CAMPERS AWAIT FAIR TICKETS.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LANCASTER - People started lining up four days early to buy Antelope Valley Fair concert tickets for Grammy-winners Destiny's Child and country star Tracy Byrd.

First in line were Chris McClure and two friends, who arrived Tuesday afternoon - just hours after the fair acts were announced - and by midday Friday were at the head of a line that numbered about a dozen.

``It's like a vacation every year,'' said McClure, 24, of Lancaster, who has been first in line for fair tickets five years. ``I started doing it once. It was fun.'

Concert tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. today at the fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I. Tickets to Byrd's concert Aug. 27 are $25, $20 and $15. Tickets to Destiny's Child on Aug. 29 are $30, $25 and $20.

While tickets can also be purchased online through Ticketmaster, McClure expects to get better seats by being first at the fair ticket booth.

``It's one of those tradition things,'' added McClure, who plans on purchasing tickets to both Destiny's Child and Byrd.

McClure said his boss at Schaumburg Painting doesn't mind him taking the time off to wait in line because he's purchasing tickets for his boss also.

Brenda O'Dell, McClure's girlfriend, is resigned to her boyfriend sleeping in a tent until today.

``It's his thing. There was no point in arguing,'' O'Dell said Friday when she stopped by the fairgrounds to visit.

Nos. 6 and 7 in line were Amanda Coward and Erica Wayne, who arrived at 7 p.m. Thursday. On Friday they were keeping out of the wind in sleeping bags tucked between two concrete planters.

They were waiting to buy tickets to Destiny's Child.

``This gets us out of our house,'' said Coward, 19, of Lancaster.

``I do it every year. They're (concerts) usually something that we always like,`` said Wayne, 18, an Antelope Valley College student.

Most of the people waiting in line are usually the same every year, she said.

Joanna Allen, No. 9, arrived at 6 a.m. Friday.

The 16-year-old was sent to purchase Destiny's Child tickets for her brothers, ages 5 and 14, her 3-year-old sister, and her parents.

``They both woke me up and said, guess what?'' Allen said of her parents. She didn't have to be in school because she is on independent study, she said. Her father will spend the night with her, she said.

Fourteen-year-old Erin Marshall, No. 11, skipped school to arrive at 7:30 Friday morning with her mother and aunt to wait for Destiny's Child tickets.

``Yeah, I'm the bad mother,'' said mom, Charlene Kent.

Kent's sister, Barbara Becker, plans on buying tickets for Tracy Byrd - and for the still-to-be-announced concerts if fair officials let her.

``I've heard Vince Gill and I've also heard somebody say Wynonna, so I don't know,'' Becker said.

The two unannounced acts are expected to be named within two weeks, fair officials said.

For more information on fair events, call [phone] or visit the fair Web site at www.avfair.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color in AV edition only -- ran in AV and SAC editions only) Music fans camp out at the fairgrounds Friday for Antelope Valley Fair concert tickets, which go on sale this morning.

(2 -- ran in AV and SAC editions only) In line since Thursday, Amanda Coward, left, and Erica Wayne keep warm with sleeping bags while camping out for tickets to see Destiny's Child.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer