COSTA MESA (Aug. 21, 2024) – The 2024 OC Fair is in the rearview mirror and Southern California is looking back on so many iconic summer memories. Fairgoers celebrated for 23 days, from July 19 through Aug. 18, and they brought home blue ribbons, stuffed prizes and experiences they will always remember.
During the run of the Fair, more than 1.13 million guests passed through the gates and there were 12 days that exceeded 50,000 in attendance, nine of those were total sell-outs. (These preliminary numbers are subject to change.) The theme was “Always a Good Time” and attendees agreed with that sentiment, scoring the Fair an overall 4.20 (out of 5) for total enjoyment, according to our on-site survey. In 2023, the OC Fair welcomed 1,048,181 Fairgoers.
“Each summer, it is a privilege and a delight for our staff and partners to put on the annual OC Fair for the community and this was an exceptional year,” said OC Fair CEO Michele Richards. “The entertainment was stellar, the competitions were top-notch, the $5 Taste of the Fair was a hit and by staying with our limited daily attendance model, we again minimized the impact on our neighbors and provided a great experience for fairgoers. We want to thank all who visited and supported the 2024 OC Fair. You helped provide the funding for our community give-back programs including Centennial Farm, Heroes Hall and Imaginology.”
Here’s a look at this year’s OC Fair by the numbers:
- 16,259 competition entries vied for prizes in all categories and this year there was a record for the auction price of the grand champion steer – $14,000. In total, 170 animals were sold at auction and sales were $270,593. Also, more than $38,275 in prize money was paid out to competitors in culinary arts, fine arts and the hobbies & handcrafts contests.
- 130,000 fairgoers enjoyed shows in Pacific Amphitheatre, 32,000 people rocked out in The Hangar and 30,000 attended the spine-tingling shows in Action Sports Arena. The new OC Fair Radio station helped some 7,000 fans get information and discounts for this year’s entertainment.
- 16,280 guests visited Heroes Hall to learn about the stories of our veterans and more than 2,370 postcards were created to honor our active-duty military and veterans.
- 16,005 gallons of free chilled water were distributed at four refill stations. That’s the equivalent of 128,040 water bottles saved and they would equal about 16 miles if placed end-to-end – approximately the distance from Costa Mesa to Lake Forest.
- 70 tons of organic waste was diverted from landfills along with 30,000 pounds of cardboard, 9,000 gallons of cooking grease and another 70 tons of animal bedding.
- 17 piglets were born at Centennial Farm during the Fair along with one little peachick.
- 80,000 beads were used by visiting crafters to create Sand and Sea-themed bracelets at the make-and-take tables in the OC Promenade.
- 750 pounds of melons and 150 pounds of turnips were carved into incredible designs for fairgoers’ enjoyment by Chef Ray Dewy.
- 1 million dollar winner at the California Lottery booth at the OC Fair!
And then there was the food!
- 6,000 pounds of corn dog batter, enough to fry 2.5 miles of foot-long dogs on a stick, was cooked up at Big Daddy Corn Dogs.
- 1 ton of fresh-chopped garlic and 1,200 pounds of grated Parmesan cheese made up garlic fries at Biggy’s.
- 1 orchard of lemons for lemonade, 6 tons of sugar for cotton candy and sweet treats and 2,000 gallons of whip cream were used at RCS concessions in the midway.
- 86,000 Ten Pound Buns were served up along with 145,000 Hot Dogs on a Stick, 20,000 ICEEs, 3,000 samples of Red Beard’s Hot Sauce and 6,000 dill pickles from Timbo’s.
- 111,000, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies were made from scratch at Mom’s Bakeshoppe, where they averaged about 5,000 cookies a day.
- 17,370 chicken drumsticks, 9,450 deep-fried Oreos and 2,000 Hot Honey Funnel Cake Sandwiches sold at Chicken Charlie’s stands throughout the Fairgrounds.
- 3,219 vanilla cones were served at Sweets by Cardinali, outpacing the second-place Fair favorite, the swirl cone, with 2,273 dished up.
- 3,850 pounds of popcorn seeds and 2,825 pounds of sugar became bags of kettle corn at The Snax Shack.
- 2,455 $5 Tastes of the Fair were sold at Bacon Nation, 1,228 at Spud Ranch, 2,338 at The Ranch and 1,845 were served at The Hook.
And the fun isn’t over yet! Concerts at Pacific Amphitheatre continue through Sept. 14:
- NEEDTOBREATHE / JOHNNYSWIM on Aug. 22
- Iration / Pepper / DENM / Artikal Sound System on Aug. 23 and 24
- 311 / AWOLNATION / Neon Trees on Aug. 27
- Big Time Rush / Crash Adams on Aug. 30
- Counting Crows / Toad The Wet Sprocket on Aug. 31
- Steel Pulse / The Green / Sammy J on Sept. 1
- John Fogerty / Hearty Har on Sept. 3
- Bonnie Raitt / James Hunter on Sept. 14
Tickets are for sale now at pacamp.com.
About the OC Fair & Event Center
The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, is home to the annual OC Fair. Year-round attractions include Centennial Farm, Table of Dignity, Heroes Hall and Pacific Amphitheatre. OC Fair & Event Center also hosts year-round events. For more information, visit ocfair.com.
Support of OC Fair & Event Center provides year-round educational opportunities and helps fund community give-back programs.
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.