San Diego County Fair visits area schools

DEL MAR, CA – The 2012 San Diego County Fair presented by Albertsons/Sav-on brought this year’s message of science and space exploration to 30,619 students in grades K-3 in San Diego and Southern Riverside County.

The San Diego County Fair School Tours is an annual program offered free to any elementary school. Over a three-week period from April 23 to May 4, the School Tours visited 111 schools with a presentation geared to this year’s “Out Of This World” Fair theme.

Each year a team of Fair employees and staff from Fallbrook’s Pacific Animal Productions visit schools with a presentation, the intent of which is to spread the word about the importance of animals on our planet. This year’s School Tours featured animals with some very “Out of this World” characteristics, including an alligator, tarantula, hedgehog, tegu lizard and an armadillo. Each child received an Activity Book filled with games and puzzles about the information they learned.

Teachers involved in the program say that the Fair’s School Tours are informative and entertaining. After one of this year’s presentations, an area teacher remarked: “Each year our students are introduced to new and fascinating animals. Our students love the program and are always excited at the thought of being able to see the animals again at the Fair.”

The San Diego County Fair continues to be a leader in the fair industry and stays true to the mission of the 22nd District Agricultural Association. The San Diego County Fair has become an integral part of local agriculture and educational activities such as 4-H, FFA, Grange and other youth development programs.

The summer of 2012 will take San Diego County Fair fans "Out Of This World" to the stars, planets and beyond. Every day at the Fair will be filled with discovery and mystery of the outer limits. The Fair will explore man's history and fascination with space and space travel starting with the ancient astronomers, to the NASA program and the future of space exploration.

Is anyone out there? The Theme exhibit will delve into the unexplained and unexplored. Enter the realm of science fiction, UFOs and other evidence of life beyond earth. Universe Invited!

The 2012 San Diego County Fair will run for 24 days opening Friday, June 8, to Wednesday, July 4. The Fair will be closed Mondays except July 2.

Gates open daily at 11 a.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and Monday, July 2; and 10 a.m., Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday, July 4. Admission is $13 for adults; $7 for ages 6-12 and 62 and older; free for ages 5 and younger.

For more information about the fair go to the Fair website, www.sdfair.com. Facebook fans will find the Fair at www.facebook.com/sdfair. Twitter fans can get updates and special offers at twitter.com/sdfair and those on the go can use the Fairgrounds mobile phone website at m.sdfair.com. (EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: The mobile phone link only works when used on a mobile phone)

The San Diego County Fair is the largest annual event in San Diego County and the sixth largest fair in the United States, drawing more than 1.4 million visitors annually. The 2011 Fair broke an all-time attendance record for the third year in a row with a grand total of 1,412,113 guests.

The 22nd District Agricultural Association is a State of California agency that owns and operates the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Surfside Race Place, Horsepark Equestrian Center and the Del Mar Golf Center. The 22nd DAA produces five events each year: The San Diego County Fair, the Del Mar National Horse Show, Professional Bull Riding (PBR), The Scream Zone and Holiday of Lights. The Fairgrounds hosts more than 350 events annually, the largest of which is the live horse racing meet each summer, which is operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for the 22nd DAA and the State of California. For more information on the Fairgrounds, visit www.delmarfairgrounds.com.