Maureen Lagasse

Review of OC Fair & Event Center

The OC Fair & Event Center itstelf is really nice....

The OC Fair & Event Center itstelf is really nice. The center is enormous, with several different buildings and, therefore, plenty of room for various simultaneous activities, festivals, events, and conventions without feeling claustrophobically over-crowded. One issue that stands out as particularly awful, however, is the parking situation. They charge $9 to park, and while there is plenty of space, the attendants are useless. They ask what event you're attending and take your money, but don't advise you on the best place to park. Moreover, there are NO signs. NONE. NADA. The result is that you park somewhere and then spend 30 minutes walking around the vast, vast, vast area trying to find the event you want to attend. Since you must pay for entrance to each venue, they're all fenced off, prohibiting you from taking any shortcuts. For us, it was merely inconvenient and frustrating. For people with mobility issues, it must be a nightmare. Given the easy resolution (reasonable signage and attendants who offer parking guidance), the unnecessary frustration is just stupid and simply should not be.
On this particular weekend, we attended the Japan Festival. It's a fun, low-key event with music, contests, games, cosplay and lots of great food. I highly recommend the "Rockin Gyoza" and could personally live on them alone. The Ramen was pretty amazing as well! The vendors range from cheap toys to beautiful handmade jewellery. There are ATMs available on site, but most vendors take cards. I recommend going at night if you can, as the sun can be pretty punishing after a while and, outside of the indoor vendor space, shade is relatively scarce. Buy tickets online for a dollar less than the entrance fee.