My fellow Fair lovers, it is 30 days til the gates open for the 88th  anniversary of the L.A. County Fair! That’s 30 days until a ride on the Ferris wheel, 30 days til you find out if your cookies won a blue ribbon, 30 days until you get to rock out at the End of Summer Concert Series and 30 days until my first Hot Dog on a Stick in almost a year! What’s really great is we have so many discounts and promotions, you should not have to pay full price to get in! It’s Pure.Value. my friends.

First off, on opening weekend - Labor Day Weekend - admission is $1 Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. One dollar! You can bring a carload of people for just 10 bucks. Prices do go up to regular weekend rates after 1 p.m. – so be there before 1!

Pre-sale tickets are available online for $10 for adults and $6 for children through Aug. 31. Pre-sale carnival ticket discounts are also available online. Check it out.

Perhaps the best thing we have to offer is the season pass. Just $24.95 for ages 6 and older – gets you in every day of the Fair!

Give blood and get a free Fair ticket. The American Red Cross and the Fair have their annual blood drives Aug. 20 and Sept. 14 at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel. Sign up at givelife.org and enter sponsor code fairmckinley.

Food Drive Fridays are back. Bring in five cans of Ralphs brand food on Fridays to the Fair and get into the Fair for free! All canned food will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

By the way, you can buy $10 any-day tickets at participating Ralphs grocery stores from Aug. 23 – Oct. 3. And get a coupon at McDonald’s for McDonald’s Wednesdays – $20 admission and unlimited ride carnival wristband (available beginning Aug. 30).

There’s also College Thursdays, Community Days, A Weekend for Heroes for law enforcement and retirement, Senior Wednesdays and $5 after 5 p.m. Wednesdays – Fridays.

See what I’m saying? If I bump into you during the Fair and you tell me you paid full price, you’re going to get my, “Really? Really?” look. And you don’t want that…

Applications for temporary jobs during the 2010 L.A. County Fair will be taken beginning Monday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Employment Development Department trailer at Fairplex Gate 7 on White Avenue in Pomona.

The EDD will be hiring for various positions for the Fair, and application hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 23-Sept. 3 and Wednesdays through Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Oct. 3. 

Applicants should plan on bringing a pen, valid ID, along with a bottle of water, as warm weather is expected.

Did you know carrots aren’t just orange? They can be black (actually deep purple), pink, and white. And mint can come in all kinds of flavors, including chocolate mint. Imagine, a candy bar in a leaf … delish!

That’s just what about 50 kids from Pomona Hope, a local non-profit community organization, learned when they visited FarmView Farms’ garden at Fairplex on Tuesday afternoon. 

FairView Farms not only spotlights agriculture, but will feature Western Days & Rodeo Nights with all kinds of fast-paced action at this year’s L.A. County Fair, Sept. 4-Oct. 3. 

Emily Peine, director of programs at Pomona Hope Community Center, organized the field trip. Pomona Hope has its own community garden in which the children help out, all under the supervision of lead gardener Drew Rushlow, who helped set up the visit. 

Don DeLano, Fairplex landscape supervisor, led a tour through the garden for the children and their teen and adult leaders. The group saw an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables growing on the 1/4-acre farm – lots of lettuces, herbs (thyme, dill, tarragon, chives, and more), radishes, peppers, chili peppers, eggplant, tomatoes (of all colors and sizes), squash, peaches, olives, and so much more. 

Many of those vegetables became ingredients for the al fresco dinner the group enjoyed after the tour. David Tieg, head chef at McKinley’s Grill at the Fairplex Sheraton, regularly harvests seasonal fruits and vegetables from the garden to offer the freshest ingredients on his diverse restaurant menu. 

Garden guests enjoyed grilled eggplant, squash and tomatoes; a green salad packed with just-harvested veggies and a tomato salad using several varieties of the red fruit; carnitas; hand-made corn tortillas grilled on the spot; refried beans and rice; all topped off by a peach crisp dessert using juicy fruits right off of trees in the FairView Farms orchard. 

Not only were little tummies full of delicious fresh foods by the end of the evening, young minds were full of ideas for their own gardens.

See more photos of all the fun on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lacountyfair.

When you visit the L.A. County Fair this year, you’ll notice something is a little different. Actually, a LOT of things are different! We’ve been building, moving, grading, shifting and lifting many things around the grounds to make all areas of the Fair easier for our guests to navigate. We are shaping up beautifully and I think you are going to love the results! It’s like we went to a 12-month Day Spa and came back refreshed and ready to greet our more than one million guests.

The first big change you’ll notice is the carnival has moved a bit southeast. It will be located closer to the center of the fairgrounds, in between the Flower & Garden Pavilion and the grandstand. The Grandstand Pavilion shopping area and the bbqs and spas have moved to make way for the carnival. The fabulous Ray Cammack Shows carnival will be back again for its 26th year with all the great rides, games and food you’ve come to enjoy – just in a new locale!

For all you shopaholics like me, we’ve located all the shopping in one convenient spot – the Shopping Place. This isn’t completely new. The Shopping Place has always been located in the shopping buildings. But now ALL products and vendors will be in that neighborhood, including along the thoroughfares between the buildings. There will be the Shopping Shuttle Express, presented by Jeffrey Scott Fine Magnetics, that will take shoppers from Yellow Gate and back. The Grandstand Pavilion was removed to make way for the carnival, so all vendors who were in the pavilion are now at the Shopping Place.

The Sunset Cabana is gone, replaced by Outdoor Living, were all the spas and bbqs will be located. This is located on Broadway, near the clock tower.

