VALLEY'S ANNUAL FAIR WINDS UP TODAY AT MIDNIGHT.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

When you're 7, a ride in a bumper boat over a pool of water is a pretty exotic experience.

``There's a shark in there!'' 7-year-old Kymber Keaton of Van Nuys shrieked to her cousin Saturday from outside the Kiddie Bumper Boats ride at the San Fernando Valley Fair.

Her cousin, Christopher Wall, 8, of North Hills, being a whole year older, wasn't fooled. He pronounced the bumper boat ride ``kinda slow'' when he disembarked.

But he and Kymber soon found a ride at the fair that was more to his liking: a mock hang-gliding ride in which the children were twirled around while lying on a nearly horizonal harness.

``It's so good we want to go again,'' Christopher said.

Randy Jaqua, 42, assistant manager for the Antelope Valley Fair, was on hand Saturday to help with the San Fernando Valley event. He estimated this fair had drawn about 7,000 people in its first two days, and that overall attendance this year was about 7 percent to 10 percent higher than last year's.

About 24,000 people had attended the four-day event in 2001, with most coming on the last two days, he said.

The fair is an old-fashioned family event, with carnival rides, midway games, a community stage, live entertainment and traditional food favorites like cotton candy, corn dogs, shaved ice and corn on the cob.

Children aren't the only ones who come back for seconds.

``I came here last night with my husband; we had a date night,'' said Christopher's mother, Christina Wall, 34. ``And we thought we'd take the kids back for the rides today.''

But this time she brought Kymber's mother, Dawn Gomez, 25, of Van Nuys - who had babysat for Christopher and his 3-year-old sister, Madison, the previous night.

Kids could check out domestic animals at the fair: They could go on camel rides, watch pig races and pet the baby goats at the 4-H livestock exhibit, which also featured turkeys and pigs.

But for six Palmdale High band members - Marcia Castro, 17, playing a metallic-green trumpet; Rusty Hansen, 17, tenor sax; Jimmy Austin, 16, clarinet; Blake Ohren, 16, trombone; Chris Dundee, 17, tuba; and Jason Elms, 18, drums - the fair was a gig that could save them from peddling candy bars door-to-door.

As the students strolled through the fairgrounds - playing Dixieland jazz - Sam Perez, 32, of Palmdale, a music teacher at the school, trailed behind them. The money the music students earn by performing at the fair will help pay for a trip to Austria next year, Perez said.

IF YOU GO

The San Fernando Valley Fair continues from noon to midnight tonight at 11770 1/2 Foothill Blvd. near Hansen Dam. Events include the Junior Livestock Auction at noon, a milking competition at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and a performance by Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez at 7 p.m. For more information, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box, map

Photo:

(1) Jacob Long, 3, of Lake View Terrace considers his next move as he steers a bumper boat Saturday at the San Fernando Valley Fair. The annual four-day event runs through Sunday.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

(2) Fair visitor Eileen Roseman rides a camel behind 2-year-old Andre Rodriguez near Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace.

(3) Andre Enzi from Arnold, Calif., wields a die grinder Saturday to sculpt the likeness of an American bald eagle from a redwood stump.

Box:

IF YOU GO (see text)

Map:

Site of San Fernando Valley Fair

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