Fairplex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fairplex, formerly known as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, has been since 1922 the home of the L.A. County Fair. It is located in the city of Pomona. The L.A. County Fair is now held during the month of September, but the facility is used year-round to host a variety of educational, commercial, and entertainment such as trade and consumer shows, conventions, and sporting events.
Fairplex is owned by the County of Los Angeles, but is leased to and is governed by an independent, self-supporting non-profit organization, the Los Angeles County Fair Association, which manages and produces the county fair and re-invests surplus revenues generated by the fair and other events in the maintenance and development of the facility.[1]
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[edit] Facilities
Having begun in 1922 with 43 acres donated by the City of Pomona, the Fairplex grounds now cover 543 acres and include nearly 325,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space. Slightly less than half of the grounds are given over to paved parking areas to accommodate 30,000 vehicles. Among other features of Fairplex are various scenic parks, plazas and picnic areas, a historic train exhibit, and 12 acres of carnival grounds.
Also on the grounds is Fairplex Park, a horse racing facility with a 5/8-mile racetrack and a grandstand seating 10,000. Fairplex Park provides equine training facilities, horse show facilities, and the Barretts Equine Limited horse auction complex.[2] The facility can also be used to host music events accommodating up to 30,000 patrons.
Fairplex is home to a dragstrip known as Pomona Raceway which hosts both the opening and closing rounds of the NHRA drag racing series. Fairplex is also the location of the Wally Parks NHRA Motor Sports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. [3]
In addition, Fairplex is the site of the Millard Sheets Gallery, a year-round education and exhibit space affiliated with The Smithsonian Institution. [4] The gallery is located in the historic Fine Arts building, a 12,000 square foot facility designed by architect Claud Beelman and erected by the WPA in 1937. In 1994 the building was renamed in honor of artist Millard Sheets, a Pomona native who was the director of the county fair's art programs from 1930 to 1956.
Visitors can stay on the Fairplex grounds at the 247-suite Sheraton Suites Fairplex Hotel built in 1992, or at a 185-space KOA recreational vehicle park.
Beginning in 2007, Fairplex will be home to the Pomona Cool Riders of the National Indoor Football League.
[edit] Location
It is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, California 91768, approximately 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and 10 miles west of Ontario International Airport, and two blocks north of the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10). The Fairplex is accessible from Fairplex Dr., White Ave. or Garey Ave. freeway exits.
[edit] Miscellaneous information
- Japanese internment: The Los Angeles County Fairgrounds was one of the locations used as a temporary detention camp in 1942 for Japanese and Japanese-Americans before they were relocated to more permanent facilities such as the Manzanar War Relocation Center. [5]
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
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| BankUnited Center | Bud Adams Equestrian Center | Colonial Center | Cumberland County Crown Coliseum | Greensboro Coliseum | Hara Arena | Jim Brandon Equestrian Center | John H. Lewis Gymnasium | Lee County Civic Center | Paul E. Reinhold Agricultural Fairgrounds | Robarts Arena | Amador Pavilion | Casper Events Center | Colorado State Fair Events Center | Cowtown Coliseum | Cox Arena | Denver Coliseum | Douglas County Events Center | Fairplex | Ford Arena | Industry Hills Expo Center | Norris-Penrose Event Center | Orange Pavilion | San Antonio Rose Palace | |
