‘Valley of the Stars’ Fair Kicks Off Today

Zach Johnson, who actually ran off and joined the circus, uh, fair, was pumped up about the 1998 Valley Fair.

“I got married in February and have been on the road working at fairs ever since,” said Johnson, 27. “I love it.”

This year’s Valley Fair, which opens at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank today and runs through Sunday, is expected to keep Johnson and his wife, Shannon, 28, plenty busy.

The Johnsons run Swifty Swine Productions, a company that races hogs bearing names such as Jerry Swinefeld, Pamela Hamderson and Kevin Bacon.

All in the name of entertainment. This is L.A. after all. And you have to have a hook.

Also performing solo in a 3-foot-deep water trough at various times throughout the fair will be 5-week-old Swifty, a black 8-pound pig, the runt of his litter but now a star on the fair circuit.

“We’re still training him to swim in the middle of the tank, but he likes the attention,” Shannon Johnson said.

These quirky sights and more await people at the fair, which has the theme “Valley of the Stars,” and takes a nostalgic look at the Valley’s contributions to the entertainment industry.

The fair, which has been around since 1946, is sponsored by the 51st District Agriculture Assn. Other attractions this year will include clowns, country music, home-grown produce, art displays and rodeos.

A group called Animal Emancipation plans to protest the treatment of rodeo animals on Saturday.

“The group has never found any animals harmed at this rodeo and the animals are well cared for,” said Angela Gannecille, a spokeswoman for the fair.

This year’s grand marshal is KTLA traffic reporter Jennifer York, who will officially open the fair today.

Fair admission is $6 for those 12 and older, and free for those younger. Today, anyone 62 or older will be admitted free.

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Performances Part of Fair Fun The Valley Fair, which opens today, features performers, pig races and a petting zoo. All activities take place at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Information: (818) 557-1600.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

On the Community Stage:

4 p.m.: Alan Redstone, a one-man band

4:45 p.m.: Swordplay

5 p.m.: Alan Redstone

5:45 p.m.: Swordplay

6 p.m.: Alan Redstone

7-9 p.m.: Karaoke

On the Country Stage

7-9 p.m.: Imagine, A tribute to the Beatles