(7/11/201s, Los Alamitos) The Orange County Fair’s opening this year’s five week run this Friday, 7/13/2012.

Like Orange County itself our Fair can provide lots of fun and inexpensive  fun . . . or hours of expensive, hot, crowded misery.

Let’s start off with this year’s free and inexpensive admission options: [ad]

• Free admission & parking (if you can get in the lot) from noon to 1 on this Friday, Opening Day, Friday the 13th, but you’d better plan on showing up around 10:45 if you want to minimize traffic & lines.
• All military, active & vets, free admission with I.D. every day.  Well deserved!
• Kids under 12  free every Thursday
• Kids under 6 free every day
• Seniors 60+ $2 on Fridays  including free merry-go-round and Ferris wheel rides.
• Everyone $2 from 10 – 11 on Saturdays & Sundays.   Beat the heat (somewhat), get an early start, & save some green.
• Free admission for helping those in needevery Wednesday 12 – 4 with the following donations:
  • 7/18  5 non-perishable food items per person
  • 7/25  1 – 3 gently used childrens books per person
  • 8/1    5  gently used clothing items per person
  • 8/8   school supplies (new) worth at least $5 per person
• $2 rides  games, & food  ”tasting” samples Fridays noon – 4
• Read & Ride for kids 5 – 11:  Submit two completed book reports and get tickets for 3 free carnival rides.   Click here for the form.
• Take the OCTA Fair Express on weekends (Friday – Sunday) for $1.50 and get into the Fair for just $2!  Closest express station:   Goldenwest Transportation Center,  7301 Center Ave., Huntington Beach,  just east of Golden West College.
• Click here for all the specials, although I don’t think I missed much.

Fair info:

• 7/13-8/12, Wednesdays – Sundays
• Admission prices:
• Single-Day: General $11, Senior (60+) $8, Youth (6-12) $6
• Super Pass: General $35, Senior (60+) $30, Youth (6-12) $25
  Children 5 and under are free every day2012 Prices – Parking (Cash Only)
  General $7
  Bus/Limo $14Buy Online Now (All concert & reserved seat tickets include Fair admission!)
  Toyota Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre
  The Hangar Concerts or Action Sports Arena reserved seatsAbout the 2012 OC Fair – Home Sweet Home
  The annual Fair features food, animals, carnival rides & games, competitive exhibits, concerts, community entertainment & more.
• Admission $6-$11, 2 & under free, rides extra, if you buy a ticket to one of the ticketed concerts you get in free to the fair for the day.

Click here for the OC Fair’s website.

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Click here for Los Al’s former Register reporter  Jaimee Lynne Fletcher’s Sunday feature article on the fair, just updated today.

Click here for

]If you have any tips, fair favorites, warnings, or other thoughts, please let us know through a comment.