Nothing Subtle About the Fair's Pink Penchant

By YUNG KIM

July 10, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

If you see pink sheep, you are not hallucinating. You are just at the Orange County Fair.

Talk about a theme party. There will be pink Cadillacs, car attendants with pink hair, and pink foods. Children will dance wearing pink leotards, and a man atop a unicycle and dressed in full-body pink Spandex will be the ambassador of pink. In case pink needed an ambassador.

The 106th Orange County Fair, titled “We’re in the Pink,” will open its doors to the public today at 9:30 a.m. On Thursday, members of the media were given a sneak peek at all the pink.

As camera crews and reporters strolled through the fairgrounds on Fair Drive, different pink personalities did everything to exude their pinkness. There’s enough pink here to make even that pinkaholic doll, Barbie, queasy.

Becky Bailey-Findley, general manager of the $5-million-dollar event, said the pink theme is aimed at eliciting “a nostalgic feeling about feeling good and having a good time; we hope everybody will come with pink attitudes.”

The fair, which attracted close to 800,000 people last year, will cost $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $2 for children. The event will offer a collection of thrill rides, exhibits and contests from noon until midnight Mondays through Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. until midnight Thursdays through Sundays.

The official pink welcome mat will be rolled out this morning by Michael Max, better known as “Pink Man,” the singing superhero. Pink Man, who sports a pink spandex hood and silver cape, zigged and zagged through Thursday’s throng of media flailing his arms and pedaling his unicycle frantically.

“This is my fair,” Pink Man exclaimed while giving everyone within reach a pinky finger shake.

Joining Pink Man in pink attire but with a different pink demeanor is Kirk Wall, also known as Johnny Pink of Fullerton. He is the lead singer of Johnny Pink and the Big Shots, who will perform every night of the 17-day event. Dressed in a vintage hot-pink zoot suit from the ‘40s and topped off with a pink-tipped white feather sticking out of his white hat with pink trim, Wall casually straddled a scooter as he explained his form of pinkness in words that already were beginning to sound a tad familiar.

“We are way ready, the band learned the chords and I even learned the lyrics to the songs,” he said, smiling and stroking his penciled-in mustache. “It is cool to be pink. It means being positive and having fun.”

For a change of pace, visitors can always go over to the agriculture exhibits and see--not to mention smell--the farm animals. There are pink pigs and, in the centennial gardens, fuchsias.

And if fair-goers find themselves needing a pink-free oasis, they can ride more than 100 carnival rides. Well, actually, some of those are pink too, but not “The Rocket Launcher,” which flings daring passengers more than 100 feet into the air in a sort of reverse bungee ride.

“People usually scream loudly and get a full adrenaline rush,” said Doug Anderson, owner of the device. “Then afterward they get a new appreciation for life.”

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Finding Your Way at the Fair

Almost as important as “Pink Man” the official ambassador of the fair, will be the people directing traffic inside and out of the fair grounds. Visitors are encouraged to use the Fair Drive exit of the Costa Mesa Freeway and to use the free parking spaces in nearby lots at Costa Mesa High School and Orange Coast College. Those who park on fair grounds will be charged $4, but only $2 for vehicles with four or more occupants. Pink cars can park for free on opening day.

Fair Dates: July 10 - 26

Hours:

Mon. - Wed. noon to midnight

Thur. - Sun. 10 a.m. to midnight

Admission:

Ages 13-54: $6

Senior 55+: $5

Children 6-12: $2; Age 5 and under: Free

Seniors’ Day (Thursdays): $3; Teen Days (Mondays): $4

Parking Information

Fair Parking: $4; $2 for carpool of 4 people. Buses are free.

Off-site Parking: Shuttle service on Sat. and Sun. only at the Automobile Club of Southern California lot (Fairview at South Coast streets) 10 a.m. to midnight. Shuttle service and shuttle lot parking is free.

Entrances

A Main Entrance (Blue Gate)

B Memorial Entrance (Green Gate)

C Service Entrance

D Livestock Entrance (Yellow Gate)

E Carnival Entrance (Red Gate)

F Pink Entrance (Pink Gate)

1. Livestock Barns

2. Livestock Judging Arena

3. Rabbit/Poultry Tent

4. Livestock Office

5. Sheepy Hollow