Smaller LA County Fair returns for the first time in almost two years

After 719 days, the odor of turkey legs and deep-fried Oreos returned to the Fairplex arsenic a scaled-down mentation of the LA County Fair kicked disconnected Friday, Sept. 10.

After the fair’s cancellation successful 2020 due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced a smaller lawsuit for 2021, with less rides and nary unrecorded euphony arsenic successful the past. It is taking spot weekends adjacent the Auto Club Raceway connected the 487-acre property.

This year’s mentation — dubbed the Bite-Sized Fair — volition spotlight favorites specified arsenic Chicken Charlie’s, the Midway Gourmet, Tasti Chips and much than 25 different nutrient stands. Carnival rides, games and implicit 100 commercialized buying vendors volition beryllium portion of the scene.

The lawsuit is simply a instrumentality to doing what the Fairplex does champion — bringing radical unneurotic for fun, said Walter M. Marquez, interim CEO of Fairplex. Over the past year, the venue has hosted efforts to combat the pandemic, including vaccination and testing clinics.

“This is who we are but we’ve ever been flexible successful gathering the needs of the community, this past twelvemonth showed conscionable that,” Marquez said by telephone Friday. “But we’re besides conscionable arsenic excited to invited radical backmost for entertainment.”

While the just won’t beryllium arsenic ample arsenic successful erstwhile years, Nancy Bateman, 63, and Debby Miller, 68, said the size would ne'er halt them from coming. The year-plus hold was capable to marque them amusement up for opening day, an lawsuit they person been attending since the aboriginal 1950’s, Bateman said.

“Its been excessively agelong for us,” Bateman said. “We practically grew up connected these fairgrounds. Today is special.”

James Mendoza said his 8-year-old grandson Emmet Tedder, had been waiting to travel backmost to the just since past year’s cancellation. Riding a rollercoaster was astatine the apical of Emmet’s to-do database Friday, Mendoza said.

“He’s conscionable 8, but we’ve been coming present for 40 years,” Mendoza said. “You can’t interruption contented similar this.”

The event’s instrumentality was a invited show for nutrient vendors specified arsenic Pink’s Hot Dogs, which has had a basal astatine each LA County Fair since 1983.

“Being backmost present successful Pomona, it conscionable feels right.” Manager Pamela Hill said.

La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn was 1 of galore section officials successful attendance to footwear disconnected the fair. The lawsuit is overmuch needed for the assemblage aft the agelong absence, helium said.

“This is simply a restarting of the engine, successful a way,” Hepburn said.

After this year, the just volition displacement from September to May opening successful 2022 due to the fact that of the precocious temperatures seen successful precocious summer. Next year’s lawsuit volition coincide with the fair’s 100th anniversary. The centennial three-week tally is acceptable for May 5 done May 30, 2022.

While the coming alteration was welcomed by galore Friday, Paula Morgan and Pamela Burke said they would miss 1 facet of the accepted autumn matter — the heat.

“We’re going to miss coming successful September and mostly the blistery weather,” Morgan said. “Can’t person the just without it.”

Hours for the Bite-Sized Fair are 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday done Sunday, Sept. 10 to Sept. 26. Attendance is constricted and tickets could merchantability out.

Fair officials suggest buying tickets online successful beforehand astatine lacountyfair.com.