Los Angeles County Fair
Encyclopedia
The inaugural Los Angeles County Fair, now known as the L.A. County Fair, opened Oct. 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California
. Highlights of the Fair’s first year were harness racing, chariot races and an airplane wing-walking exhibition.
Now in its 87th year, the Fair is the largest county fair in the U.S. Fair attendance has topped one million people in every year but one since 1948, and the 4th largest fair in the United States
. The 2010 Fair attendance was 1,374,673.
Since its inception, the Fair has been the link between California
’s agriculture industry and the public, providing a community gathering place where people learn about California’s heritage and enjoy traditional Fair food, activities and entertainment. In recent years the fair has moved away from such agricultural heritage by abandoning livestock competitions for area growers and ranchers in favor of hired petting zoos. In addition to the 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) Ray Cammack Shows carnival, the Fair has an operational farm, an outdoor miniature garden railroad, California’s Heritage Square historical exhibit and America’s Kids-Education Expo, where school children discover A Day Full of Learning Cleverly Disguised as Fun. The End of Summer Concert Series features 19 nights of first-run musical entertainment, demolition derby and freestyle motocross.
The Fair is operated by the Los Angeles County Fair Association, a not-for-profit 501(c)(5) corporation. The Fair is held each September on 543 acres (2.2 km²) of fairgrounds known as Fairplex
(L.A. County Fair, hotel and exposition complex). The Fair generates a national economic impact of more than $250 million, roughly the equivalent of hosting a Super Bowl every year.
The 2011 L.A. County Fair will run September 3–October 2, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Opening Day is Saturday, Sept. 3 of Labor Day
Weekend. Thoroughbred horse racing at Fairplex Park is Sept. 8-26, closed Monday 12th, 19th and Tuesdays.
Fairplex also includes the Sheraton
Fairplex hotel, the Sheraton KOA
/RV Park, Fairplex Park, a 5/8 mile horse racing track, the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, the Child Development Center at Fairplex, the Fairplex railway exhibit
, Barretts Equine Ltd., a thoroughbred horse racing auction facility and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
.
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
. Highlights of the Fair’s first year were harness racing, chariot races and an airplane wing-walking exhibition.
Now in its 87th year, the Fair is the largest county fair in the U.S. Fair attendance has topped one million people in every year but one since 1948, and the 4th largest fair in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 2010 Fair attendance was 1,374,673.
Since its inception, the Fair has been the link between California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
’s agriculture industry and the public, providing a community gathering place where people learn about California’s heritage and enjoy traditional Fair food, activities and entertainment. In recent years the fair has moved away from such agricultural heritage by abandoning livestock competitions for area growers and ranchers in favor of hired petting zoos. In addition to the 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) Ray Cammack Shows carnival, the Fair has an operational farm, an outdoor miniature garden railroad, California’s Heritage Square historical exhibit and America’s Kids-Education Expo, where school children discover A Day Full of Learning Cleverly Disguised as Fun. The End of Summer Concert Series features 19 nights of first-run musical entertainment, demolition derby and freestyle motocross.
The Fair is operated by the Los Angeles County Fair Association, a not-for-profit 501(c)(5) corporation. The Fair is held each September on 543 acres (2.2 km²) of fairgrounds known as Fairplex
Fairplex
Fairplex, formerly known as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, has been since 1922 the home of the L.A. County Fair. It is located in the city of Pomona, California. The L.A...
(L.A. County Fair, hotel and exposition complex). The Fair generates a national economic impact of more than $250 million, roughly the equivalent of hosting a Super Bowl every year.
The 2011 L.A. County Fair will run September 3–October 2, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Opening Day is Saturday, Sept. 3 of Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
Weekend. Thoroughbred horse racing at Fairplex Park is Sept. 8-26, closed Monday 12th, 19th and Tuesdays.
Fairplex also includes the Sheraton
Sheraton
Sheraton may refer to:*Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain*Sheraton, County Durham, a village in County Durham, in England*Sheraton Centre, a mall complex located in the parish of Christ Church, Barbados....
Fairplex hotel, the Sheraton KOA
Kampgrounds of America
Kampgrounds of America is a franchise chain of nearly 470 campgrounds throughout North America based in Billings, Montana, USA. The current CEO of Kampgrounds of America Inc. is James D. Rogers. The President is Pat Hittmeier. - History :...
/RV Park, Fairplex Park, a 5/8 mile horse racing track, the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, the Child Development Center at Fairplex, the Fairplex railway exhibit
Fairplex railway exhibit
There is a Historic Railroad Exhibit at Fairplex, hosted by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society.-Station:...
, Barretts Equine Ltd., a thoroughbred horse racing auction facility and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, is located at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Bldg. 3A, in Pomona, California 91768, USA. It houses a collection of memorabilia, automobiles and motorcycles related to the sport of hot rodding. ...
.
History
- These grounds were once used as a Wartime Civilian Control Administration assembly center during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Japanese Americans were held here before being sent to internment camps. There is no historical marker at the site. It was occupied from May 7 to August 24, 1942, and held more than 5,000 people. There are few, if any, buildings left from the original assembly center. - The first L.A. County Fair was held in 1922 at the Los Angeles Fairgrounds in Pomona. The grounds, now known as Fairplex (short for L.A. County Fair, Hotel and Exposition Complex), are home to hundreds of other year-round events and activities other than the Fair. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located on the grounds, as well as the Sheraton Fairplex hotel, the Rail Giants Museum Fairplex railway exhibitFairplex railway exhibitThere is a Historic Railroad Exhibit at Fairplex, hosted by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society.-Station:...
, and the Auto Club Raceway at PomonaAuto Club Raceway at PomonaAuto Club Raceway at Pomona, formerly known as Pomona Raceway, is a racing facility located in Pomona, California that features a quarter-mile dragstrip. The dragstrip is most famous for hosting the NHRA's Winternationals event since 1961, the traditional season opener, as well as the seasons last...
.