HIGHLIGHTS OF LA COUNTY FAIR THIS YEAR

Dubbed the "world's largest classroom," we visit the LA COUNTY FAIR each year and invite others to come along on our private educational fieldtrip.  With free admission and parking plus free milk (and even free "read to ride" tickets), all one needs to do is drive to Pomona and enjoy the day.  We usually stay till closing time to catch the acrobatic shows from China and various stunt shows usually featuring pirates and animal shows featuring dogs and parrots!  Coming into the Fairgrounds at 9am allows families and students to enjoy the educational exhibits before the fair opens to the public at 11am.  We are going on Wednesday,September 26, 2012, and we are inviting classmates and others to come along on our fieldtrip.  

This year, I made the extra effort to organize an art tour at the Millard Sheets Art Gallery where you can see artists at work as well as a special exhibit each year. This year, the theme is:  Art and Fair: A 90-Year Celebration which is a marvelous chronicle of artistic displays and historical artifacts that tells the story of the largest fair of its kind in the world. 

http://www.fairplex.com/fp/Foundations/millardsheets/exhibition.asp

 Storyteller  Jim Coogan will lead a storytelling tour and we will visit working artists before doing our own "take-home" mosaic art project.  There is also a Neon Art exhibit nearby in the NHRA car museum which is a MUST for car enthusiasts.  Our two art tours begin one after the other from 10.30am, but please arrive 15 minutes earlier at 10.15am to check in.  At around 12.45pm, we will meet to get our free milk -- special student lunches are available at all vendors that features lower-priced lunches.

The special educational focus this year for us is the special genius and innovators exhibit that includes Steve Jobs and the stingray island exhibit.

For those new to the LA COUNTY FAIR, there are lots to do from seeing animals and pigs racing to prize-winning furry animals to beehives and, of course, the cow-milking and goat-milking ... you can try your hand on the goat-milk at specific times.  Here are some links:

http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012GENIUS.pdf
(includes Steve Jobs and lots of educational links to explore even if you cannot go this year)

http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012StingrayIsland.pdf
(last year, it was sharks and this year, it is stingrays)

All students can go to the same gate they entered from between 12noon and 3pm and get a free "bounce back" free ticket to come back to LA COUNTY FAIR on another day.   Parents will need to pay normal admission tickets or come on specific Wednesdays with this McDonald coupon:

http://mcdonaldssocal.com/pdf/LA_Fair_Coupon.pdf.

I believe there is a misprint there and Wednesday November 26 should be valid for use of this coupon because 28 September is NOT a Wed, but a Friday.  Even if you had free admission and parking with us, $20 for unlimited rides is a great bargain for those who like rides :)
   

Here's the map link to the LA COUNTY FAIR:

http://www.fairplex.com/fp/company/mapdirections.asp

You can get map fairs upon entry and look for Millard Sheets Art Gallery and it is not far from the NHRA automobile museum.  Please remember to park with my parking pass/admission pass at GATE 9 off White Ave.  We meet at the Art Gallery for your check-in with me.

Here is the schedule for that day if you want to catch the evening performances if you click on Wed, Sept 26, and you can plan your schedule ahead of time and meet-ups with friends ahead of time.

http://schedule.lacountyfair.com/w/lacountyfair/lacountyfair2012/ 

We usually catch the acrobatic and stunt shows just before leaving in the evening as these are sitting down shows, and we usually plan for cooling-off events and events in the sun. and we do all our 9 rides (from READ TO RIDE program below) after 5pm parade when the weather is cooler. 

Up to 8th grade, you can get a maximum 9 ride tickets for 6 books reviews - you need to use this forms and hand in your reports.  You can also do minimum of 3 books for the 3ride  vouchers. It is really easy to do. Sixth graders need only write/type 50-word-minimum book reports!  Please be sure to fill out the form with the title of your books and bring it to America's Kids counter.

http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/entertainment/documents/AmericasKidsCompetitions/22%20Read%20to%20Ride%2012.pdf

One year, we were lucky enough to be invited up the floats and threw lots of mardi gras beads to happy folks. This year, it will be Montclair and Fontana Community Day.  We will ask again this year, so if interested in getting on a float, let me know :)

Please email me at reallykf@gmail.com if you are interested on joining and committed to coming and I need the following info:

names of parent(s), grade of child,
email or cell contact
number of small milk cartons - specify white or choc
if interested in the art tour, please specify number of student(s) and grade of student(s)
First committed, first confirmed basis.

Admission is free, and we fundraise for animal causes -- this year we are supporting the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned Orang Utans at Sepilok, Sabah, Malaysia on Borneo Island due torapid deforestation for palm oil production.

I am asking for donations of $10 for admission/parking per family and $20 if you are also participating in the art tours.  Since this is a social event for X1 homeroom at PRMS, these families are exempt from this donation request, but I do ask for a $10 commitment fee which will be donated if you are a no-show.  However, if you do come and still wish to donate your $10, that would be a great gesture of appreciation for my organizing efforts which does take a lot of time.   Again, first committed, first confirmed.

Enjoy the links and the day at the fair,
GCB

Here are more resources to enrich your learning and appreciation of our fair:

   FairKids ExhibitsField Trip Resources

- NEW! Genius: A Celebration of American
Innovation<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012GENIUS.pdf>

- Mojo's African
Safari<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012MojosJungle.pdf>

- California's Heritage
Square<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012HeritageSquare.pdf>

- FairView Farms<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012FairviewFarmsandBigRedBarn.pdf>

- Flower and Garden
Pavilion<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012FlowerGarden.pdf>

- America's Great
Outdoors<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012AmericasGreatOutdoors.pdf>

- America's Kids<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012AmericasKids_000.pdf><http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012AmericasKids.pdf>

- NHRA Museum<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012NHRA.pdf>

 -Stingray Island<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012StingrayIsland.pdf>

- Millard Sheets<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012MillardSheets.pdf>

- Wilderness Ridge<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012WildernessRidge.pdf>

- Esmeralda's Traveling
Circus<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012EsmeraldasCircus.pdf>

- FairKids Map<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/FairKidsGroundsMap.pdf>

- Important Field Trip
Information<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/FTinfo2012_000.pdf>

- Community Days at the
Fair<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/CommunityDaysDates2012.pdf>

- America's Kids Competitions
<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/entertainment/competitions_AmericasKids.asp>

- Sample Scavenger
Hunt<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/2012LACountyFairScavengerHunt.pdf>

- Millard Sheets Guided
Presentations<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/A2012DraftLettertoSchoolsrevisedFINAL.pdf>

- Free Milk Coupon<http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/documents/MilkFlyer-V2.pdf>