Orange County Fair 2011: Action Shots

California, Orange County, Photography, ,

I’ve already posted about Michelle’s and my entries into the Orange County fair, which I visited about a week and a half ago. But after checking out our entries to see how we did, I had a whole afternoon free to spend at the fair. So, of course, I took pictures.

The ferris wheel was just gorgeous in the late afternoon light:

The Orange County Fairgrounds RCS ferris wheel, seen at the 2011 Orange County Fair. The cars are numbered, and labeled with "La Grande Wheel." (Marc C. Perkins)
The Orange County Fairgrounds RCS ferris wheel, seen at the 2011 Orange County Fair. The cars are numbered, and labeled with "La Grande Wheel."

And an ox with a wooden yoke was being walked around, and didn’t mind a closeup:

A black and white ox at the 2011 Orange County Fair, with a wood yoke to pull a cart. (Marc C. Perkins)
A black and white ox at the 2011 Orange County Fair, with a wood yoke to pull a cart.

And this ride looked terrifying to me, but most of the people on it seemed to be having great fun:

Four riders react to being turned upside down and hurled through the air on the Tango, a carnival ride at the 2011 Orange County Fair. (Marc C. Perkins)
Four riders react to being turned upside down and hurled through the air on the Tango, a carnival ride at the 2011 Orange County Fair.

More up my alley was the merry-go-round:

A sunlit closeup of one of the painted horses at the Orange County Fairgrounds carousel (merry-go-round). (Marc C. Perkins)
A sunlit closeup of one of the painted horses at the Orange County Fairgrounds carousel (merry-go-round).

Near the entrance, a company (The Bubble Rollers) had set up water walking balls in an inflatable pool. For a nominal fee people could be zipped into one of these balls filled with air, and then rolled out into a pool, which this boy seemed to just love:

A young boy jumps into the water as his "water ball" is rolled into an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair. The boy is inside an inflated ball, which allows him to walk on the water, much like a hamster ball. The Bubble Rollers (http://thebubblerollers.com/) was running this event. Note: there are serious safety concerns with some types of water ball use: http://consumerist.com/2011/03/cpsc-deems-water-walking-balls-a-deadly-danger.html (Marc C. Perkins)
A young boy jumps into the water as his water ball is rolled into an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair.

The goal, of course, was to stand up, enabling one to declare “I’m walking on water!”

A girl inside an inflated water walking ball manages to stand upright on the water in an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair. In the time I watched the water walking, she was the only person able to actually stand up for any length of time. And, if you look at the next pictures, she didn't stand for long. The girl is inside an inflated ball, which allows her to walk on the water, much like a hamster ball. The Bubble Rollers (http://thebubblerollers.com/) was running this event. Note: there are serious safety concerns with some types of water ball use: http://consumerist.com/2011/03/cpsc-deems-water-walking-balls-a-deadly-danger.html (Marc C. Perkins)
A girl inside an inflated water walking ball manages to stand upright on the water in an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair.

Note, however, that standing was incredibly difficult. A more typical pose looked like this:

Only a leg flying into the air and a giant splash of water is visible after a girl loses her balance and falls inside an inflated water walking ball at an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair. The girl is inside an inflated ball, which allows her to walk on the water, much like a hamster ball. The Bubble Rollers (http://thebubblerollers.com/) was running this event. Note: there are serious safety concerns with some types of water ball use: http://consumerist.com/2011/03/cpsc-deems-water-walking-balls-a-deadly-danger.html (Marc C. Perkins)
Only a leg flying into the air and a giant splash of water is visible after a girl loses her balance and falls inside an inflated water walking ball at an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair.

With the two points connected as follows:

A six sequence image of a girl losing her balance and falling inside an inflated water walking ball at an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair. The girl is inside an inflated ball, which allows her to walk on the water, much like a hamster ball. The Bubble Rollers (http://thebubblerollers.com/) was running this event. Note: there are serious safety concerns with some types of water ball use: http://consumerist.com/2011/03/cpsc-deems-water-walking-balls-a-deadly-danger.html (Marc C. Perkins)
A six sequence image of a girl losing her balance and falling inside an inflated water walking ball at an inflatable pool at the 2011 Orange County Fair.

Before you run out and zip yourself into a plastic ball, please note that there are serious safety concerns with some types of water ball use.

And, of course, what would a day at the county fair be without a deep fried Snickers bar?

A deep fried snickers bar I bought at the 2011 Orange County Fair. If you've never had a deep fried Snickers, you're missing out: they're the absolute best way to eat a Snickers bar. (Marc C. Perkins)
A deep fried snickers bar I bought at the 2011 Orange County Fair. If you've never had a deep fried Snickers, you're missing out: they're the absolute best way to eat a Snickers bar.

More pictures

To see all of my pictures from the fair, head to my Orange County Fair 2011 gallery or view the Flash slideshow below.


Orange County Fair 2011 – Images by Marc Perkins

Getting There

Orange County Fair: The Orange County Fair runs from July 15 to August 14 at the county fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA; they conveniently have a directions page here. Since I can just park on OCC’s campus and walk to the fair, I don’t know what the parking situation is like, sorry.

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