Commentary: A trip to the O.C. Fair brings back plenty of memories

I’ve always loved going to a fair.

One of the first movies I ever saw was “State Fair” with Jeanne Crain, Dick Haymes and Percy Kilbride. The mother submits mince meat (that gets spiked with booze) for judging, and the father submits his prize pig (who falls in love and mopes). The son gets back at the midway pitchman who cheated him the previous year, and the daughter falls in love (but doesn’t mope).

Ahhh.

The movie featured great Rogers and Hammerstein songs, including “It Might as Well Be Spring” and “It’s a Grand Night for Singing.” Watch it next time it shows up on AMC.

Lee and I used to take our whole family to the Los Angeles County Fair — the Disneyland of county fairs. But with our kids off to college, and then moving hither and thither, and beginning their own families, the tradition faded.

After we moved to Newport Beach, Lee became unable to amble through that giant of all fairs, and we hadn’t been there in years. We tried the Orange County Fair a couple times, but even it became too much for my darling husband.

So on Aug. 1, son Mark and I went to the OC Fair, which is like a little brother to its kin to the north.

OMGoodness! What a plethora of things to do and see. We started with the photography displays, particularly enjoying the photos taken by youngsters (under 18). It’s always a treat to see old things through young eyes, and the kids who presented their photos for judging took marvelous shots.

I was surprised at the enormity of the displays of photography — bigger, I think, than the one at its bigger brother’s fair.

Mark and I especially enjoyed the “it slices, it dices” demonstrations in the product buildings. It has been a family tradition to buy something at the fair that we will never use. Three items have a chance at that honor this year.

First, I bought a fantastic mop that comes with an infinity-shaped bucket, with water for the mop at one end and a wringer like a salad spinner at the other. The easy-on/easy-off mop head is made with micro fibers that spin damp dry. So cool.

I also bought some magic-substance (not plastic) covers to use for nuking and saving leftovers in the refrigerator, plus a bundle of really neat slide-on package-closers — way better than chip clips.

What a kick! And what a good sport Mark was to carry it all around.

We also looked at the carved wood displays, the quilting and other needlework, and the floral arrangements. The people who submitted their gorgeous work to be judged for all of us to see have such talent. I would have given at least an honorable mention to anyone who submitted anything.

Seems to me we stopped to eat or drink something between every major attraction.

We ate delightfully disgusting things. I tried deep-fried curly zucchini fries, but I had to quit after consuming about a quarter cup of fry oil. Mark went for a three-tiered cheeseburger with glazed doughnuts for the bun. All part of the fun.

Fortunately, we chased that fat through our systems periodically, first at the wine tasting (chili cheese dogs go well with wine), later by sharing a Rum Runner, and last with an ordinary beer. I didn’t even have room for a funnel cake.

Finding an empty table in the shade was next to impossible, but other fair visitors were welcoming when we asked to join them. We chatted with people from distant parts of Orange County, and I was particularly enchanted with twin girls, about 5, one of whom asked, “How about you be my neighbor?”

Of course, I told her, I would love to be her neighbor.

We never got to the pig races, but I don’t think we missed a crafter or a shop, and it was after 6 p.m. when we got back to my house. We’d been gone since 10 a.m. We’d walked a ton, had gotten lots of fresh air and sunshine, and laughed a lot.

Mark and I agreed that next time we should go later in the day and stay until dark, when the lights go on and the colorful, shining attractions of the midway come alive.

It’s a grand night for singing.

LIZ SWIERTZ NEWMAN lives in Corona del Mar.