What is in store for the L.A. County Fair this year?
Is it a journey to an enchanted world? A dive into unknown waters? An escape into an exotic forest? A trek into the realms of sci-fi?
Stay tuned… Our creative juices are flowing and the adventures have just begun…
Hot Blog On A Stick wishes all its readers a Happy April Fools Day! May you be as un-gullible as possible in your daily endeavors 
Fairplex was featured in the new Subway commercial this month! Although not recognizable at first, the commercial was shot in our Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) AXC facility, located down near the carnival grounds. Check it out:
Is it too early to start a countdown?
Maybe so, but time flies around here! Before you know it you’ll be craving Fair food and wanting to take a turn on the Ferris wheel.
Check back here throughout the year for updates on our newest exhibits, Fair deals, sneak previews of what we are doing in preparation for the Fair and more!
What are you excited to experience at L.A. County Fair 2013?
Sure, the Fair is still six months away but it’s not too early to be thinking of entering your best cookie or salsa recipe or your best photograph into one of our fun & exciting contests and competitions. Entries are open for all categories in Culinary Styles, Tapestry and America’s Kids. You look great in blue (ribbon, that is), so what are you waiting for?
Culinary Styles features preserved foods, baked goods and several specialty categories like cheesecake recipe, all-American pie, BBQ, cupcakes and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Every year the judges have a blast tasting all the goodies, and Fairguests love seeing who runs away with a first place. Deadlines for entry are:
Tapestry, which includes jewelry, arts & crafts, needle art and photography, has a June 25 deadline.
America’s Kids is themed A Living Library of Fun (part 2) – a continuation of last year’s fun adventure where books came to life. Competitions include magic shoes (turn an ordinary pair of shoes into something spectacular), build a model hot air balloon, creative cakes, build a scarecrow, crafts, writing and so much more. Deadline for America’s Kids competitions is June 27.
Details, including rules & regulations and entry forms, for all the contests and competitions can be found at lacountyfair.com.
Ok, ready, set – cook and create!
Chelsea Nicole Photography
County fairs can be romantic too, you know!
Think about it: sunny days, starry nights, carnival rides and memories being made…
Follow the jump to see who decided to do an engagement shoot at the 2012 L.A. County Fair!
And so we end another Fair….and a great one it was! Thank you all for coming to our party. We enjoyed having you. What a way to celebrate our 90th anniversary! Here are some take-aways from this year:
You helped make all this happen -so thanks again. Thanks, too, for reading Hot Blog on a Stick. We had a ton of fun giving away tickets and T-shirts. Keep reading us and pencil in the Fair for next year, Aug. 30-Sept. 29.
We are in full Fall mode and more than looking forward to crisp autumn evenings, hot chocolate, football and the holiday season. For those of you who are suffering from PFDS (Post-Fair Depression Syndrome) don’t fear! The rides may be down, the exhibits packed away and the deep-fried food devoured, but there are still plenty of happenings going on at Fairplex!
Just a few as we close up 2012…
1. SoCal College Fair: Brought to you by The Learning Centers at Fairplex, this event is a great way to jump start you (or your child’s) college career. Come talk to dozens of colleges, learn about the admissions process, enjoy food, beverages and games and get an idea of what to expect next year.
2. 
Oktoberfest: We’re putting a little rock n’ roll flavor to this traditional German celebration with “Rock”tober fest. Come out to the fairgrounds for some games, beer, German food, oom-pah-pah music AND a fantastic cover band each weekend! DSB, Queen Nation and Sounds of Santana will be taking turns rocking out on stage.
3. Neighborhood Halloween Party: Bring the kids out for a fun night of hanging out in the pumpkin patch, face painting, games and prizes, crafts, food and of course, lots of candy! Stop by on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. for this fun, free event.
From the first weekend of the Fair we have had non-stop food competitions, from the Ghirardelli chocolate creations to cupcake mixtures, from grilled cheese recipes to BBQ cook-offs, the list goes on and on. Sadly, the fun had to end this afternoon but we had some fun with pizza and salad!
Peggy Linberg from Upland took first in the pizza category with her four-cheese arugula and pine nuts recipe while Montebello resident Joanne Magno took second prize with her sausage and pepper mixture. Lauren Jarvis placed third with his smoked salmon, dill and goat cheese pizza.
The salad competition was a unique blend of flavors from every entry. The three categories were pasta, vegetarian and meat salads. Peggy placed first in the vegetarian category with her Mediterranean quinoa salad, served in a lettuce bowl. First place in the pasta category went to Lauren Jarvis for his beautiful oriental pasta salad and George Rametta placed first in the meat category for his rasberry asada steak salad, mixed with avocado and feta cheese.
All in all, the final food competition was the perfect end to the Fair, mixing the sinfully cheesy pizzas with the refreshing flavors of salad. Personally, my favorite competition to watch was the Ghirardelli one. You just can’t beat the sweet scent of chocolate! Each event featured an incredibly large pool of talent and creativity, however. I wonder what next year will bring…
We love you so much, and we don’t want to see you go! Yes, today is our last day but we want to continue the party for a little while longer – we are, again, staying open an extra hour today. The Fair will close at 11 p.m. tonight.
As I said yesterday, that’s one more hour for another deep-fried goodie. If you haven’t visited the animals in Mojo’s African Safari, take a look. Get that last minute Christmas shopping done. Take one last ride on the Ferris wheel.
Thanks for everything this year. It’s been fun. But it’s not over yet!