The OC Fair & Event Center snagged 19 awards for some of its year-round programs, the 2017 OC Fair and the intake of dozens of horses during recent wildfires, at a fair industry conference in Anaheim.
The awards were bestowed Jan. 3 by Western Fairs Association, a nonprofit that promotes the prosperity of fairs through educational activities, training programs and legislative advocacy.
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![Marine veteran Rafaelo Papale and his son Logan, 4, record a message in the Heroes Hall Story Booth at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, August 12, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)]()
Marine veteran Rafaelo Papale and his son Logan, 4, record a message in the Heroes Hall Story Booth at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, August 12, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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![The La Grande XL Ferris Wheel towers above the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, on Friday, July 14, 2017. Each carriage on the wheel features air-conditioning. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)]()
The La Grande XL Ferris Wheel towers above the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, on Friday, July 14, 2017. Each carriage on the wheel features air-conditioning. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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![More than 50 evacuated horses were moved into the Action Sports Arena at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Volunteers from the county’s Large Animal Rescue Team helped with the transfer on Monday, October 9, 2017. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)]()
More than 50 evacuated horses were moved into the Action Sports Arena at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Volunteers from the county’s Large Animal Rescue Team helped with the transfer on Monday, October 9, 2017. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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The Fair & Event Center received first place for its Friends of the Fair program, which allows guests with special needs to have a private fair experience; the Centennial Farm birthday party; the Damsels of Destruction demolition derby; and the Heroes Hall story booth.
“It is very special to be honored by our peers in the fair industry,” said Kathy Kramer, OC Fair & Event Center CEO. “The fact that our give-back programs continue to receive recognition means a lot to us and inspires the staff to continue to find more ways to connect with the community.”
Among its second-place awards were the OC Fair Kids Club, which gives free admission to children from underserved areas and the OC Fair Express bus system, which transports riders to the fair from nine locations and offers $3 fair admission coupons.
The transportation service had nearly 88,000 boardings during the 2017 OC Fair, a 33 percent increase from the previous year.
Heroes Hall, Orange County’s only veterans museum, also won second-place honors for its community outreach program.
Other awards include the 2017 OC Fair’s olive oil competition, Centennial Farm’s wellness program and a photograph of the Ferris wheel during a sunset.