Winter (Fest) comes to O.C.

Aly Slach walked around the Orange County fairgrounds Friday morning with four other Costa Mesa moms, each with year-old babies in strollers. Then, the group paused in awe.

“Oh my gosh,” Slach cried out, pointing at two live reindeer. “Stop it. I’ve never seen live reindeer before. They’re really cute. I love their antlers.”

The reindeer, named Rudy and Willow, are just two of the highlights of the fairgrounds’ transformation into a winter wonderland.

The event, called Winter Fest, made its debut Friday morning to sparse crowds at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

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A group of mohters with their kids in strollers gather for picture at the central tree at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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Sami Nelsen feeds one of two reindeer at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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A village mini model scene is one of the exhibits at the Winter Fest.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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A crew strings Christmas lights to a sycamore tree at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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A giant walk-through ornament leads to the entrance of the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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Pastry chef Amy McGregor makes cookies for the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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Pastry chef Amy McGregor makes M&M cookies at the Winter Fest.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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Christmas carolers perform at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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Parents gather at one of the many model train exhibits at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

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One of the many model train exhibits at the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fair and Events Center on Friday.  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

As people trickled in, workers — some dressed as elves — continued to put together the final touches and open the rides, games and food stations.

“This is like the fair but smaller and in a winter setting,” Slach said before accompanying her baby on an inflatable slide. “We’re looking forward to walking around and eating the food.”

Highlights of the event, which runs daily through Jan. 3, include a Snowflake Summit, where participants will be able to race down a 130-foot-tall ice slide on an innertube, a 6,000-square-foot ice skating rink in the Hangar building and a model train exhibit.

A larger, colorful train will take guests around the area.

The Candy Cane Carnival offers 30 games and rides, monitored by carnival workers dressed in green-and-red elf costumes.

A 30-foot Christmas tree will be lit up every day at 5:30 p.m. accompanied by snowfall.

Throughout the grounds Friday, holiday music could be heard, and carolers walked around singing classic tunes.

Mark Etner, CEO of Absolute Event Solutions, which is producing Winter Fest, said he believes the event is filling a void in such a temperate region.

“Winter Fest is really inspired by the need for Orange County to have their own annual holiday festival that brings the community together to escape our normal sunny, warm weather climate that we experience year-round,” he said. “We wanted to really celebrate the holidays in a winter wonderland of family fun.”

Etner said Absolute Event Solutions has for the past three years mounted the Halloween event Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary in Long Beach and, also at the retired ocean liner, the Chill, which features large ice sculptures.

He said the fairgrounds provides a great “El Nino-proof area” for families to enjoy the event.

“If there is rain, people are still able to enjoy most of our attractions, because they’re in either a building or covered structure,” he said.

While the event is geared toward families, there will be something for people of all ages.

Children can enjoy attractions like an arts and crafts area, and adults can sip Hotty Toddies, hot alcoholic beverages, while listening to live music in the Baja Blues building, appropriately renamed the Slippery Slope Lodge for the occasion.

A variety of food and drinks will be sold, including tamales, horchata, baked goods, hot chocolate, chicken kabobs and burgers.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, though those under 3 are free.

Admission includes unlimited ice tubing down Snowflake Summit, one carnival ride, one carnival game, reindeer interaction, craft making, entry to bounce houses for children and a chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.