The live 2020 OC Fair was cancelled weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean the OC Fair has said fair-well to 2020. In fact, it’s fair to say the Fair is virtually still here.
Fairgoers may not be able to hop on their favorite carnival ride or enjoy the crazy Fair food in person (which is the reason most of us love going to the OC Fair), but the Fair folks are keeping the spirit of the Fair alive on social media and on their website at ocfair.com.
Starting Friday, July 17 – the Fair’s original live start date – several Virtual OC Fair elements will be highlighted for 10 days on social media, through July 26, with fun content on ocfair.com all summer long.
According to information provided by the OC Fair, videos of favorite performers, photo galleries of summer memories, family activities, special contests and more will bring that OC Fair connection to people no matter where they are. Even the OC Fair Fun Run 5K is going virtual.
Virtual fairgoers can learn how to create Fair-style crafts at home, discover how to make deep-fried Oreos, take a tour of Centennial Farm, decipher a magic trick, get the best garden pesto recipe, and even participate in a virtual dance party.
There are ways to win virtual ribbons this year with contests, and the public can vote on the winners starting July 17 on ocfair.com. There are 33 unique categories this year, including Doughmestic Baking, Home Landscapes, Best Hen House and photography categories like Bedhead, Empty Streets and Essential Workers.
In a twist to the virtual theme, We Care Wednesday will take place July 22 with the Fair’s nonprofit partner Goodwill of Orange County. Participants can donate gently used clothing items at specific Goodwill locations instead of at the fairgrounds. Donors will receive a ticket to the 2021 OC Fair and a coupon for a free Wahoo’s taco as thanks for giving back to the community.
There’s even a Virtual Market Livestock Show in place of the live one. Normally, 4-H and FFA students can sell their animal projects at the Fair’s Junior Livestock Auction, but with that not possible this year, OC Fair staff wanted to help the students recoup costs, so they devised a virtual way to make that happen. More than four dozen agriculture students who raised 82 animals to show at the Fair had the opportunity to be matched with buyers.
For more information on the 2020 Virtual OC Fair, visit ocfair.com or follow @ocfair on Facebook and @oc_fair on Instagram.
