A Night at the Fair

After a short ride in a yellow school bus, I arrived at an inconspicuous parking lot and walked to an inconspicuous admission gate. After passing through, however, I was greeted to a myriad of sights, sounds, and smells. I was at the 2017 Los Angeles County Fair.

For the entire month of September, the Fairplex in Pomona transforms into a massive conglomeration of retail vendors, food stands, amusement rides, and various entertainment events. The Endof Summer Concert Series featured well-known performers such as Salt N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Fifth Harmony, and more.

I began my adventure at Neighborhood S, which featured plenty of food and merchandise sellers. At first, I noticed the presence of a chair lift – a perfect opportunity to take a gander at how big the fair was. The chair lift ride lasted around three minutes in duration and provided an excellent view of the scale of the festivities. Even on a weekday night, the crowd was sizeable and the concert venue was teeming with waves of concertgoers.

The lift ride reached its terminus at Neighborhood F, also known as ‘The Farm.’ As the name suggests, The Farm is home to everything related to agriculture. The standout building, The Big Red Barn, featured a petting zoo. Having never seen a goat nor a sheep before in my life, I decided to get up close and personal with these creatures.

The goats were especially curious towards strangers. I’ve had a few attempt to climb onto me and one decided to chewup my lanyard.

After spending time with the farm animals, I decided to check out the sights and sounds of the Carnival. I’ve rode a rides but nothing involving inversion. That changed when I stumbled upon the KMG Tango, a ride that brings thrillseekers high in the sky on three axes of rotation. Riding the Tango was a very unique experience because three rotation axes created the sensation that one was spiraling out of control. I rode a few rides afterwards but nothing compared to the Tango. Feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded, I decided it was time to return to Mudd.

The three hours I spent was simply not enough to fully experience all the Fair had to offer. I would recommend attending this annual spectacle and I do look forward to returning next year.