Fair’s Partners in ‘Crime’ Become Partners for Life

A pair of teenagers found a hole in the fence surrounding the Ventura County Fair and sneaked in with their friends.

That was 48 years ago, and Darrel and Betty Herman of Ojai have been together ever since. The Hermans were among two dozen couples--some married 70 years--who attended a blessing-of-marriage ceremony at the fair Tuesday morning.

The Hermans met in 1953 when Darrel, then 19 and stationed at Point Mugu, paid a wino 50 cents to look the other way while they went through the opening in the fence around the fair.

A formal date came later.

“About a week later, we met at the roller-skating rink,” said Betty Herman, who was 16 and living in Ventura at the time.

Darrel Herman then wrote in a letter to his mother: “I met the most beautiful girl in my life.” Betty still has the letter.

“She brings it out now and then to remind me,” he said. About a month after they met, the young lovers were married. “We had a lot of friends, and they said, ‘It’ll never last,’ ” he said. “We proved ‘em wrong.”

The couple have four sons, nine grandchildren and an 18-month-old great-granddaughter, who stayed with a sitter Tuesday while the Hermans made their annual trek to the place they first met. “We look forward to it,” Betty Herman said. “We wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Betty Herman said she would advise teenage girls against getting married so young. “I wouldn’t want my 16-year-old getting married,” she said. “It worked out for us, but it wouldn’t for everybody.”

On Tuesday, the couple came through the main gate along with thousands of others who took advantage of a day of free admission for seniors and people with disabilities.

“We don’t have to sneak in, but we still get in free,” Betty Herman said.

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of seniors joined the standing-room-only crowd at the Seaside Blues Club to watch the senior dance competitions. Three judges from area dance studios graded the contestants, who competed in swing, fox trot, waltz and cha-cha categories.

Jim and Betty DeGraffenreid of Ventura took two first-place trophies, a second-place trophy and placed second overall. They have been married 18 years, and say they have danced the whole time.

Last year, the couple placed first in the same competition, but “this was a much better-run contest,” Jim DeGraffenreid said, adding that he and his wife dance two to four times a week.

“To me, it’s just a natural rhythm,” he said.

Myra and Irv Wapner of Lompoc earned four trophies. They came to Ventura to spend a day at the fair, and this was their first dance competition.

The couple said they have danced together for 50 years, and have been married for 49. They now dance three or four nights a week.

Fair officials on Monday night decided to give the public more time to view the more than 20,000 exhibits, so the nightly fireworks show was rescheduled to 10 p.m.

When the fireworks started at 9:30 p.m., people tended to leave the exhibits and then exit the fair after the show finished, said fair spokesman Devlin Raley. Rather than close the exhibits at 9:30 p.m., fair officials opted to start the fireworks show later, Raley said.

Nighttime schedules for free Metrolink trains this weekend will be adjusted accordingly, to give people who stay for the later fireworks show time to catch the trains, Raley said.

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Today at the Fair

Here’s a look at some of what’s happening at the Ventura County Fair today.

* The schedule is subject to change. For information, log on to https://www.vcfair.org or call 648-3376.

* Seaside Park opens 11 a.m.

* Carnival wristband: 10 rides for $10 (available until 8 p.m.)

* Pepsi family day--$15 admission for two adults (13 and older) and all children 12 & under in the immediate family with a coupon from Pepsi.

* Parking at the fairgrounds is $5 per day. Free shuttle service is available with free parking at the Ventura County Government Center, Pacific View Mall, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, next to the Ventura High School stadium, and Harbor Boulevard and Schooner Drive. Shuttle service is also available with a $5-per-day parking fee at San Buenaventura State Beach.

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All day Amateur English Horse Show Morgan Arena Noon, 2, 4:30, 6:30 p.m. All-Alaskan Racing Pigs Porker Flats 5 p.m. John Marx & the Blues Patrol Seaside Blues Club 7 p.m. People Jump Competition Morgan Arena 7:30 p.m. Wynonna Grandstand Arena 8 p.m. Terry Hanck Band Seaside Blues Club 8 p.m. Romy Dee & Rhythm Doctors (reggae / R & B) Pepsi Stage 9:30 p.m. Fireworks 10 p.m. All buildings close

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