A Pirate’s Life has moved to behind the Shopping Place, near Red Gate. Esmeralda’s Traveling Circus, a new attraction, will be on Redwood Street. Behind the circus will be the new Gypsy Camp, near the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Red Gate entrance. The camp will be full of unusual and strange sights to behold!

See? Lots of new things in new settings. I know you will love it! Forty-four days!

Part art gallery, part history museum, the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts again puts art in an historical perspective with the 2010 L.A. County Fair exhibit From the Industrial Age to the Computer Age . . . Three Centuries of Artistic Innovation.

The Industrial Revolution changed not only how the world worked in agriculture, manufacturing and transport, but also affected everyday life and the arts.

You’ll feel like you’re visiting the Smithsonian as this exhibit transports you through time from the early 1700s to the 20th Century. Working models of landmark technologies – the steam engine, the printing press, photography, and more – show how new materials, such as stainless steel, titanium, plastics, synthetic fibers, and acrylics revolutionized art and expression. There’s also going to be a 1/2-scale model of the Wright Brothers bi-plane (with a 25-foot wingspan!) that ushered in the era of flight.

“We’re looking at the art of invention and what the new methods and products of the Industrial Revolution did to change the lives of artists and ways to create art,” said Tony Sheets, curator of the MSCAF.

Fairguests will enjoy art-making up close as 40 artists-in-residence use many of those once-revolutionary materials for demonstrations in glasswork, weaving, printmaking, painting, ceramics and sculpture every day. Kids can express themselves artistically in the craft room set aside each year with the materials and assistance necessary for young and old to explore their imaginations.

Get more details about From the Industrial Age to the Computer Age . . . Three Centuries of Artistic Innovation at lacountyfair.com.

The L.A. County Fair wants your blood, literally! We are partnering with the American Red Cross to hold our third annual Fair Blood Drive. All donors receive a free ticket to the Fair! Save a life, celebrate at the Fair. It’s a win-win situation for all!

The first of two blood drives will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20 at the Sheraton Fairplex hotel, 601 W. McKinley Ave, in Pomona, right on the grounds of the Fair. To make an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code fairmckinley. Donors will also receive a coupon for a free treat at Cold Stone Creamery and two complimentary VIP tickets to the Laugh Factory.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.

All right now! Bad Company has joined the End of Summer Concert Series at the L.A. County Fair, set to perform on Saturday, Oct. 2. Bad Company tickets will go on sale to EOSCS members on July 22 and to the general public on July 25.

The classic rock English band is known for its hits “Rock and Roll Fantasy” and “Ready For Love” and a ton more! Paul Rodgers has been named as one of the finest voices in rock and roll and a great songwriting talent. He has even branched out and has been the featured lead singer with Queen bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor.

This is sure to be a big night at the Grandstand, so get your tickets soon. I will definitely see you there!

How about spending a fun, action-packed day at the horse races with an intimate group of friends? The L.A. County Fair’s Day at the Races offers packages for groups as small as 10 people to come out and enjoy the races, dine on a delicious buffet lunch and get a group shot in the winner’s circle.

You don’t have to have a large group to enjoy this special day at the Fair and racetrack (although we can accommodate groups up to 300 people, so if you have a big family or want to treat your employees, we can handle that, too!).

Contact our Advance Sales department at (909) 865-4094 to book your day. Want to impress your future in-laws? Maybe you just want an afternoon with your buddies or gal pals. Celebrate a bachelor party or even a baby shower! A Day at the Races is a unique opportunity to celebrate any occasion. Prices start at $35.

Have you seen one of the wrapped Fair vehicles driving down the street? We have several Toyota vehicles, the official vehicle of the L.A. County Fair, wrapped in colorful Fair decor.

You’ll see more of them as we get closer to the Fair and as our street team hit more community events. Stop and say “Hi” and grab some Fair freebies.

The lineup for the End of Summer Concert Series was announced over the weekend. Did you get your tickets? We have a great series, brought to by our friends at Toyota. You’ve been waiting – here it is:
• Saturday, Sept. 4 – ASA World Championships of Freestyle Motocross
• Sunday, Sept. 5 – Teena Marie, Heatwave and Lenny Williams
• Monday, Sept. 6 – Lifehouse, Carolina Liar, Alana Grace
• Thursday, Sept. 9 – Monster Truck Madness
• Friday, Sept. 10 – Rick Springfield
• Saturday, Sept. 11 – Gretchen Wilson
• Sunday, Sept. 12 – Darius Rucker
• Thursday, Sept. 16 – Creedence Clearwater Revisited
• Friday, Sept. 17– Tower of Power & Average White Band
• Saturday, Sept. 18 – Selena Gomez And the Scene
• Sunday, Sept. 19 – MARIACHI USA® Fiesta
• Thursday, Sept. 23 – Boyz II Men and En Vogue
• Friday, Sept. 24 – WAR
• Saturday, Sept. 25 – 70’s Soul Jam featuring The Stylistics and Friends
• Sunday, Sept. 26 – Happy Together Tour – 25th Anniversary, with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Grass Roots featuring Rob Grill, Micky Dolenz, The Buckinghams and Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders.
• Thursday, Sept. 30 – Demolition Derby presented by Jeffrey Scott® Fine Magnetics
• Friday, Oct. 1 – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Saturday, Oct. 2 – TBA
• Sunday, Oct. 3 – 3OH!3  

Reserved seating is available from $18.50 to $25, box seats from $22.50 to $45 and stageside seating from $75 to $125. Limited general admission seating is free with Fair admission, except for Selena Gomez (general admission tix for her show are $15). Tickets may be purchased at the Fairplex credentials office, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, at Ticketmaster locations and online at www.ticketmaster.com. The Fairplex credentials office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  (closed between 1 and 2 p.m.).

See you in the grandstand!