The San Diego County Fair is a beloved tradition amongst many San Diegans. With fair food, rides, and countless concerts, there is hardly a dull moment once entering the faigrounds.
The “Race to the Fair” starts on Friday, June 10, marking the Seventy-fifth anniversary of the fair, and they will be celebrating automobiles for twenty-two days with exhibits, according to the Official San Diego County Fair Website. The final day will be July 4, 2011, ending with a Fourth of July firework Spectacular (sdfair.com).
The main car-themed exhibit Crusin’ California, located in the Activity Center, will feature many historical and modern day cars on display for the viewing of visitors. This exhibit will display star cars such as the Ectomobile from the movie Ghostbusters, and “The General Lee” (Dodge Charger driven by the Duke Cousins Bo and Luke in The Dukes of Hazzard). Also featured will be woodies, muscle cars, and even low riders (sdfair.com).
The San Diego County Fair attracts many people because of the famous deep fried food. Every Tuesday, customers will have the opportunity to purchase a taster portion of the featured fair food item for two dollars at each food booth. As well as Taste of the Fair Tuesdays, there will also be Penny Saver Value Days every Friday, when fairgoers will receive a coupon book at the entrance that offers discounts at sixty booths. According to the Fair website, these special days are a great way to save money on food while at the fair (sdfair.com).
Rides seem to be a tradition amongst the common fair go-er. In order to save money and spend less on ride tickets, patrons can go to the fair on Pepsi Pay-One-Price on Ride Days, every Wednesday and Thursday. Rides normally cost three to six tickets each, but on these special days, people can purchase a wristband for all-day riding.
Every evening concert will be held at the Grand Stand. Many of these concerts have free unreserved seating on the floor level directly in front of the stage. Bands such as Neon Trees, Big Time Rush, and Switchfoot will all be playing free concerts throughout the course of the fair, according to the official San Diego County Fair website (sdfair.com).
Students in UC’s yearbook program, the Arts Tech Academy, and journalism, along with other Centurion writers and artists, have entered the Student Showcase competitionat the San Diego County Fair. The Student Showcase is an opportunity for students across San Diego County to display their work and compete for ribbons and awards. These featured art pieces include paintings, sculptures, magazines, photos, yearbooks, and newspapers, according to fair website (sdfair.com).
“In the past years, we haven’t done as well in the fair as we should have, but we have received many first places. The yearbook advisors who act as the judges have a very standard idea of what a yearbook should look like. There is nothing wrong with their idea, but if you try to do something different, the judges won’t always agree with what you tried as being proper format. The fair is great, but it’s not the only competition we enter the yearbook in,” said Yearbook Advisor Jim McCarthy. Journalism Advisor Susan Bristol agrees: “We always get ribbons, but the first place usually goes to the schools who can afford 24 page color papers. We are proud of the writing and editing for our paper, and we take their opinion with a grain of salt. And we love the free fair tickets that come along with entering!”
“We are going to win everything; we’re going to take it all! This is the best yearbook by far. I’ve been in yearbook for all four years plus at Standley. This yearbook is a culmination of everything I have learned over the years. So this is the best yearbook we could have possibly made,” said Senior Jake Maskiewicz.
According to Digital Technology Instructor for the Arts Tech Academy Brad Milhoan, the Arts Tech Academy juniors are entering a graphic design group project into the Student Showcase. This entry into the Fair is a magazine entitled “Modern Generation.”