The L.A. Pet Fair, the largest pet expo and sale open to the public, keeps getting bigger and bigger. Three shows – Pet Expo USA, APEX – The Aquarium & Pond Expo, and Reptile Super Show – will be taking over three buildings here at Fairplex, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. One ticket lets you into all three.

Just added is Vladae, The Russian Dog Wizard, an international star in the dog training field. He’ll be at Pet Expo USA in Fairplex 6. Vladae speaks five languages, one of them “doglish.” People call him “The Russian Dog Wizard,” a miracle worker, or just “Vladae 911″ because he is able to help with their dogs when others fail.

Vladae will be joining other celebrities at Pet Expo USA, including Shorty Rossi of Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss,” Linda Blair, founder of the WorldHeart Foundation; Larry Thomas (the “Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld”), Mackenzie Phillips, Megan Blake, and Max Wasa. And there will be plenty of four-legged celebrities, too. For more info, check out petexpousa.net.

APEX – The Aquarium & Pond Expo in Fairplex 7 will be literally a “Water World” with fresh-water, salt-water, and outdoor pond displays. Fish, coral and plants will be available for sale, along with dry goods and equipment. The APEX FinZone has a marine animal touch tank for kids of all ages. More info: aquariumpondexpo.com.

Reptile Super Show in Fairplex 9 offers thousands of lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs along with all the supplies and accessories. More than 200 vendors from all over the world will feature the largest selection of captive-bred reptiles and amphibians. Visitors can learn from experts about breeding reptiles (with eggs hatching during the show). Huge snakes and even a two-headed turtle will be showcased. Find out more at reptilesupershow.com.

A two-day pass is available Saturday for $20 for adults, $12 for ages 12 and under. One-day admission is $12 for adults, $8 for ages 12 and under. Attendees will receive a coupon for $5 admission good any weekday of the Fair.

Learn more at lapetfair.com or call (619) 281-PETS.

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’ community garden Tuesday afternoon.

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/fairplex.

Fairplex will be the center of the ever-lovin’ pet universe the weekend of Aug. 7 and 8 when the L.A. Pet Fair presents three shows – Pet Expo USA, Reptile Super Show and APEX Aquarium & Pond Expo. It’s open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

You get to enjoy all these shows for just one admission price – $12 for adults, $8 for ages 12 and younger (and you’ll get a special discount admission to the L.A. County Fair, too).

Pets that swim, fly, crawl, walk, jump or slither will be showcased. The latest pet paraphernalia, celebrity appearances, numerous drawings for products, and several adoption organizations make this show a must-see. Plenty of entertainment will also be part of the show, so bring the family (but please don’t bring your pets, they’re not allowed).

Pet Expo USA presents all things dogs, cats, equine and more in Fairplex 6. Celebrity appearances include Shorty Rossi of Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss,” actors-animal advocates Linda Blair, Larry Thomas (the “Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld”), Mackenzie Phillips Megan Blake and Max Wasa. Talented four-legged entertainers include skateboarding bulldogs, dancing dog teams, “Chopper” the Biker Dog and exotic animal shows.

Fairplex 7 will be home to APEX – The Aquarium & Pond Expo, offering fresh- and salt-water aquariums, planted aquariums, outdoor ponds, fish, coral, plants, plenty of family fun and more.

The Reptile Super Show takes over Fairplex 9 with thousands of lizards, frogs, snakes, turtles, and supplies. More than 200 vendors from all over the world will offer the largest selection of captive bred reptiles and amphibians, and experts will discuss topics such as reptile breeding (and you can watch eggs as they hatch).

Learn more L.A. Pet Fair at www.lapetfair.com or call (619) 281-PETS.

Actually, the dogs are coming to us. More than 8,000 dogs will be here at Fairplex by tomorrow for a howlin’ good time at the annual Mission Circuit Dog Show. The show is a Memorial Day weekend tradition with 160 breeds represented. Who will get crowned best of show? Well, come on over and find out.

The show is open to the public and admission is free. It is a sanctioned dog show, so canoodling, or is that canine-oodling, with the dogs is not allowed. But admiring from a few feet away is, so come out, and if you are researching a dog, see what breed is to your liking. The American Kennel Club will be here throughout the holiday weekend offering tips on dog care, training and how to choose the best dog for your family. Several vendors are here selling the finest in doggie delights, from beds to colors to carriers.

I was out there earlier today and saw a couple competitions. The Neapolitan Mastiff (above left) was fascinating – big, huge, but the young female pup (who was ginormous already) was very graceful. However, I fell in love with the West Highland White Terrier (above right), who was so incredibly cute!!

If you do, there is a great show this weekend you do not want to miss. The West Coast Historical Militaria Collectors Show is Friday and Saturday here at Fairplex. There will be more than 100 vendors with 300 tables full of military antiques and collectibles from all time periods and countries.

You can find a vast array of artifacts, uniforms, gear, books, edged weapons, trench art, artwork, photos and so much more. Special with this show is costumes and props that will be available from the HBO WWII mini-series The Pacific. Sacred Sword Inc. will be here with props and Eastern Costume will have uniforms and gear from the show.

Admission is $7 for adults, $2 for kids. The show is very interesting and can be an eye-opening history lesson for kids.

