was the food to match: fried calamari, elephant ears and anything on a stick--including pickles.

A favorite prize among the carnival games was a certain big, yellow bird.

“Looks like Tweety Bird is a highlight this year,” said Brady Theodore of Ventura, who spent $5 trying to toss pingpong balls into floating cups in order to win his wife, Loree, one of the stuffed animals.

“Toss ‘em in; one ball in a dish and win, win, win,” Susan Hill barked into her headset microphone at the Bowl-a-Rama stall. She has been running the game for eight years and said there is always a fad toy that comes and goes.

“Who doesn’t like Tweety Bird?” she said.

Four people had landed a pingpong ball in a red dish within just 10 minutes. That won them a small bird, but people often keep playing to trade up to a larger animal.

“Or until they get bored throwing pingpong balls,” Hill said.

After winning a bird, Brady Theodore spent $16 at the quarter toss to secure a teddy bear for his wife.

“It was the cutest thing up there,” Loree Theodore said. “I like the fact he won it for me and that he kept trying.”

Brady Theodore said the wins made him feel lucky.

“Now it’s on to do some real gambling and bet on the horses,” he said.

Despite some low clouds and fog in the morning, the day shaped up as mild and sunny with highs in the 70s. That was quite a difference from the still heat-weary inland areas.

“What a relief from the heat in Ojai,” said Clara Dunwoody.

She and her husband, Bruce, brought their 4-year-old grandson, Duncan, to opening day in order to beat the weekend crowds.

“It’s more fun to do this with grandkids than your own kids,” she said.

“You’ve done it before and are more relaxed,” her husband said.

They said they enjoyed the rides and food--from corn dogs and ice cream--but everything at the fair was not the way Bruce Dunwoody remembered it when he was younger.

“What disappoints me is that they make cotton candy without a stick anymore,” he said, clutching a plastic bag of the pink confection. “But I got a beer, so I’m satisfied.”

Ramona Greenstein of Green Valley near Valencia was attending her first fair in Ventura.

“My daughter took me for my birthday,” Greenstein said, after hurtling down a fun house slide with her 3-year-old grandson. “We’re just having a ball going on every ride that doesn’t make you sick.”

Greenstein said her favorite moment was on the 110-foot-high Ferris wheel.

“We could see the ocean, the surfers and the entire Ventura area,” she said. “It was awesome.”

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Today at the Fair Here’s a look at what’s happening at the Ventura County Fair today, which is Military Appreciation Day: * Military personnel and their dependents admitted free with ID. * Carnival wristband: unlimited rides noon to 6 p.m. for $14 * Seaside Park opens 11 a.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 11 a.m.: Seaside Park Opens

All day: Tri-County Amateur Horse Show Morgan Arena

All day: Natural Resource Day Agriculture

All Day: Ojai Quilters Creative Living

All Day: Senior Division Breeding Sheep Livestock

11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Ventura Stamp Club: Stamp Collecting Hobbies

11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Joel & Aaron Council: Dream Catchers Gems & Minerals

11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Cheryl Council: Wire Wrapping Gems & Minerals

11:30 a.m.: Special Effects Makeup by Stevens Youth Expo Studios

11:30 a.m.: Breeze 105.5-FM welcomes Exotic Porker Flats Animal Encounter

11:30 a.m.: Alphabet Soup Puppeteers Children’s Dell

11:30 a.m.: Mainstreet Jazz Pepsi Community Stage

Noon: American Made (Country) Star Stage

Noon: Duke & Dolly Dolphin Strolling

Noon: BC Characters Strolling

Noon: Bubbles Strolling

12:30 p.m.: Rainbow Magic Show Children’s Dell

12:30 p.m.: Steven Lord (guitarist-vocalist) Agriculture

12:30 p.m.: Gene West’s Wonderful Working Toys Youth Expo in Wood

1 p.m.: Trike Pull (Jr. Fair Board) Children’s Dell

1 p.m.: Tri-County Amateur Horse Show Morgan Arena continues

1:30 p.m.: Breeze 105.5-FM welcomes Exotic Porker Flats Animal Encounter

1:30 p.m.: Moorpark Senior Center Primetimers Pepsi Community Stage

1:30 p.m.: Alphabet Soup Puppeteers Children’s Dell

1:30 p.m.: Steven Lord (guitarist-vocalist) Agriculture

1:30 p.m.: Special Effects Makeup by Stevens Youth Expo Studios

2 p.m.: American Made (Country) Star Stage

2 p.m.: Balloonacy Strolling

2:30 p.m.: Rainbow Magic Show Children’s Dell

2:30 p.m.: Best Salsa Recipe Contest Creative Living

2:30 p.m.: Story Time with Julie Helm Uncle Leo’s Barn

3 p.m.: Steven Lord (guitarist-vocalist) Youth Expo

3 p.m.: Barn Talk Uncle Leo’s Barn

3-5 p.m.: Ventura Stamp Club: Stamp Collecting Hobbies

3:30 p.m.: Roquemore & Kuznkowski (singing Pepsi Community comedy) Stage

3:30 p.m.: Breeze 105.5-FM welcomes Exotic Porker Flats Animal Encounter

3:30 p.m.: Special Effects Makeup by Stevens Youth Expo Studios

4 p.m.-6 p.m.: Camarillo High School Drama Dept. Youth Expo

4 p.m.: Tri-County Amateur Horse Show Morgan Arena continues

4 p.m.: Alphabet Soup Puppeteers Children’s Dell

4:30 p.m.: Roquemore & Kuznkowski (singing Pepsi Community comedy) Stage

5:30 p.m.: Hypnotist Susan Rosen Pepsi Community Stage

5:30 p.m.: Rainbow Magic Show Children’s Dell

5:30 p.m.: Breeze 105.5-FM welcomes Exotic Porker Flats Animal Encounter

6 p.m.: Barn Talk: Ben McNary & Hank, Uncle Leo’s Barn his Racking Horse

6:30 p.m.: Roquemore & Kuznkowski (singing Pepsi Community comedy) Stage

6:30 p.m.: Steven Lord (guitarist-vocalist) Youth Expo

7 p.m.: IMCA Modified, VRA I-4 Grandstand Arena Midget Racing and Demolition Derby

7 p.m.: Pablo Cruise Star Stage

7:30 p.m.: Hypnotist Susan Rosen Pepsi Community Stage

8:30 p.m.: Mickey & Donna Pepsi Community Stage

9 p.m.: Pablo Cruise Star Stage

9:30 p.m.: Fireworks

10 p.m.: Buildings close