THE BALLOON MAN

O.C. Fair shines through cloud cover 
Huge crowds gather for opening day. 'Home Sweet Home' will run at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa through Aug. 12.


 

Fairgoers enjoy themselves aboard the Flying Dutchman as it swings around during opening day of the O.C. Fair on Friday. (KEVIN CHANG, Daily Pilot / July 13, 2012) 
By Brittany Woolsey, Special to the Daily Pilot
from:  dailypilot.com
July 13, 2012
Thousands of eager attendees flooded through the gates Friday to be among the first to attend the O.C. Fair.

Under overcast skies, about 30,000 people passed through within the first hour after the noontime opening, said Jerome Hoban, the fair's chief executive.
foto
Michael Pursey of Harbor City got to the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa at 10 a.m., hoping to beat the crowds.

"I took a precaution because of the warning on the website," Pursey said. "It said, because of promotions and the traffic, allow yourself enough time, so that's what I did."

Pursey, who was attending for the 13th year in a row, didn't let the cloudy weather deter him.

"It was raining last night, and we kept checking the Internet for weather updates," he said. "I saw that the chance of rain dropped down to like 10% at 3 or 4 o'clock this morning, so I made a decision like, 'We're going.' So it should be a good day to go because it will be cloudy but no rain."

From noon to 1 p.m., patrons were given free admission to the fair, where they could indulge in shows, rides, games and, of course, deep-fried cuisine.

"We're looking forward to the food," Pursey said. "I heard they had some crazy stuff like frog legs, but I don't know if I'll go that far."

This summer's fair will offer the regular staples, including barbecue, ice cream and funnel cakes. There are also some more difficult choices for the calorie-conscious, such as chocolate-covered bacon and artery-busting burgers.
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http://www.dailypilot.com/news/tn-dpt-0714-ocfair-20120713,0,4338951.story