Riverside County Fair and Date Festival Increases Security & Ride Inspections
02/16/2018
More security and more ride inspections are part of the 2018 Riverside County Fair and Date Festival.
OC Fair
LA County Fair Won't Raise Ticket Prices & Will Have Food Deals for 2018
02/16/2018
Faced with soft performance in 2017 and with new leadership, the LA County Fair is holding the line on price increases and adding food deals to grab more customers in a highly competitive Los Angeles area entertainment market.
LA Times "L.A. County Fair won't raise ticket prices and will offer food discounts to draw visitors"
4 Legal Settlements Protect the Neighborhoods Around the OC Fairgrounds
02/14/2018
There are 4 legal settlements with the OC Fairgrounds which protect the neighborhoods around the Fairgrounds. Each settlement is the product of a Master Site Plan. The settlements are:
1980 Settlement with the City of Costa Mesa requiring storm water runoff management, traffic management, compliance with the municipal code for noise limits and specific types of development, and deletion of a planned commercial development, among other provisions.
Concerned Citizens Settlement to reign in the Pacific Amphitheatre which led to the closure of the Pacific Amphitheatre from 1995 to 2003 and imposed noise limits on the venue, among other provisions.
1996 Settlement with the City of Costa Mesa which imposes a cap of a 25,500 total persons on the property at any time outside of the annual OC Fair, requires the use of leased parking and shuttles to meet parking demands, limits development, and eliminated proposed hotel, restaurant and off track betting facility, among other provisions.
2012 Settlement with the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society to continue the noise limits on the Pacific Amphitheatre, require the use of a trained sound monitor, require a complaint monitoring system for noise complaints, and limit seating in the Pacific Amphitheatre to 8,500 seats, among other provisions.
What Is Going to Happen to the OC Fair if the Master Site Plan Proposals are Built?
02/13/2018
It is not clear if the OC Fair fits into the Master Site Plan proposals. Adding two and three story buildings with many football fields on space takes away space for the carnival, midway, food vendors, outdoor entertainment, and other stuff you enjoy at the OC Fair. Check out the overlays of the 2017 OC Fair and the Master Site Plan proposals.
Download OC Fair overlays of the Master Site Plan Proposals as a PDF file Download OC Fair Overlays
"Smart Farm"" Bill Includes Fairgrounds & Community Colleges - Opportunity for OC Fairgrounds & Orange Coast College
02/13/2018
A new Assembly bill, AB 2166 (Caballero) encourages community colleges and fairgrounds to collaborate on establishing "smart farms" on community college campuses and fairgrounds to provide regional agricultural businesses the opportunity to showcase up-to-date technology in real world practice. The OC Fairgrounds is across the street from Orange Coast Community College where there is an active horticulture program. Adding a new farm area at the OC Fairgrounds to showcase agricultural technology would be a benefit to the OC Fairgrounds, Orange Coast College, local agricultural businesses, and the community as a whole. Please ask your local Assemblymember, the OC Fair Board, and Orange Coast College to support this bill.
Download a copy of the bill as of Feb 13, 2018 Download Bill Text - AB-2166 California Farm Bill: agricultural technology
Track AB 2166 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Orange Coast College Board Contact Info
David A. Grant, President [email protected]
Mary Hornbuckle, Vice President [email protected]
Dr. Lorraine Prinsky, Clerk of the Board [email protected]
Jim Moreno, Trustee [email protected]
Jerry Patterson, Trustee [email protected]
Javier Venegas, Student Trustee [email protected]
Contact OC Fair Board via Summer Angus and ask Ms. Angus to foward the email to the Fair Board [email protected]
Contact your State Assmblymember http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
Where Can I Get a Copy of the 2018 OC Fairgrounds Budget?
02/11/2018
You can get a copy of the 2018 OC Fairgrounds budget here. Download 2018 Fairgrounds Budget
Revenues are shown in ($) while expenditures are shown as regular figures. Slides from the budget presentation are first, then the line item budget.
These are a couple of line items people have had questions about:
#4220 $3,721,500 in alcohol revenue at the OC Fair. This is the commission received on alcohol sales. Actual alcohol sales are estimated to be $9.3 million for 23 day OC Fair.
#4385 Camping Revenue $96,500 is paid by the carnival workers, vendors, concessionaires, and others exhibiting at the Fairgrounds who camp on site in trailers and RVs.
#4370, #4710, #4711 Parking revenues total $5,189,413 which is more revenue than #4355 Performance Admissions Revenue (Pac Amp, The Hangar, Action Sports Arena.)
#5101 Orange County Sheriff - Director Berardino directed Executive Management to reduce the $776,860 in the budget.
#5475 PR/Manager Functions $115,449 is the budgeted amount for the private nightly catered gourmet dinners for Fair Board members, their families, Executive Management, and business associates. The amount increased by nearly $7,000 from last year, but that's okay. It's the Sheriff's bill that needs to be cut.
Email your budget questions to CEO Kathy Kramer at [email protected]
Who’s Who at the Fairgrounds: Tandem
02/08/2018
Tandem, formerly known as California Performance Marketing Group (CPMG) was hired to sell premium space at the annual OC Fair (called Platinum Partners), sponsorships, and group ticket sales. In 2015, outside the view of the Public, a decision was made to eliminate the state employees selling year round event rentals and to outsource all year round event sales to Tandem.
Tandem is paid on commission and receives free office space at the OC Fairgrounds. The commission schedule is:
Sponsorship Sales
Cash from new sponsors, mobile marketing tours and premium space renters 15%
Cash from renewing sponsors, mobile marketing tours and premium space renters 8%
Sponsorship Trade
Budget-relieving trade, both new and renewing 3%
Incremental Cash
Incremental cash from renewing sponsors, mobile marketing tours, and premium space renters 15%
Event Sales
Cash from new events (rent only) 25%
Cash from first event renewal (rent only) 17%
Cash from subsequent event renewals (rent only) 8%
Group Ticket Sales
Cash from new group ticket sales (25 or more tickets) 15%
Cash from renewing group ticket sales (25 or more tickets) 8%
Tandem’s contract runs through 2018. Download Tandem Contract Amendments
Minnesota State Fair is Known for New & Innovative Food Offerings
02/03/2018
Innovative fair foods are eaten each and every day of the Minnesota State Fair. There is more to food at the Minnesota State Fair than just fried food or food on sticks. Breakfast bowls, eclairs, sandwiches, and sit down meals are featured. Here's what's new on the menu at the Minnesota State Fair. Info from 2017 may display until the 2018 info is posted, but you get the idea of what is being dished up!
What's Cooking at the Minnesota State Fair
How Does the OC Fair Compare to Other Fairs?
01/31/2018
OC Fair is the 8th largest fair in attendance in the US & Canada according to Carnival Warehouse News. Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is #1. San Diego County Fair (Del Mar, CA), Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto, Ontario Canada), and Eastern State Exposition (West Springfield, MA) are larger than the OC Fair. The 2017 OC Fair was larger than the LA County Fair (Pomona, CA), Iowa State Fair (Des Moine, IA) and Oklahoma State Fair (Oklahoma City, OK).