For some reason, I let 10 years go by after my first visit to the Los Angeles County Fair in 2012. (That year, I actually went twice—for the fair itself and then for the Demolition Derby.)
And when I went back to Fairplex in Pomona a decade later—in 2022, after the event had shifted from September to May—it rained. And I didn't have a great time.
This year, I returned to the fair because I had a ticket to Pat Benatar's Grandstand concert—and that gave me the chance to explore the grounds for the first time at night.
I'd caught a cold a few days before, so I wasn't feeling up to riding any rides or bumping any bumper cars. But that gave me the opportunity to explore some areas (and buildings) I'd never encountered before—like the Flower and Garden Pavilion (which is what it's called, despite the neon sign reading "Flowers" and "Gardens").
A "red carpet" entryway leads up to a mural of the fair's mascot, Thummer, pointing the way.
Although originally built to showcase innovations in garden designs and floral arranging, it now serves as an indoor botanic garden with a new theme every year—like "Mysteries of the Amazon" in 2013, "A Glimpse of China" in 2014, Mardi Gras in 2015, Watercolors in 2016, Fairy Tales in 2017, Route 66 in 2018, and so on.
This year, the pavilion—which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022—was themed "We Are L.A."
Floral decorations adorned backdrops and murals of iconic Angeleno landmarks and scenes, like Angels Flight...
...lowriders...
...streetlights...
...and a central plaza devoted to L.A. icons like our sports stadiums (not the least of which is the Memorial Coliseum)...
...and Capitol Records building, all lit up in citrus colors of yellow and orange.
There was even a section dedicated to Art Deco, one of the many characteristic architectural styles associated with LA.
Moving on, and making my way through the fairgrounds more thoroughly than I ever had before, I came across the RailGiants Museum...
...which I knew was open at night during the fair but had never actually experienced firsthand...
...and the Fairplex Garden Railroad.
It's closed at night (whether the fair is operating or not), but after the sun sets is the only time you get to enjoy the lights being switched on in the miniature cityscapes, whether it's a glittering Fox Pomona marquee...
...or a glowing Van De Kamp's windmill restaurant.
Most shockingly, I stumbled upon an area that was completely new to me—"The Hill," which is actually more like "the woods," with much of it taken up by a partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the LA County Fire Forestry Division to educate the public about wildfires.
But it's also another exhibition space—this one outdoors, and this year with Imaginarium, a mini version of the holiday light extravaganza that takes over Fairplex later in the year.
This version was full of light "lanterns" in spring flower motifs...
...and fantastical garden creatures...
...all abloom and aflutter...
...as twilight took the sky from day to night.
After the concert, I paused to admire the sights a bit more...
...for once enjoying the scene without feeling compelled to give myself motion sickness to fully appreciate it.
But since much of the fair experience is about the food (and always was for me, even back home at The Great New York State Fair)...
...I ended my evening by indulging in some fried cookie dough on a stick.
It was a great time!
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