COUNTY FAIR DRAWS FANS ON FIRST DAY.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer Continuing a tradition started five years ago, Maria Smith and her children were present Wednesday for the first day of the Ventura County Fair - arriving at Seaside Park even before the gates opened. ``I come here for the entertainment,'` said the 27-year-old Ventura resident, who arrived 40 minutes early. ``They like to watch the demolition derby, the carnival rides and play the games.'' Aside from the derby, 7-year-old Anthony Smith said he liked the Ferris wheel Ferris wheel, amusement park ride. It consists of a power-operated wheel that is about 50 ft (15 m) in diameter. It has two rims that are parallel to and equidistant from the shaft about which the wheel rotates. Between the rims there are a number of seats that carry passengers. George W. G. Ferris, a U.S. engineer from Galesburg, Ill., designed and built the first such wheel for the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1892.. ``I like the rides,'' he said shyly. Ten-year-old sister, Christina, chimed in: ``I like it here because we have fun and stuff. I like the horses and the farm with the livestock.'' After officials cut the red ribbon, the crowd poured into the fairgrounds to enjoy the rides, exhibits and food, while vendors hawked everything from handbags to souvenir T-shirts. Alan Matsumoto Matsumoto (mäts  mō`tō), city (1990 pop. 200,715), Nagano prefecture, central Honshu, Japan. It is a market for silkworms and raw silk. Industries include computer components, food processing, machine-building, and textile manufacturing., a professional sand-castle builder, was busy re-creating the fair's poster of a Ferris wheel. He has been carving sand sculptures for the fair for five years. Using 30 tons of sand and some water, Matsumoto will work 10-12 hours a day in order to complete the 10-foot-tall sculpture in seven days. ``The secret is compaction,'' said Matsumoto, who ditched a career as a structural engineer and now works for Sandscapes, a nationwide company based in San Luis Obispo. ``People enjoy my product. ``As a structural engineer, people never came up to me smiling at my beams or said, 'I love your column, can I take a picture of it?''' the Virginia resident said. ``This makes people happy.'' This year's musical acts include the Village People, Chubby Checker, Wynonna and Styx Styx (stĭks), in Greek mythology, river of Hades that the souls of the dead had to cross on their journey from the realm of the living. It was a sacred river, and by its name even the gods took their most solemn oaths. The river was personified as a nymph, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and mother of Nike.. New this year is an offering of blues music featuring artists such as Tower of Power, Asleep at the Wheel and the Terry Hanck Band. For fairgoers with a competitive edge, there are a variety of events including karaoke, pie-eating, egg tosses and hog calling contests. Judy Basco, 36, ran after her two young nephews, Kristin Basco, 5, and Dylan, 4, clutching a giant blown-up Spider-Man doll. ``I love the fair, all the exhibits (and) the food,'' said the Port Hueneme resident, who's been attending the fair for 15 years. ``I've been coming with the kids for the last two years.'' ``It's cool,'' said Kristin, holding a small stuffed purple dragon and a plastic sword. ``I like the jeeps,'' he said, referring to the Badlands Badlands National Park, 242,756 acres (98,316 hectares), (authorized as a national monument in 1929, designated a national park in 1978) occupies most of the region. The park is noted for its scenery, its fossils of prehistoric animals, and its varied wildlife, including bison, bighorn sheep, deer, antelope, and prairie dogs. See National Parks and Monuments (table). 4X4 Express ride. Rosie Leidig, 13, was in one of the barns cuddling her pregnant rabbit, a Californian breed name Shasta, which will be judged later that day. ``They look for good meat,'' the 4-H member said of the judges. ``This is a meat rabbit. They look for big loins and a big butt and little bones.'' Leidig, who breeds and keeps 19 rabbits including New Zealand Reds, Mini Lops and two mutts, plans to sell Shasta's litter when they are born in about three weeks. ``I like rabbits because they are sweet, really cute and easy to take care of,'' the Santa Paula youth said. While children hopped on rides such as the Tilt-A-Whirl, 1 1/2-year-old Gino Palmieri was strapped securely in a harness attempting to climb up the 24-foot-tall Vertical Drop. Although he was more than halfway up, the toddler asked for help and a carnival worker climbed up and pulled the boy to the top, where he rang the bell. Ten-year-old Cole Bettles enjoyed the rides. ``That's pretty fun,'' he said after getting off the fast-moving but tame Silver Streak ride. ``I (also) like the swing that goes around. That's pretty fun and the Ferris wheel at night is fun because you get to look at the ocean. ``All of it is fun, I have to admit,'' said the Ojai resident, who's been a regular fairgoer since he was 3 years old. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map Photo: (1) Riders on the Inverter hang upside down through a turn on the first day of the Ventura County Fair. The fair, which opened Wednesday, continues through August 12. (2) Kristen Shuel kisses her rabbit, Cinderella, before judging begins in the 4-H rabbit competition at the Ventura County Fair on Wednesday. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer Map: Ventura County Fair |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion