Media/Press Contact: Robin Wachner, Communications Department, (714) 708-1543

2012 OC Fair Starts First Full Week with Adam Lambert, Extreme Rodeo and OC Fair Chowdown Contest

Costa Mesa, Calif. (July 16, 2012) – The fun continues at the 2012 OC Fair with the first full week of summer activities and concerts. Along with gourmet food trucks on Thursdays and new, outrageous offerings like deep-fried cereal and PB&J, there’s the epic OC Fair Chowdown: Restaurant Chef vs. Food Truck Chef contest, where visiting chefs (Pascal Olhats vs. The Burnt Truck) take their cuisine head-to-head to prove who’s the tastiest at the Fair. Also, be sure to check out musical performances by Adam Lambert, Bachman & Turner and Young The Giant. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday).

Here are just some of the events going on this week (July 18-22) at the 2012 OC Fair:

Wednesday, July 18 (Open noon-midnight)

• Scotty McCreery/Attwater in the Pacific Amphitheatre (8:15 pm)
• Purple Reign – THE Prince Tribute Show in The Hangar (8:30 pm)
• Extreme Rodeo in the Action Sports Arena (8 pm)
• We Care Wednesday Food Drive – free admission and one carnival ride with donation of five (5) non-perishable food items (Noon-4 pm)
• $30 Unlimited Rides & 2 Free Games (Sold until 5 pm and valid until 8 pm)

Thursday, July 19 (Open noon-midnight)

• Adam Lambert in the Pacific Amphitheatre (7:45 pm)
• Queen Nation – A Tribute to the Music of Queen in The Hangar (8:30 pm)
• Bull Riding in the Action Sports Arena (8 pm)
• Kids Day – Children 12 and younger are free all day
• $30 Unlimited Rides & 2 Free Games (Sold until 5 pm and valid until 8 pm)
• Food Truck Fare at the 2012 OC Fair: Grub on gourmet food truck fare from Noon-10 pm inside the Fair. Access is free with Fair admission. OC Fair Chowdown: Restaurant Chef vs. Food Truck Chef (3:30 pm)

Friday, June 20 (Open noon-midnight)

• Bachman & Turner/Foghat in the Pacific Amphitheatre (7:30 pm)
• The Cured – The Cure Tribute Experience in The Hangar (8:30 pm)
• Extreme Rodeo in the Action Sports Arena (8 pm)
• Seniors Day – $6 admission for guests 60 and older plus free regular Ferris wheel and merry-go-round rides all day
• $2 Taste of Fair Food – Sample Fair favorites for $2 per sample (Noon-4 pm)
• $2 Rides & Games (Until 4 pm)
• OC Fair Express – Receive a coupon for $2 Fair admission for that day when using a special direct route from8 different OCTA transit locations. $1.50 for one-way and $3 for round-trip. Visit octa.com/ocfairexpress for transit locations and times.

Saturday, June 21 (Open 10 am-midnight)

• Cody Simpson/Madasen McGrath in the Pacific Amphitheatre (8:15 pm)
• The Joshua Tree – A Tribute to U2 in The Hangar (8:30 pm)
• Bull Riding in the Action Sports Arena (8 pm)
• Rise & Shine – $2 admission (10 am-11 am)
• Jr. Livestock Auction in the Livestock Show Ring starting 9:30 am showcases the efforts of local 4-H and FFA youth participants.
• Free Parking & Shuttle Service from the Experian parking structure located off the Bristol Street exit of the northbound I-405 and the Avenue of the Arts exit of the southbound I-405. Hours of operation: 10 am-midnight.

OC Fair Express – Receive a coupon for $2 Fair admission for that day when using a special direct route from 7 different OCTA transit locations. $1.50 for one-way and $3 for round-trip. Visit octa.com/ocfairexpress for transit locations and times.
Culinary Arts Home Sweet Cookies Competition – Judged live at the Fair in the Exhibit Promenade, Fairgoers will see who bakes the best classic cookie (1 pm) Online pre-registration is due by Wednesday, June 18. Open to ages 5-18.

Sunday, June 22 (Open 10 am-midnight)

• Young The Giant/The Steelwells in the Pacific Amphitheatre (7:30 pm)
• Tenth Avenue North in The Hangar (8:15 pm)
• Fiesta del Charro in the Action Sports Arena (7 pm)
• Rise & Shine – $2 admission (10 am-11 am)

Free Parking & Shuttle Service from the Experian parking structure located off the Bristol Street exit of the northbound I-405 and the Avenue of the Arts exit of the southbound I-405. Hours of operation: 10 am-midnight.

OC Fair Express – Receive a coupon for $2 Fair admission for that day when using a special direct route from 7 different OCTA transit locations. $1.50 for one-way and $3 for round-trip. Visit octa.com/ocfairexpress for transit locations and times.

Throughout the 2012 OC Fair (July 13-August 12), Fairgoers can also enjoy:

• Heroes Get in Free: Free admission each day for active duty and veteran military with appropriate ID.
• Read & Ride Program: Children (ages 5-11) who read and submit a two-book report form available on ocfair.com receive three free carnival rides. Visit ocfair.com for the form and instructions on submitting.
• Free Exhibits and Events: Chocolate Unwrapped: Beans, Bars & Bon Bons in the Exhibit Promenade; all-day Let Freedom Ring Exhibit in Park Plaza & daily Salute to Heroes presentation in The Hangar at 8:20 pm; Museum of Neon Art in the Visual Arts Gallery; Girl Scouts: From Cookie Pro to CEO – 100 Years of Building Leaders exhibit in Memorial Gardens; and Karaoke Rockstarz 7-10 pm on Meadows Stage. All free with Fair admission.
• Visit ocfair.com for a full listing of each day’s offerings.

The 2012 OC Fair, themed Home Sweet Home, is July 13 – August 12 and will bring 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports and fun, as well as the Super Pass, Toyota Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday. Concert tickets, action sports reserved seats and single-day general admission are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com or from the on-site Box Office. The popular Super Pass, which offers the passholder 23 days of admission, is available for purchase from any onsite box office or ticket booth.

The OC Fair & Event Center is located off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information, please visit ocfair.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/OCFair, follow us at twitter.com/ocfair or call (714) 708-1500. Also, download the the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps. Get excited for the 2012 Fair! Watch our new commercial on YouTube.

Visit our Press Room for older press releases and other information @ www.ocfair.com/newsroom.