Orange County Fair: 125 years of things changing, but mostly staying the same
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Each year, over one million Orange County and Los Angeles residents attend the Orange County Fair. This year was no different. The OC Fair celebrated its 125th Anniversary with exhibits and attractions that included bands, a gigantic commemorative sand art cake, an ice skating rink, the Fair Play art exhibit, a 5k fun run, rides, carnival games, a cattle drive, and, of course, lots of fair food.
The first OC Fair took place in 1890, shortly after the County of Orange was formed. It began as a small gathering in Santa Ana, undergoing several moves and changes in ownership before finding a home in 1949 in the then unincorporated city of Costa Mesa. The Costa Mesa Fairgrounds have been home to the celebration ever since.
The fair has been a longstanding tradition for many OC residents, spanning the generational gap. Carnival rides and fair food haven’t changed all that much over the past century, and, in many ways, the modern fair experience is very similar to what it was 125 years ago.
There have been some notable changes, though. Fairgoers now have smart phones that they use to take selfies before posting them on social media. The OC Fair even has its own app (2015 OC Fair) and website (ocfair.com). The buzz of surveillance drones filming can also be heard overhead.
In spite of these changes, modern technology has still found no substitute for the experience of ordering a frozen banana and taking a ride on the Ferris wheel. It’s a simple formula, but it works. The fair shows no signs of stopping. At this rate, it seems likely that the OC Fair will continue to be around for another 125 years.
Cat Doss is an artist/writer/filmmaker/performer living in the Los Angeles area. She was born in Huntington, West Virginia. A classically trained painter and a winner of multiple awards in various disciplines, Cat refuses to confine herself to one medium preferring to experiment with her work and investigate the workings behind the creative process. Her art can currently be found at Facebook.com/someassemblyrequired