Kids These Days:

There is a secret about the Orange County Fair and the Fairgrounds that the “protectionists” — those who selfishly want to preserve the status quo — don’t want to acknowledge.

First, let’s be clear about one feature of the fair, which rolls into Costa Mesa every July for about a month: It is one of the best family entertainment values anywhere.

After the $8 admission, which can be reduced by a dollar or two by buying tickets in advance of the opening, there is much inside to see for free. And if a family of four eats dinner at home before arriving, the fair is downright cheap. But eating at home would remove one of the most fun features of the fair — the deep-fried anything washed down with something equally un-nutritious.

The fair, however, is called the “Orange County” Fair, not the “Costa Mesa” Fair or the “Newport-Mesa” Fair. The city of Costa Mesa has no claim to the fair other than a history of being more or less in the same spot for decades.

The fair was not always in Costa Mesa. Over the years, it has appeared in Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Anaheim. In fact, according to an online history, in the fair’s 100-plus years it has been in the current location since only 1949.

Over the years, that history has been worth something. But like all good things, sometimes it must come to an end. In this case, the fair does not end, it just moves. That’s right, it moves.

As it has become more popular, the fair has had trouble adapting to the crowds. And it is very popular. In 1999, attendance was just over 724,000. Last year, well over a million people attended the fair, an increase of almost 40%. Still the fair is being shoe-horned into the same space, and parking and traffic are nightmares, even if one does not live across the street.

The secret about the fair that the protectionists don’t want you to know is that the fair has outgrown the spot, and that it is better off someplace where there are no residents across the street, no parking issues and plenty of room to expand.

The fair is better off in Irvine at the site of the Great Park. Without the fair, however, the protectionists lose one of the key arguments for preventing the sale of the land. The protectionists have turned what should be a rational decision-making process into an emotional one by snuggling up to the legacy of the fair.

The fact is that the fair and the fairgrounds are two separate issues. First, there is the issue of the location of the fair, or shall we say, the relocation of the fair. It should be moved to the Great Park as soon as possible.

Supporting the moving of the fair to a better location in the name of the greater good of the county does not mean that one is giving a green light to the development of an outlet mall there (a really bad idea) or to the development of houses.

The fairgrounds is also home to Centennial Farms, an equestrian center and the Pacific Amphitheater, all of which should stay.

About the amphitheater … During the summer, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra relocates to the Verizon Wireless Theater in (drum roll) Irvine for a series of summer concerts.

Why the orchestra is in Irvine during the summer instead of at the amphitheater in Costa Mesa, which is its fall and winter home, is a mystery. But you’re probably way ahead of me by now: Swap the fair for the orchestra. Doing so would ensure that no new massive residential development would take place at the fairgrounds, and the fair would be in a new spot, where it could stretch out and be more enjoyable for more families.

Yes, the devil is in the details, but the dialogue has to start somewhere.

STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer. Send story ideas to [email protected] .