I don't connect to American Culture. I've never felt "American," been "proud to be an American," or felt any sort of pride or attachment to "my country". Even the mere thought of being attached to a mass of land where I was born seems strange to me. In fact, most of the time I'm embarrassed to be American. A lot of the traditions, trajectories, ideals are so dissimilar from my world view. I've noticed that when I travel to a foreign country, I prefer when they think I'm a local.
Sometimes I do get defensive when people bad-mouth LA. I've heard that all born and raised in Los Angeles are superficial, materialistic ego-maniacs, and so I put my dukes up, because, of course, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I would hope that I don't possess those traits. But aside from occasionally sticking up for "The City of Angeeelllls" (valley girl voice), I've never really felt any connection to American people or Californians. I do like that we speak the same language, though. At least literally. Actually more and more people don't speak English here. So nevermind.
Anyway, when I heard of the OC Fair, I thought it might be fun to dig deep into some rul' American tradition. Eat some unhealthy fried food, watch some pig races, and go on carnival rides. It seemed fun to me because it's not something I would normally do. The only fairs I'd been to were the ones my elementary school would put up once a year, and those were very upscale and had themes. I'd never been to a down and dirty, grungy, come one, come all, get your American on, apple-pie-eating contest County Fair.
So...off we went to the OC Fair. To get red, white, and blue.
After driving the 30 minutes on the freeway, we parked in the expansive lot, purchased our $11 tickets and entered the Fair area...which was...another expansive lot. The fair was HUGE. Luckily we had a map on hand, which also described the different events, activities, stands, etc. (Later I found out, if you arrive early, tickets are only $2! There are also discounts for military (of course - very American), seniors, and children. No student discounts :(
Upon entering, we went to get some greasy grub. My county fair companion got a corn dog from Hot Dog on A Stick, and after much debate and walking back and forth (the food options are overwhelming - and many of the vendors have the same type of food, so it was hard to pick which one might be best! agh! paradox of choice!), I got a hot dog from Mustard's which was rated "best hot dog place on the fairway". It was definitely not the best hot dog I've ever had (not that I'm a hot dog connoisseur), and it didn't come fresh off the grill. They make a bunch at one time, foil them up, and then serve them. But it was satisfactory.
I also got a really really tasty corn on the cob, or more like a husk of corn from The Corn Shack. There were options for all different kinds of spices and toppings, but I just got good ol' fashioned Corn with some butter. It was scrumptious. We both got Lemonade from Squeezers Old Fashioned Lemonade Stand, which was conveniently shaped like a lemon and situated throughout the fairgrounds. If you bought a special cup, you could get "cheaper" refills throughout the day. One problem I did have with the fair was how expensive everything was - it's like Disneyland! The most expensive place on earth. Well not that expensive...but plan to spend a lot of dough on fried dough. Wow, my puns are out of control.
After we ate, we went on the high swings. The ride cost $5 (so if you plan on going on a lot of rides, each costs about $5 per person), and it was exhilarating, fun, but very quick. It was the classic rotating swing ride, but much higher, and we got a great view of the entire fair.
Once we finished whirling around, we went to the product fair, which is basically the love child of a flea market and an airport terminal. There were tons of small stores that sold random trinkets that you could probably buy somewhere else and for cheaper. But, we did find a really cute boutique. I bought a belt and a bracelet for a reasonable price...though my bracelet did break 2 weeks later. SAD FACE.
My favorite part of the day: THE ALASKAN PIG RACE! My first ever animal race of any kind. To some it might have been anti-climactic, and the small stadium was definitely laden with youngsters, but I found it delightful and fun. The piglets were incredibly endearing, especially the little ones that attempted to jump over the hurtles that were set for them. The pig race was led by two boyish gentlemen who were filled with corny humor. I found the names of the pigs to be the most entertaining: Natalie PORTman, Justin BeiBOAR, Chavunist Pig...you get the picture. Just plain adorable. Here's a video from the race:
Last, but certainly not least...DESSERT. We had to get dessert. There was a huge array of nasty treats: fried oreos, twinkies, churros, chocolates, funnel cake, cotton candy, etc. I opted for a bag of cut up churros from "Apple Fries" which was a Mexican Funnel Cake place that had a variety of fried treats. The churros were delicious, and tasted super fresh (if that's possible). My friend got a funnel cake from a funnel cake stand, and it was devoured in its entirety.
As we were leaving I stopped and got shaved ice - 2 flavors - blue cherry and mango. Mmm.
When I got home, I crashed. Fatigued from walking around in the heat and from all the sugar and fried food! But overall, it was a day very much well spent :) Recommend.
Sidenote: I found that despite the fun, there was this weird plastic, brightly colored eeriness that kind of took over, which, I think, reinforces why Carnivals are often pictured in movies. See if you feel that way too.
Learn more about the OC Fair here: http://ocfair.com/2012/index.asp
It ends August 13, so be sure to check out the calendar of events to pick the perfect day for you! And bring cash! ATM charge is $3.
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