Del Mar fair goes out on a limb

“Better than I expected. I’m very pleased,” said Terrill at the High Seas Hawaiian Shirt booth, inside Bing Crosby Hall, at the Covid-abbreviated San Diego County Fair. He thought most of the other booth operators would agree.

Terrill pointed out no organization wanted to be the first to hold a big public event in California. “They [fair officials] took a chance.”

The governor indicated in April he might be dropping his emergency color-tier restrictions. The fair board of directors, unlike other major fairs and festivals around the state, decided to put together an abbreviated fair for this year. Using the theme of Homegrown Fun, the fair opened on June 11, four days before the governor’s final elimination of most Covid restrictions, “Remember this [large public gathering] was illegal for the first few days of the fair,” reminded Terrill.

Other counties chose not to take a chance. The Los Angeles County Fair, one of largest in North America, in one of the hardest hit areas of Covid infections, pushed their event into May 2022. The Sacramento Fair – the official state fair of California – pushed their fair to July next year. The counties of Contra Costa, Kern, Merced, San Joaquin, and Ventura canceled their 2021 fairs for this summer and fall. Alameda, El Dorado, San Bernardino, and Sierra counties have “postponed’ or “rescheduled” their fair dates, with no new dates announced. Marin and Solano counties will hold “virtual” fairs. Santa Clara County will be the only California county to try another “drive-through” fair, little attended when tried last year at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

After hearing of the San Diego County Fair board’s decision, the Orange County Fair announced an abbreviated fair with their regular summer dates, starting on July 15.

The San Diego County Fair offered little in the way of regular fairgoer’s attractions. There were no flowers or agricultural displays, farm animals, infield Kiddie Land, fair-theme exhibit building, or concerts. Carnival rides and games were greatly reduced.

Yet, one couldn’t tell by the backed-up ride ticket booth line on the last weekend of July 3 and 4. Hundreds of families and teens waited, ready for the kid’s carousel, big Ferris wheel, and a few adrenalin-pumping rides. As the day wore on, the exhibit halls became more crowded.

Visitors enjoyed walking through less of a crowd and entry ticket prices, reduced to $10 for adults, from a 2019 ticket price of $20.

Fair officials estimate a daily attendance of 7,000 to 20,000, compared to the 2019 season for 45,000 – 80,000 per day. Over at Lost and Found, only a small box of Lost & Found items contained the usual: cell phones, keys, and glasses. The most unusual left-behind this year was a stroller, unlike previous years’ oddities of dentures and an artificial leg.

The Jack Straws Band has been the welcoming house band at the fair since 1982. This year they were relegated to the lush Paddock area, where tribute bands usually play to hundreds. “Its great to see the smiles on peoples faces again, “ said band member Jeff Williams. The Paddock provided sit-down tables with shade and adult beverages. Williams said he liked the casual atmosphere, as compared to playing at the front gate.

Williams said initially he had to convince fair officials to hire the band, as the fair was to have no live music.

Fair Fun Facts: San Diego County has 43 coffee bean farms. Who knew? The popular Swifty Swine Pig Races, normally in the Ag Show area, was right off the food booth Midway, right behind the pulled pork sandwich booth. With a pocket full of quarters, one could not find a Foostie Wootsie anywhere, missing the long-time, 25-cent foot massage machines.