Eating at the Ventura County Fair: Our reporter tries to eat everything
Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken eats his way through the Ventura County Fair on Thursday.
The line stretched along much of the Ventura County Fair’s Main Street, winding past the pig races, Uncle Leo’s Barn, a food court and two acrobats who glided around the grounds on stilts.
On a recent Monday, when $20 general admission tickets to the Ventura County Fair were being sold for $5, the line grew longer by the minute.
Cindy Todd of Newbury Park stood in the back, assessing her situation. Like thousands of others, she was at the fair to see Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, the stand-up comedian who has become a brand and was the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium for two consecutive days. He has acted in films, television series and specials. He has 4.5 million followers on Instagram. His YouTube videos have been viewed a billion times.
Todd loves it. But the line for general admission tickets and the fear that she might not get in made her think again.
“It better be funny because I’m standing in a damn long line and I never do that,” she said.
Others pushed their way to the front or waited in line, only to realize later that they shouldn’t have. They had bought concert tickets through the fair’s new VIP program, which offered seats ranging from $39 to $279 on the floor of the grandstand for the Fluffy show. The seats were closer to the stage on a dirt field covered with bright green artificial turf, and also offered access to paid drinks, food and a VIP restroom.
At previous trade fairs, the grandstand shows were included in the entrance fee to the trade fair.
The new area is designed so that visitors have the choice of either forgoing the extra charge or paying for an upgrade. It has generated revenue for a fair that receives no government subsidies, said spokeswoman Megan Hook. She noted that the fair offers an “upscale” level of entertainment. Main performers include Sublime with Rome, Ludacris and Vanilla Ice.
Dylan Albanese, 12, of Oxnard, is obsessed with Fluffy. He likes him because he’s funny, comfortable with his size, and frequently makes fun of it.
“He’s kind of an idol,” Dylan said. He convinced his parents to buy VIP tickets because he wanted to hear every word of the show. Their seats were guaranteed and their wait in line was minimal.
But the VIP program left only about 2,500 bleacher seats available for the show, increasing the likelihood that people with general admission tickets would be turned away. That concern was evident in the line Monday, as people waited with water bottles and cardboard trays filled with baked potatoes, cheese and jalapeños.
Shortly after 5 p.m., more than two hours before the show started, the line started moving. People streamed into the grandstand arena or into the new Tito’s pre-party area, where there was food, drinks, live music and a place to wait for the show.
Shortly after 6 p.m., security told people that the stands were full. No one else could get through the general entrance, but VIP tickets would allow entry through another entrance.
“This is the first show we’ve been turned away from,” said Tyler Barkwill of Simi Valley, who blamed the new VIP program. Others left the show before the gates closed, fearing the stands would be too crowded.
Cindy Todd made it in. She considered buying a VIP ticket, but was told it would cost $200. She ended up in the fourth row of the stands and was happy about it. So was her husband.
“It’s not that funny,” said Richard Todd, pointing to the $200 price tag.
Prices varied by location. Chris Plueger of Ventura paid $139 per person for three tickets near the stage. He considered it money well spent.
“He’s one of the best comedians of all time and generally pretty family-friendly,” Plueger said. “It’s something I could take my mom and my daughter to.”
According to convention officials, 5,500 people attended the show. The night was lively at first, then freezing cold. The first of six comedians who formed the opening act took the stage around 7:30 p.m. They improvised on everything from Latino culture to the Dallas Cowboys.
Fluffy came onstage just before 9 p.m., wearing sneakers, shorts and a jacket. The 48-year-old talked about his performance at the long-closed Lobster Trap in Oxnard 27 years ago as part of a pattern of behavior about aging, happiness and political correctness.
He recounted how he was reprimanded for using the word “homeless,” but was then informed that the common term was “homeless.”
“I’m not fat anymore,” he told the audience. “I don’t do sports anymore.”
He performed for more than an hour, humorously telling stories ranging from surviving an airplane emergency landing in North Carolina to a robbery that forced him out of his home. The thieves didn’t find his money because he didn’t have a safe. He kept his cash under his mattress.
“They robbed someone who was even more of a ghetto citizen than they were,” he said.
The show ended with a story about a performance in Canada that drew so many Americans that people chanted “USA, USA.” Fluffy thought this was odd.
“Thousands and thousands of Americans have crossed the border to see a Mexican,” he said.
Adrian and Cynthia Rodriguez of Oxnard left smiling. They loved the show. They got to the fairgrounds around 3:30 p.m. and waited in line for 90 minutes before they could enter the fairgrounds.
Fluffy, they said, was worth it.
Tom Kisken covers health issues and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at [email protected].
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