Got Rides? Crafts? Treats? Barbecue? The Fair Begins

Longtime friends Sandra Jaqua and Karen Cooper skipped breakfast Friday and made an early stop at the bank. With cash in their hands and comfortable shoes on their feet, they made their way to the Orange County Fair’s opening day.

First up: the Home and Hobbies building to see the results of a sewing competition Jaqua entered.

“There are so many incredible pieces of work every year,” Jaqua, 44, said. She entered an intricately designed red and gold medieval-style coat called a houppelande. “Just to get honorable mention would be cool.”

Jaqua and Cooper were among thousands who braved the heat for the annual event’s kickoff at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. Officials predict that this year’s attendance for the 17-day run will beat last year’s record of more than 840,000.

The two women walked past the brightly colored quilts, woodcrafts, pastries and cakes before stopping in front of Jaqua’s entry, which won first prize in the adult party clothing division.

“I was so excited,” Jaqua said of her first glimpse of the bright blue ribbon pinned on her entry. Even so, she said, “I still see a few things I can fix” on the jacket.

Jaqua has been coming to the fair for 20 years and says she tries to dress up to match the fair’s theme. This year’s “Leap Into the Fair--We’re Making a Big Splash” slogan guided her into a shirt with a blue, orange and green frog design and frog earrings.

While arts and crafts aficionados inspected the winning entries at the Home and Hobbies building, other fairgoers enjoyed the rides, the games and the smell of Texas-style barbecue that filled the air.

Angelina Ortiz, 9, made it to the top of a 24-foot rock-climbing wall.

“It’s really fun,” she said, “but I was sort of embarrassed because my brother didn’t make it and I did.”

Determined not to be outdone by his older sister, Davin Ortiz, 6, climbed all the way up on his second try and pushed the buzzer at the top of the wall to signal his success. “That was good,” he said with a big grin.

Officials hope this year’s fair will foster a sense of togetherness while paying tribute to those who serve the community. To help make that point, members of local police agencies, fire departments and a contingent of 50 Marines from Camp Pendleton were honored during the day’s opening ceremonies. “We wanted to bring the wonderful groundswell of community spirit that came after 9/11 and bring that into the celebration,” said fair Chief Executive and General Manager Becky Bailey-Findley. “We wanted to honor those that give selflessly, but also say, ‘You know what? It’s also time to celebrate.’ It’s time to feel good about who we are, and a fair is a good way to celebrate that.”