Posted on 09/08/2006 7:46:26 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
POMONA -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opened the 84th annual L.A. County Fair at Fairplex in Pomona Friday ostensibly to promote the fair as ``huge for our economy'' and to urge people to attend, but the crowd that surrounded him was visibly more excited by his appearance than his message.
After leading a red ribbon-cutting ceremony with fair officials and local politicians, Schwarzenegger left the stage and began a slow walk to the America's Kids exhibition hall, the crowd's cameras and cell phones documenting his every move.
He shook hands and made small talk along his route. At one point, he picked up a young boy with a buzz haircut and told him, ``You've got a `Terminator' haircut.''
Once he arrived at the exhibition hall, Schwarzenegger visited briefly with playpen-bound children too young to know who he was, then moved on to Old Mother Hubbard's Kitchen, where he enthralled dozens of receptive, rapt grade-schoolers seated before him with a simple message to keep learning.
He lingered a few minutes more, looking at artwork in the exhibition hall, before being whisked away by dark-suited security personnel into a waiting black SUV.
He did not say, ``I'll be back.''
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger assists a young boy as he builds a toy in the America Kids building Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, during the opening day of the Los Angeles County Fair at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. (AP Photo/Will Lester, Pool)
I loved the Pomona fair when I was a kid. I still like to go and see the livestock.
It's hard to top how we do it here in Texas:
http://www.bigtex.com/
I grew up in a rural setting , we had quite a few county fairs in the area,, 4H clubs were the order of the day back then,, lots of animals , crafts, veggies and bakery goods to prep and show and then hope to get blue ribbons on.
The fair was the highlight of the summer, and if you were lucky , you got purple and got a trip to the state fair.. I never made it that far, but some of relatives did.. a good time was always had regardless.
How many of the fair goers were actual US citizens?
Very few things we've missed since we left California, but the LA County Fair is one of them.
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