Est. 1941


Costa Mesa, CA • 2013 OC Fair

Friday, August 30, 2013

Date: 08-10-13
Location: 88 Fair Drive.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: M. L. Morris & Luis Valdizon

The first Orange County Fair was held in 1890, and by stepping onto the event grounds, it's easy to tell how it could have become such a staple summer event of Southern California. This was my first fair experience in America, but it wasn't too different from what we have in Vancouver. Everything I expected to be offered was available in abundance, from the adrenaline-inducing rides, to the overpriced games, to the eyebrow-raising gastronomy--chocolate-covered, fried bacon and fried Kool-Aid bites were two particular eye-openers unique to the U.S., but we do have similar oddities in Canada. However, when I look at these photos, I realize there is something about them that I wouldn't be able to capture back home. I've always loved the colors present at fairs, but it seems like the bright tones of the OC Fair are brought out in a unique way with the SoCal weather and breeze blowing in from the shore. Most importantly, though, is the people in them and the day we had leading up to this. This was the same day as our spontaneous discovery visit to Balboa Island and it served as a great evening to Matt's birthday. Are we the target age group to attend a fair? Probably not. That's the beauty of events like this, though--as long as you're able to get into the spirit, there's no limit to the fun you can have. The only difference is, there's no reason to bring the giant plush ape home after spending $30-worth of tickets to land a plastic ring on a bottle top.

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