COUNTY FAIR'S FUN AND GAMES BACK IN TOWN; OFFICIALS HOPING FINE WEATHER, GOOD ECONOMY HELP TO BOOST ATTENDANCE.Byline: John Huddy Daily News Staff Writer MacKenna Hainey clutched her mother's hand, a wide grin spreading across her face, as she eagerly strolled to the front gates of the Ventura County Fair on Wednesday. ``I love the pony rides,'' said the 5-year-old Ventura resident. ``I also like the games - they're a lot of fun.'' The young fair enthusiast was a face in the crowd A Face in the Crowd (1957) is an epic motion picture starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Walter Matthau, directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by Budd Schulberg, based on his own short story "The Arkansas Traveler". on opening day as residents from across the county and other parts of the state turned out to see exhibits, sample carnival rides and take in other attractions. ``We're all spruced up for the fair this year,'' said Norma Morgan, a guest relations director for the fair, which runs through Aug. 16. ``Everyone is very enthusiastic since the gates opened. People from all around the county have been coming out, which makes the attendance very high.'' Sunny weather and the improving economy combined to generate greater attendance and above-average revenues for the 1997 edition of the fair. Officials said 270,257 people went to the fair last year, compared with 255,542 in 1996. Concessions, the carnival and parking revenues improved as a result. Fair officials hope to boost attendance even further this year. One factor could be headline musical acts such as the Doobie doo·bie n. Slang A marijuana cigarette. [Origin unknown.] Brothers and Pablo Cruise Pablo Cruise is a Pop/Soft Rock band composed of David Jenkins (guitar and vocals), Cory Lerios (keyboard and vocals), Steve Price (drums) and George Gabriel (bass and vocals). , among others. ``I'm looking forward to the concerts, especially the country bands,'' said Chelsea Brown Chelsea Brown (born November 6 1946) is an American actress who has appeared as a regular performer in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. , a 17-year-old Ventura resident clad in jeans and cowboy boots who added that she's a fan of country singer Tracy Byrd Tracy Byrd may refer to:
Brown's friends agreed, but had reasons of their own for being at the fair. ``I came to get away from my parents,'' 15-year-old Amanda Bernazzani of Ojai said with a smile. ``They need to have the fair more often.'' Although Bernazzani took advantage of some free time away from her parents, others make the fair a family experience. ``This is a little bit of a family tradition,'' said Richard Jacobsen, a sheep farm owner from the town of Le Grand in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern . Jacobsen was at the fair with his wife, Lesanne, and their 9-year-old son, Cody, showing off their sheep at the livestock exhibit. ``The fair gives us a chance to meet with other breeders - to talk a little business and to have a little fun,'' he said. Pat Huff, also a Northern California sheep farm owner and breeder, was at the fair with her 14-year-old son, Alan, exhibiting their sheep before the judging today and Friday. ``Sometimes the work is grueling,'' Huff said. ``We work all day and then drive all night to the next fair. It's tough, but we like to do it.'' Her son agreed. ``I have to water the sheep, bag the grain - basically do all the stuff that I do at home that needs to be done - but I also make money for college, which is good,'' he said. Other exhibits at the fair include the Youth Expo, which features Robin Stevens Robin Stevens is a British puppeteer, actor, director and writer for children's TV for nearly 30 years, and has done many successful programs. He worked for Ragdoll Productions for about 20 years, before that working for the BBC and local theatre. and his ``Hollywood Monster Makeup'' show that teaches audience members how to create gory go·ry adj. go·ri·er, go·ri·est 1. Covered or stained with gore; bloody. 2. Full of or characterized by bloodshed and violence. makeup effects with store-bought materials like bread crumbs and gelatin gelatin or animal jelly, foodstuff obtained from connective tissue (found in hoofs, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage) of vertebrate animals by the action of boiling water or dilute acid. . ``I've been doing this for over 40 years,'' said Stevens, a San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. resident who travels with his wife, Helen, to fairs across the country. ``We love doing it; the kids really enjoy it too.'' The fun doesn't stop there. Carnival rides - everything from the head-spinning Twister to the gut-wrenching Hurricane - are always a popular draw. ``I like getting dizzy,'' said 15-year-old Jenna Nelson, who has been on the Tornado nearly 70 times. ``I plan on riding it again this year - I haven't gotten sick yet.'' SPECIAL EVENTS Grandstand Thursday: IMCA Modified IMCA Modified is the top division sanctioned by the International Motor Contest Association. [1]The series began in 1979. The car bodies are a hybrid of an open wheel car and a stock car. , VRA VRA Visual Resources Association VRA Voting Rights Act of 1965 VRA Volta River Authority VRA Veterans Recruitment Appointment VRA Virginia Recycling Association VRA Volunteer Rescue Association ( Australia) VRA Voice Risk Analysis I-4, Legend Cars, Demo Derby - 7 p.m. Friday: Tracy Byrd - 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Neil Sedaka - 7:30 p.m. Sunday: Fiesta Day - 3 p.m. Monday: Doobie Brothers - 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: The Harry James Orchestra and the Ink Spots - 1 p.m.; Next - 7:30 p.m. Wednesday: Village People - 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13: Sawyer Brown - 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14: PRCA PRCA Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association PRCA Pure Red-Cell Aplasia PRCA Public Relations Consultants Association PrCa Prostate Cancer PRCA Proportional Rate-Control Algorithm PRCA Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Rodeo - 7 p.m. Aug. 15: PRCA Rodeo - 2 and 7 p.m. Aug. 16: PRCA Rodeo, Salute to Mexico - 2 and 7 p.m. Ventura Star Stage Thursday: Pablo Cruise Friday: Gospel Music Show Saturday: Talk of Da Town Sunday: Suzy Luchsinger Tuesday: Raymond Michael Aug. 14: Ty Herndon Aug. 15: Bill Haley's Comets featuring Al Rappa Aug. 16: Johnny Counterfeit All shows 7 and 9 p.m. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) (Ran in Simi and Conejo Editions only) Jeanette Sandoval, 8, of Santa Paula hangs on Wednesday as the Grand Wheel rotates to give her a bird's-eye view of the Ventura County Fair. (2--Color) (Ran in Simi and Conejo Editions only) Steven Parsons and his mother, Cecilia Parsons, give a sheep a close shave. (3) (Ran in Simi and Conejo Editions only) Throngs of fair visitors crowd the midway to take a look at all the games of chance or perhaps try their luck. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News BOX: SPECIAL EVENTS (see text) |
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