Fair Plans to Shed Light on Blackouts

The Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa is ordering backup equipment and will mostly operate on generators during the annual fair next month, when officials expect electricity shortages and rolling blackouts.

The carnival operator, Ray Cammack Shows, will bring nine generators to the fair to power all the rides except two for children. The two kiddie rides will use electricity from Southern California Edison because they will be too far from the generators.

“Our goal is to put 100% of rides on generators, but generator lines don’t reach through every nook and cranny,” said Becky Bailey-Findley, the fair’s general manager.

Besides the carnival, diesel generators will run Arlington Theater, Grandstand Arena and the main mall.

Fifteen generator-run mobile light towers were ordered to provide additional lighting in the parking lot. They can be moved inside the 168-acre site if blackouts hit at night.

Officials ordered 10,000 glow sticks to place around the main mall. They will be handed to visitors during blackouts.

The 109th annual fair runs July 13 to 29. More than 800,000 people attended last year’s event, which racked up an electricity bill of nearly $188,000.

“We’ll just make it fun,” Bailey-Findley said, “because we’re all about festive and family fun anyway.”