Fairgoers Frolic Through Fright and Flowers

The Del Mar Fair opened its 19-day run for 1988 on Thursday, and Matthew Mervynne pronounced himself pleased.

Matthew, 7, a San Diego resident, attends the fair to experience short bursts of controlled terror and prolonged consumption of corn dogs, cotton candy and Pepsi.

“I liked the ride where you go down a dark place, and then a man with blood all over him jumps out and scares you,” he explained. “We’re coming back Saturday so my sister can be scared.”

Thelma Harrod was equally satisfied at the debut of “Beef at the Beach,” as this edition of the fair is dubbed. At age 80, her interest runs more toward flowers than the Fun Zone midway.

Flowers Galore

“I’ve been coming to the fair for 41 years, and I think there are more flowers this year than ever before,” Harrod said as she and a friend, Dorothy Rutkowski, 83, inspected the Magic Carousel baby roses that were part of the North County Rose Society exhibit.

And so it is at the county fair, that eclectic concoction of Americana that aims to offer something for everybody.

If you want to marvel at the many types of furniture that can jingle and soothe your spine, this is the place. Or learn about more kinds of spot removers than you thought existed, or see the giant dinosaurs among the tall greenery.

Or see McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog (at the San Diego Police Department booth), or eat a Polish burrito, a Giant California Gourmet Olive, or some Mackinac Island chocolate, or listen to fast-talking men with microphones wired around their necks as they talk about kitchen gizmos called Foodsaver, Marvlizer, Saladmaster, Osterizer, Snakmaster and/or Bamix from Switzerland.

“A man who can’t have fun at a fair just plain doesn’t have much imagination,” said James Masterson, 53, a landscaper from Chula Vista.

Every Day Is Different

Each day at the fair has its own flavor, and opening day, traditionally the smallest crowd, was heavy with senior citizens. Couples packed a dance floor to the Big Band sounds of Gus Reinhold’s Orchestra.

Meanwhile across the grounds, a rock ‘n’ roll group had more musicians than listeners in mid-afternoon. “Don’t laugh, man,” said one of the musicians, “this is how Loretta Lynn started.”

Some of the biggest names around will be making appearances at the fair this summer: the Pointer Sisters on Saturday, Toto on June 24, Neil Sedaka on June 26, Smokey Robinson on June 29, the Count Basie Orchestra and the Mills Brothers on June 30, and Johnny Cash on July 4, the fair’s finale.

It would be foolhardy to establish fair favorites based on a one-day crowd, but clearly several entries broke swiftly from the gate: the Zipper ride, the chicken teriyaki, the Space Bobber fishing reel demonstration, and the San Diego Gas & Electric safety demonstration, in which a clear plastic roof from a miniature house is blown skyward to show the dangers of high-voltage wires.

Appearing at the fair for the first time this summer is an educational booth manned by folks from the refuse collection division of the General Services Department of the City of San Diego.

An eye-catching exhibit of improperly stacked trash is meant to show residents how to properly pack their refuse to avoid damage to the environment and to collectors. Also available are trash position papers by George Bush, Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson.

TODAY AT THE FAIR

Contests:

4:30 p.m., Hand Milking Contest, Ring 1

5 p.m., Best Hat Contest, Picnic Stage

6 p.m., Sheep Dog Herding Contest, Ring 1

Shows:

* 11 a.m., Marie Hitchcock’s Puppet Show, Calico Stage

* 2 p.m., Breed Horse Show, Ring 1

* 7:30 p.m., The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Pontiac Dealers Grandstand