The 2008 OC Fair ended on a picture perfect note as 1,062,673 guests visited the annual Fair, setting the second highest attendance record in the Fair’s 116 years. The attendance record of 1,090,653 was set in
2007.

The 2008 OC Fair was themed “Say Cheese!” Photography and cheese-related displays and exhibits could be found throughout the Fair, including the Flash & Focus Building, the OC Cheese A-Fair, and a giant camera-shaped sandcastle that featured mice who occasionally popped up to photograph Fair
patrons.

During the Opening Day Free Hour on July 11, 26,202 people enjoyed free admission and parking from noon to 1 p.m. At the Fair’s Summer Food
Drive on July 23, 30.5 tons of nonperishable food items were donated by 11,863 generous fairgoers, which will provide meals for an estimated 120,000 individuals through Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. On July 30, during the Summer Book Drive, 15,712 bookworms donated 42,637 new and used children’s books to Orange County public elementary schools.

The 2008 OC Fair Cattle Drive, held on July 26, raised $160,000 benefiting Centennial Farm educational programs including school tours, Agademics and The Ranch After School Program.

Other 2008 OC Fair facts and figures as of Saturday, Aug. 2, include:

• Chicken Charlie sold 12,000 deep-fried White Castle Burgers, 5 tons of deep-fried frog legs, and 8,000 deep-fried Pop Tarts.
• Orange County residents were awarded 1,735 Blue Ribbons for prize-winning
art, crafts, collections, quilts, cakes, photographs, woodcarvings and other ingenious creations.
• On the three Kids Days, 30,334 children visited the Fair for free.
• A total of eight piglets, two kids, and a calf came into the world during Fairtime.
• A total of 54,466 “Unlimited Ride Wristbands” were sold for $20 each on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Top rides in the Main Carnival were Sky Ride, La Grande Wheel, HiMiler, Euroslide, and the Hydroslide
• At the Junior Livestock Auction, 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) youth raised $281,600 on the 322 animals sold at the annual event. All proceeds benefit 4-H and FFA members.

Summer nights rocked for a sixth consecutive year with the Lexus Summer Concert Series at Pacific Amphitheatre. Concertgoers filled the 8,500-seat venue nightly for acts such as Alan Jackson, Scorpions and Sammy Hagar, Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, Stray Cats, and Paramore.

At Action Sports Arena, standingroom- only crowds enjoyed Big Air BMX Triples, Maloof Money Cup Skateboard Championships, the eighth annual
“Orange Crush” Demolition Derby, Lucha Libre, Bull Riding, Fiesta del Charro, and tribute bands.

The OC Fair promises to return with big fun July 10-August 9, 2009,
with the theme of “Think. Big.” Visit ocfair.com/superfair to sign up for the latest news about time and money-saving promotions of the 2009 OC Fair.