OC Fair 2023!

When my siblings and I were younger, our family would go to OC Fair every summer. We have great memories from the Centennial Farm and the Read & Ride program. The last time I went to OC Fair was before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This August 2023, my sisters and I and some friends went to the OC Fair together (the rest of the family wanted to come but weren't able to make it this time). The Lord was SO good to us. We got good parking, the weather was cool, the sky was cloudy, and we had an amazing and memorable time.

Selfie at the OC Fair with my sisters!

Heroes Hall

In the morning, we visited Heroes Hall and the museum at the site. When we entered the museum, we were greeted by a very sweet young lady who introduced us to the exhibit. 

The first floor of the museum featured Stanley Troutman, a war correspondent during WWII. He is known for being the first to capture photos after the atomic bombs and for many other photos he took during the war. 

War correspondents like Troutman did not get military training or guns to protect themselves, and their fatality rates were 4X the combat soldiers. 

Although soldiers and war correspondents around him were constantly injured or killed, Troutman survived through the whole war (without any serious injuries, I think). 

Troutman lived to 102 years old and passed away in January 2020. When he was 101 years old, he spoke about his experiences for a short film, which was put on display for the museum. Even at 101 years old, he could recall his experiences in the war and spoke clearly. It was amazing to learn about all that he went through, read his letters, and see his photographs from the war.

At age 101, Stanley Troutman speaks about his experiences in specific battles in WWII with clear memory

Centennial Farm

After Heroes Hall, we met up with our friends and visited Centennial Farm. 

A very kind volunteer explained all about oxen, goads, and yokes to us. She talked about how oxen need to be trained to work and to trust the trainer. Goads are used to guide the oxen. Yokes link two oxen together so that they can pull heavy loads together. Oxen need to be trained to yoke together and typically the pair works together for life. It was very informational and fun to learn about. 

We also got to see plants in the garden like swiss chard, bitter melon, various types of peppers, and more.

Lunch, Alaskan Pig Race, & Exhibits

Next, we visited the Alaskan Pig race, which was also fun and brought back many memories. We ate sandwiches of avocado / cucumber, cilantro / green onion, and salad veggies, as well as tangerines while we watched the race. The race host did an amazing job capturing the audiences' attention through the whole show.

We then walked through various art, woodworking, culinary, and bug exhibits, and took a nice stroll through Crafter's village.

At the woodworking area, we met a man who was part of the woodworking club. He showed us a wooden bowl he made and explained that every wooden bowl is unique. Each bowl is made from a unique piece of wood that comes from a unique part of a unique tree. You never know how a bowl will turn out or how the pattern on it will look like - whether it will be plain or special and beautiful. Ever since creation (he is a believer, too!) no other wooden bowl has been made like the one he showed us. 

This experience reminded me of how God our Creator has made each of us unique, too. We are the work of His hands and ever since creation, no other human being has been made like any one of us. We are one-of-a-kind and God has given each of us a unique purpose in life.

In the woodworking exhibit, we saw a lab coat made from wood! It is one piece with the hanger (just dyed differently) and looked so real.

Somewhere along our walk through various areas of the OC Fair, we came across a CEF booth where kids could listen to a Bible story for free and make a craft crown. Some of us listened to the Bible story about David and Goliath. At the craft area, we met a mom that our family knows! It was a nice surprise!

Veteran Postcards

In the late afternoon, we went back to Heroes Hall and wrote thank you cards for our veterans and soldiers on duty.

Anabel writing a post card for our heroes

My post card

Honey Sticks

We also bought honey sticks. Typically they are sold for $1 or $2 at gas station stores; here they had many different flavors and were sold as 1 pack (with 4 pieces) for $1.25 or 5 packs (with 5 x 4 = 20 pieces) for $4.

I tried the mango flavored one. It was soooo good!

As dinner time approached, we ate some sandwiches and potato chips (bought at the fair) and had some great conversations. 

Motocross

Then we went to get seats for the motocross event. 

This is NOT an event I would normally go to on my own as I do not like to watch risky things. The people on motorcycles go up a ramp and then do flips or tricks in the air before coming down on a dirt mound. 

Although I was very scared watching some of their moves, overall it was enjoyable to be there with my sisters and friends. The best part was that the host began the meeting with prayer. We praised God and prayed for our firefighters and for the fire in Hawaii. We sang the National Anthem. Everyone rose in reverence for both the prayer and National Anthem. I have not seen such patriotism and faith in a very long time! It was so memorable and precious. At the closing of the event, they sang the song "God bless America." 

It was the perfect ending for our day. Praise God for all His blessings on us!