TAKING OFF FAIR GATES OPEN TODAY FOR FOOD, FUN, FLIGHT.Byline: Jason Newell Staff Writer The time of year when more than a million fairgoers will throw pingpong balls into fishbowls for giant stuffed animals, relive 100 years of flight and eat themselves into oblivion has arrived. After months of preparation, the 81st anniversary of the L.A. County Fair opens today at Fairplex in Pomona with a slew of brand new carnival rides, colorful exhibits, artery-clogging foods and ``Kinder. Simpler. Funner.'' entertainment. To avoid collapsing in an overwhelmed heap upon entering the gates, it might be helpful to develop a plan of attack. One place to start is the ``High Flying Fun!'' exhibit - the fair's feature attraction - which is certain to draw big crowds throughout each day, said Fairplex spokeswoman Wendy Talarico. ``It's probably going to be a one-time event for people to come in and see some rare planes brought in from all different areas,'' said ``High Flying Fun!'' building coordinator John Chartier, who said apart from the exhibit, observers would have to trek all over the country to see the historic planes. A 1903 Wright Flyer The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. reproduction, 10,000-square-foot display from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), and flyable model of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis Spirit of St. Louis Charles Lindbergh’s plane. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 287] See : Aviation round out the exhibit's major attractions. Other new exhibits this year include ``America's Kids Road Trip U.S.A.,'' with interactive games and crafts for children, and ``Influences of the Orient - The Art of Floral Design Floral design is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create a pleasing and balanced composition. Evidence of refined floristry is found as far back as the culture of Ancient Egypt. There are many styles of floral design. ,'' in the popular Flower and Garden Pavilion. At the new ``The Living Room - Art as an Accessory'' exhibit in the Millard Sheets Millard Owen Sheets (1907-1989) was an American painter and an important representative of the California School of Painting. Early life Millard Sheets was a native California artist who grew up in the Pomona Valley near Los Angeles. Gallery, visitors can browse expertly decorated living room vignettes and have a picture taken on a reproduction of ``The Brady Bunch'' staircase. Nighttime entertainment, in the form of the End of Summer Concert Series, will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. on the Grandstand Stage. Acts will include the B-52s; Styx; Earth, Wind & Fire; Willie Nelson; and REO Speedwagon For the vehicle, see . REO Speedwagon is an American rock band which grew in popularity in the Midwestern United States during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. REO Speedwagon hits include "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling. . General admission is free with entrance to the fair, with reserved seating available for purchase at Ticketmaster locations and the Fairplex box office. This year's fair also introduces the Big Red Barn, which allows cows, hogs, donkeys, sheep and goats to comingle in large interactive pens, instead of housing them in rows of ``heads and butts'' like in years past, Talarico said. Perhaps one of the greatest dilemmas for fairgoers every year is deciding at which stand in the seemingly endless rows of funnel cake, pastrami sandwich, pizza, beer, ice cream and pasta trailers lining the fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. to eat. New culinary delights this year include deep-fried S'mores, deep-fried macaroni macaroni: see pasta. and cheese and what vendors ensure will become a new favorite: deep-fried Oreos. So what does a deep-fried Oreo taste like? ``A deep-fried Oreo,'' said Bob Jackson, co-owner of Chicken Charlie's Broasted Chicken, where the cookies sell four for $3 and come with sprinkles and a chocolate or strawberry topping. ``We started experimenting, and it's one of the things we liked,'' he said. ``We figured, if we like them, someone else is going to like them.'' TODAY'S ACTIVITIES Open: 11 a.m. to midnight Opening Day, admission $1, presented by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group The Los Angeles Newspaper Group is an umbrella group of local daily newspapers published in the greater Los Angeles area by MediaNews Group. The news coverage of the newspapers are mainly local stories. . Asian and Pacific Islander Festival, Clocktower Plaza - Festival Plaza, all day. Horse Racing, Aloha Friday, wear a Hawaiian shirt, receive a free box seat and a chance for a trip to Hawaii, Fairplex Park Budweiser Grandstand, first post 12:30 p.m. Arts and Crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. Village Weekend, Museums, Redwood Street, all day. Pomona Day, community parade led by the Budweiser Clydesdales, 5:30 p.m., community hero ceremony at The Stage in Park Square, 6 p.m. WAR, Los Angeles Newspaper Group Grandstand Stage, 8 p.m. Fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to , 10 p.m., presented by Cal Spas. CAPTION(S): photo, box, map Photo: Damien Freeze hangs toy guitar prizes up in his carnival midway stand Thursday in preparation for fair's opening. Will Lester/Staff Photographer Box: TODAY'S ACTIVITIES (see text) Map: Fairplex |
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