Healthy eating may not be a prime concern at the Los Angeles County Fair, as 20,000 bacon-wrapped pickles and 10,000 bacon-wrapped chicken legs helped make this year’s gathering in Pomona one of the greatest successes in years.
Nearly 1.3 million people attended this year’s 19-day fair, with the event recording its highest average daily attendance since 2008, officials announced Monday.
A total of 110,728 people attended the event at the Pomona Fairplex on Saturday, the highest single-day attendance since 2007, according to fair officials. The fair’s last day was Sunday.
Although high heat baked the Southland during much of the event’s run, fair President/CEO Jim Henwood credited “enjoyable evening temperatures” for bringing out attendees.
“While thousands of guests enjoyed our grandstand concerts, others poured into the carnival and exhibitions and indulged in delicious fair food,” he said.
Among those performing at the fair this year were Chicago, Train, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
As for the fair’s famous food offerings, vendors reported selling:
— 20,000 bacon-wrapped pickles;
— 10,000 bacon-wrapped chicken legs;
— 40,000 pounds of turkey legs; and
— 10,000 pounds of potatoes.
Fair officials said attendees donated 174,909 cans of non-perishable food in exchange for free admission, the largest number since the promotion began in 2011. The food was donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Guests also donated more than 2,700 pints of blood.
The 2016 fair is scheduled for Sept. 2-25.
— City News Service