When I was a kid, my sister would sit and watch (and scream and yell for) the L.A. Thunderbirds in roller skating action. It was a big deal at our house. Now, I can get my kids screaming for the same fast-paced rink action with the L.A. FireBirds, live here at Fairplex. The FireBirds, the progeny of the Thunderbirds, play their home games right here in Pomona – and it’s action you won’t want to miss. They play the Eastern Chiefs for the first of two games this Saturday.

All games are sanctioned by the American Roller Skating Derby. With the banked rink, there is always alot of high-speed fun. Prices are pretty reasonable and you may even find discount tickets on Goldstar.com. So, grab the kids and come out to Fairplex Saturday night to root on the FireBirds!! For more info, go to firebirds-rollerderby.com.

The Schools’ Agriculture and Nutrition Fair begins this week, meaning you can come out to Fairplex and learn about hydroponics, beneficial insects, farming  and how food gets from seeds to the supper table.

Thousands of individual students and collective classrooms have submitted projects for the fair. The purpose of the Fair is to teach students the importance of agriculture and nutrition. The 48th District Agriculture Association is open year-round to provide teachers with information to use in their classroom.

This year special guest Trent Loos will visit the fair on Wednesday. Loos is a real cowboy/farmer who travels the country advocating for agriculture. He also has his own satellite television show and radio program.

Bring the kids out and discover the world of agriculture. Check our Web site for times.

More than a thousand students will make their way to Fairplex next week to celebrate all things Agriculture for the Schools’ Agriculture and Nutrition Fair, April 20-24. Students have entered projects on hydroponics, quilting, paintings, birdhouses, terrariums, horticulture, mission models and more. They will compete in a spelling bee and other activities while they are here. Special guest is Trent Loos, a true American cowboy and farmer who advocates for agriculture and farming through his satellite show and radio program.

This event attracts students, families, educators and community members to celebrate the achievements of local students (pre-K through high school) and teachers, and to educate the attendees about the importance of agriculture and nutrition to California. It is sponsored by the state of California’s 48th District Agricultural Association.

It’s open to the public so stop by and check out all the great entries and displays. We need to remember what an important role agriculture plays in California. The hours of the Ag and Nutrition Fair are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The San Dimas Ride for Life has organized a unique way to raise money for the American Cancer Society – horseback riding. Instead of walking in a Relay for Life, equestrians will ride their horses for a 10-hour ride-a-thon at Fairplex this Saturday for cancer support.

The public is welcome to come out to Fairplex’s horse arenas to cheer on the riders. There will be free demonstrations and games involving the horses for spectators to enjoy. Opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. with closing ceremonies at 7 p.m. So far, 57 riders and their horses are signed up.

Riders and the public can participate in the Remember ceremony. Lavendar ribbons to remember a cancer survivor or someone lost to cancer will be available for $10. The ribbons can be decorated. Riders will take the ribbons into the arena, ride for one lap, then place the ribbon in one of several vases in the center of the ring. After all ribbons are placed in the arena all riders simultaneously stop for 60 seconds, then reverse direction, in silence, to symbolize we are all changing direction, turning to Fight Back.

Ride for Life will also have an open mic available for survivors and caregivers to tell their story.

What a great event and a wonderful way to encourage cancer survivors and remembers those who’ve died. Organizer Bob Hardcastle said he hopes to grow the event in the coming years, with more riders and more activities.

In the meantime, come out to Fairplex on Saturday, fight against cancer and pet a horse. Bring chairs and goodies to munch on. If it rains, the riders will move to the covered horse arena.

There will be plenty of Irish eyes walking around Fairplex this weekend, or Irish Village, as we will be known Saturday and Sunday. The 8th annual Los Angeles County Irish Fair and Music Festival arrives with lots of food, music, art and cultural activities to celebrate the Emerald Isle.  Whether you are 100 percent Irish or claim to be just for the weekend, the Irish Fair offers fun for everyone.

I’ve been several times and I can tell you you won’t find greater traditional music outside of Ireland itself. From Celtic music to popular Irish pub bands strumming the sound-alike chords of native sons U2, there are eight stages throughout the Irish Village to keep you entertained. Don’t miss Dublin 4 and Wrath of McGrath. The Emerald Society Pipes and Drum Band is made up of Los Angeles police employees.

In true Irish tradition, storytellers will weave tales of yore for young and old. Stop by to listen to True Thomas, Merlin the Magician and Bill Howard – all tale tellers extraordinaire. Don’t miss Leprechaun Village with games and a petting zoo. Also, there will be sheep herding demonstrations in the barn.

Get ready to stomp your feet and clap your hands to keep beat with the Cripple Creek Cloggers. They, along with a few other dance troupes, will display traditional Irish dancing.

With St. Patrick’s Day in a few weeks, now is the time to order a pint of Guinness and drink to one of the world’s all-time favorite saints. Add some authentic Irish food to that, too. Try out the bangers and mash (sausage and mash potatoes), Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, and fish and chips. Yum!

Check out the Web site, www.la-irishfair.com for more info. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $16 for seniors and students with valid ID, and children 11 and younger are free. A two-day ticket is $28. And, on Saturday, if your last name is Murphy, you get in free (ID required).

The Irish Fair goes on rain or shine. I’ve been to the Fair in the rain and it just makes the day more authentic! So don’t let the rain stop you!!