L.A. County Fair Celebrates Old and New for 76th Year

The Los Angeles County Fair, which opens today, bears little resemblance to the event that began 76 years ago in a beet and barley field.

These days the fair is an 18-day extravaganza expected to draw more than 1 million visitors.

The 487-acre Pomona Fairplex houses exhibition halls, a hotel, a fire station, a child-care center and a horse racing track. “It’s a city in itself,” said fair spokesman Sid Robinson.

The fair will feature rock bands, a Star Trek exhibit, monster trucks, a demolition derby, pie baking contests and an interactive exhibit on space exploration.

“We’re literally combining the 21st century with some of the traditions of the past,” he said.

The fair also reflects the region’s diversity.

An Asian Festival will feature arts, crafts, foods and music over the next four days.

A Latino celebration will be held Sunday at Fiesta Village.

Fair officials hope classic rock will draw crowds, with appearances by REO Speedwagon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall and Oates, Peter Frampton and Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

More contemporary music fans can hear singer Vonda Shepard, who earned fame performing on the television series “Ally McBeal.” She will be the fair’s opening night act.

This year marks the 50th birthday of the fair’s mascot, Thummer the pig. To celebrate, fair officials have updated his look to be more contemporary, with overalls, a T-shirt and a baseball cap.

There will be the usual carnival rides--about 80 this year--as well as competitions ranging from the mother-daughter look-alike contest to the Diaper Derby.

The Fairplex in Pomona has about 40,000 parking spaces over 200 acres. Officials say the best way to avoid the crowds is to attend on weekdays.

General admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Children can get in free on weekdays.

The fairgrounds are about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, at the San Bernardino Freeway and Fairplex Drive.

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County Fair Highlights

The 76th annual Los Angeles County Fair begins today and will run through the weekend of Sept. 27 at the Fairplex, two blocks north of the San Bernardino Freeway in Pomona. Horse races are run daily, with a first post time of 12:30 p.m. A sampling of weekend events:

Concerts--Grandstand Stage

* Vonda Shepard--today

* Steve Curtis Chapman--Saturday

* REO Speedwagon--Sunday

All grandstand concerts are free with fair admission. Box and stage-level seats are $10 and $12, grandstand reserved seats are $6. All concerts begin at 8 p.m.

Celebration Stage--Plaza of the States

* Diamond Day Giveaway, today, 6:30 p.m.

* Elvis Presley impersonator Raymond Michaels, Friday-Sunday, 7 and 9 p.m.

* Father-Son Look-Alike contest, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Contests, Special Events

* Today--Asian Festival, Redwood Street, all day, special performances at 1:30 and 4:40 p.m.; Outdoor Festival of Lights, California Outdoor Living Hillside, 8-10 p.m.; The Nite Club (jazz & blues), Anthony’s at the Fair, 8-11 p.m.

* Friday--Maxwell Coffee Day (free admission with an unopened can of Maxwell House coffee); Pomona Day (Community Hero Ceremonies at Celebration Stage, 6 p.m.; Suzy Haner (hypnotist) at the Celebration Stage, 5, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Asian Festival, Redwood Street, all day, special performances at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 & 9 p.m. and Goodtime Gordie, Heritage Farm, 6-10 p.m.

* Saturday--Classic Car Show Extravaganza, Fairplex Park Infield, all day; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Breakfast, America’s Kids, 9 a.m.; Asian Festival, Redwood Street, all day, special performances at 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9 p.m.; Quick Bread contest, Creative Living, 1 p.m.

* Sunday--El Mercado, Pepper Street, all day; Grandparents Day, America’s Kids, all day; 20th Annual Wood Carvers Contest, Court of the Redwoods, noon; Spam Recipe Contest, Creative Living, 1 p.m. and Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles and Fiesta del Castillo, Fairplex Park grandstand, 8 p.m.

Fireworks--weekends, 10 p.m.

Fair Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: Today only, admission and carnival 10-tab wristbands are $1.99 (not all rides will be in operation), with a coupon from participating McDonald’s restaurants.

General adult, $9; 6-12 years, $5 (on weekends), free for children 12 and under (weekdays) when accompanied by a paying adult (up to 3 children) and free for children 5 and under every day; over 60, $7, except on Tuesdays, $3.50; carnival wristband (10 rides) Monday-Friday, $16.

Parking: General, $5; preferred, $7; premium preferred (hotel lot only) $10; valet, $10.

For information on other events, call (909) 623-3111.