President's Message

This year we faced many challenges and achieved many successes. The 2009 L.A. County Fair stayed true to its mission, making it possible for Fairguests of all ages to enjoy the best in Southern California entertainment. The cornerstone of the Fair, as always, was education, showcased by the 108,000 school children that attended our FairKids Discovery Club Field Trips. We will build on that foundation as we go forward with the 2010 L.A. County Fair, Sept. 4 - October 3.

We continue to move forward, expanding our Fairplex facilities with the conference center that will be part of the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center. We look forward to the center's grand opening in January 2011.

We launched several new year-round events and more will join the line-up for 2010. One of the most exciting is the L.A. County Half Marathon, coming to Fairplex for the first time Sunday, Dec. 13. Join us as we launch this inaugural run down the NHRA Drag Strip, through Bonelli Regional Park and around Puddingstone Lake, helping to bring positive attention to the beautiful Pomona Valley, the city of Pomona and Fairplex. From the world's largest county fair to the more than 500 year-round events, Fairplex continues to create jobs and business opportunities for Southern California.
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The 2009 Fair's Legacy of Good Deeds

With a first-ever Labor Day opening, 1,372,383 Fairguests enjoyed the exhibits, activities, music, shopping, carnival rides and food items that make the Fair a much-anticipated Southern California entertainment event. In the midst of wholesome family fun and entertainment, the Fair continued its commitment to community benefit outreach.

At Fair’s end, Ralphs Food Drive Fridays collected 60,000 cans of canned goods for the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank; the Los Angeles Dodger Day promotion donated $11,000 to ThinkCure, Fairguests donated more than 120 pints of blood to the American Red Cross through Fair blood drives; Day for Heroes Fridays $1 admissions collected $11,000 for USA Cares; and the Fair's McDonald’s Wednesdays promotion collected $54,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California.

Value pricing for Fair Season Passes, College Thursdays and Community Days promotions made Fair attendance possible in very challenging economic conditions. Nineteen neighboring cities participated in Community Days at the Fair, celebrating local heroes, showcasing businesses and community based organizations and taking advantage of the Fair’s marketing and outreach opportunities. Thummer, the Fair’s official mascot, took time from his busy schedule to visit hospital pediatric units to deliver stuffed animals and Fair cheer to young patients.

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Our New Event is a "Nightmare"

Nightmare at Scareview Farms, a Halloween event, is Fairplex’s newest business line. It complements Fairplex’s line-up of self-produced events, including the Fair, Kaboom! 4th of July celebration and the Fairplex Foundations’ fundraising activities.

We made the decision to add “Nightmare” after research pointed to a trend of increased consumer spending for Halloween events and a scarcity of events of this type near Fairplex. We took advantage of business efficiencies, repurposing Fair props and products, reassigning Fair staff and promoting the event to Fairguests. Nightmare at Scareview Farms attracted nearly 3,000 guests for three weekends during October, building a strong foundation for the future of this event.

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Junior Livestock Auction Sustains California Agribusiness

The Junior Livestock Auction, a program of the Fairplex Education Foundation, provides a forum for college students, 4-H and Future Farmers of America members to sell livestock they have raised.

The auction, formerly held during the L.A. County Fair, now has its own dedicated day, Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 – 11 a.m. at Fairview Farms. This is an opportunity for the public to learn about and support future farmers and ranchers in California. The money they earn from the auction allows them to purchase additional livestock to raise for next year.

If you’re not interested in purchasing livestock, you can support these industrious future farmers with a charitable donation to the Fairplex Education Foundation.
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Profile: Association Board Director-Elect, John Solomon

Los Angeles County Fair Association member John Solomon, an Upland businessman, joins the Association Board of Directors as director-elect. A committed fine wine aficionado, Solomon brings his expertise to the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition where he serves as a judge.

Solomon is owner and president of Liquorama, which incorporates a retail outlet in Upland and two internet wine shops.  He writes a wine column for Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Inland Empire magazine. Solomon is a member of the Fairplex Education Foundation Board, the Fair’s Chino Hills and Upland Community Committees and the Upland Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Pomona Valley Hospital and Medical Center Foundation Board and sponsors a fundraising wine gala each year to support the hospital foundation. He joined the Fair Association in 2006.
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Foundations at Fairplex Find Generous Support

Generous donors helped the Fairplex Foundations exceed their fundraising goals for two important events: The night-before-the-Fair Premiere Party and the Child Development Center Auction.

The annual Premiere Party raised $101,000 for the Education Foundation's programs, including the Big Yellow Bus program, which provides transportation for schoolchildren to attend FairKids Discovery Club Field trips.

The annual Child Development Center auction, which takes place during the Fair and includes everything from autographed basketballs to dream vacations to mops and Sham-Wows donated by Fair vendors, raised $180,000 for CDC programs and scholarships.

The Fairplex foundations and several other community-based organizations also will share $76,000 raised during the L.A. County Fair/Pomona Rotary Classic Car Raffle. Each $20 raffle ticket supports the work of the raffle's community partners.
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Fairplex's' onsite horse race training officially closed Oct. 31 due to lack of industry funding. This long-running program served the horse racing community for nearly 30 years, giving young horses their start and providing an affordable training location for the industry. We are exploring other uses for portions of this area of the grounds and believe there are business opportunities that will benefit Fairplex and the surrounding community.

Our commitment to the future of California horse racing remains strong through live racing, satellite wagering and horse sales. Kim Lloyd, serving in his dual capacity as vice president sales and equine manager of Barretts Equine Limited, continues to attract top breeders and owners to Barretts’ four annual auctions. Barretts auctions have produced more than 150 graded stakes winners worldwide, including Eclipse and Breeders’ Cup champions. Horses sold through the Barretts sales ring account for more than 16 percent of all horses racing in California.

Our new Fairplex Satellite Wagering facility and adjacent Finish Line Sports Grill have introduced new fans to racing and increased our satellite wagering numbers every month since their opening in March 2009.

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