Missing the San Diego County Fair? Keep the Fair Spirit Alive!

Summer fun in San Diego means sun, surf, and (usually) the San Diego County Fair, attended by over 1.5 million people annually. That tradition takes this year off in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and San Diego County will deeply miss its favorite summertime festival, a local institution that delights county residents of all ages.

“We know summer won’t feel the same without the fair kicking off the season, but postponing was important to keep the community safe,” says Annie Pierce, communications manager for the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Fair management, however, is determined to keep the spirit alive in 2020 with several ways families can enjoy their favorite activities remotely, even the fair food. Especially the fair food.

Want to be connected to San Diego's parenting community? Sign up to receive weekly tips, ideas and events at https://www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do

One of the fair’s most prominent icons is Charlie Boghosian, owner of the famous Chicken Charlie’s. The food stand, celebrated for such fair-tastic delicacies as cotton candy ice cream sandwiches and deep-fried Kool-Aid, is a historical institution in its own right. This year would have marked 25 years at the San Diego County Fair, 37 years for Boghosian himself, if you count the summers he worked for other food vendors.

Boghosian immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 at age 11 and lived with his family of six in a 900-square-foot home in South Park, where his father ran a grocery store. At age 14, he asked permission to work at the then-Del Mar Fair. A dozen years later, a food vendor offered to sell him her chicken stand, and the rest, as they say, is history. Chicken Charlie’s was born.

A love of cooking and invention has led Boghosian to create some of the most iconic, beloved fair treats throughout the country, not just in San Diego. “When I invented deep-fried Oreos, I had no idea how big it would really be,” he says. “It changed my life.”

During the last fair he attended that year, a reporter asked Boghosian what he would be offering fairgoers the following year. “I’ve come up with a new deep-fried item every year since,” he says. “Deep fried cookie dough, Kool-Aid, even deep-fried filet mignon.” This year’s invention is deepfried saltwater taffy, which Boghosian will offer at his Rancho Bernardo restaurant starting June 5, the day the fair would have opened.

“With all that’s going on this year, the gloves are off,” he says. “Our menu will change to include some fun fair stuff like bacon-wrapped turkey legs, cotton candy ice cream sandwiches and Chicken Charlie’s Krispy Kreme Triple Decker Cheeseburger 3 beef burger patties, cooked to your desired doneness 3 slices cheddar cheese 2 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts (aka the bun).

Did you know?

This isn’t the first time the San Diego County Fair has closed since its inception in 1880. It shut down during World Wars I and II, and while the festivities were suspended during WWII, activity was not. The grounds became a training facility and temporary quarters for military personnel, paratroopers bedded down in the horse stalls, and a US Marine Corps detachment trained on nearby beaches.

Bring Home the Spirit of the Fair The San Diego County Fair is so much more than rides and food! Animals, art, gardening and more fill the halls and stalls of the fairgrounds. Here’s how to bring some of that fun into your home this summer.

Want a Green Thumb?

Learn how to grow your own green onions and celery with famous fair personality Nancy from the Wild West Turkey Stampede & Oasis Camel Dairy. Nancy and her pet parrot bring this popular program straight to home viewers. So go on, get growing! www.sdfair.com/educationalprograms/plant-grow-eat

Get to Know Some Fair Animals

Last year, the Fair’s School Tours staff visited 30,000 kids throughout San Diego County. This year, they’re bringing a virtual “tour” to your livingroom. Join host Karla and some of her favorite furry and scaly friends (Jackson the Under Dog, George the Python and Poppy the Super Sonic Hedgehog) to learn about their natural superpowers. www.sdfair.com/ educational-programs/school-tours

Zooming Fair Fun

Fun-up your Zoom teleconference by using a fabulous fair photo as your virtual background. Here’s to dreaming of next year! www sdfair.com/zoom

Keep Reading, Kids!

Every year kids ages 6-12 can earn free admission to the Fair when they read 10 age-appropriate books and fill out the special reading certificate. To encourage kids to read despite Fair cancelation this year, we’ve launched a contest on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoFamilyMagazine/

Print the certificate in English or Spanish, have kids keep track of the books they read, and find more details at www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/seasonal-happenings/free-ticket-tothe-san-diego-county-fair-forkids-up-to-age-12.

Each year the fair has a theme, and 2020’s is Heroes Unite! Originally superhero-oriented, the theme has taken on a new meaning, celebrating the heroes among us who’ve stepped up for the community during the pandemic.

“We are so thankful to the healthcare workers and first responders who are protecting our communities, the teachers who are providing kids with virtual learning, the grocers and farmers who are keeping us fed, and the countless community heroes who are going to extraordinary efforts to help others during this great time of need,” says Pierce. “That’s why we’ll be proud to carry this theme through to next year’s fair—honoring the heroes who continue to emerge throughout our community.”