THE BALLOON MAN

Parents guide beaming kids through first fair experiences

Siblings Leslie and Miguel Jimenez of Stockton, 8 and 5 respectively, wave to their father from the airplane ride at the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton.

CLIFFORD OTO/The Record

By Zachary K. JohnsonRecord Staff Writer

June 19, 2011

STOCKTON - The slide towered over the game tents and the other rides in the kiddie carnival section of the San Joaquin County Fair on Saturday.Still, 3-year-old Christian Garcia wasn't nervous about taking the plunge.Twice.It was his first visit to the fair, and his father, Eddie, 40, said he was looking forward to sharing the day with Christian and the rest of his family."I just want them to have fun," he said.The Stockton resident said he had plenty of memories from past fairs: the animals, the rides and the music.His favorite attractions varied, depending on his age at the time. But his first favorite was the slide.Garcia was not alone among the parents and grandparents with fair memories from their youth on their minds as they guided young ones to making their own first memories of the county fair.

Four-year-old Sabrina Maestas of Stockton rides the carousel Saturday at the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton. CLIFFORD OTO/The Record
read more at: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110619/A_NEWS/106190316