The robots are being dismantled and packed away, the glue and glitter is being cleaned up, and the animals are resting after three days of visitors. With record-breaking attendance, the OC Fair & Event Center’s largest community give-back event, Imaginology, has come to a close.
In total, Imaginology hosted more than 46,000 guests over the weekend of April 13-15, up nearly 30 percent from 2017.
Several events took place within Imaginology, including Dia del Nino, an annual festival that was previously held in Santa Ana and featured several performances and artist workshops on Sunday. Throughout the weekend, Vital Link hosted its STEM Showcase, which celebrated tech and gadgets in a hands-on way, featuring robot competitions, 3D and VR demonstrations and more. Over in Livestock, 4-H and FFA groups competed in master showmanship events, and in Baja Blues, Academic Chess hosted its Tournament of Champions.
With tons of exhibitors, demonstrations and hands-on activities, the list goes on. Here are a few numbers to help digest the fun of Imaginology.
46,131 guests attended 2018 Imaginology
1,000 LEGO pieces were used by contestants in the Bytes and Bots MiniMAKEathon competition
400 paper airplanes flew across The Hangar during Aerospace Adventure
30 gallons of milk were produced from the cow-milking demos in Millennium Barn
16 community entertainment performances on Mail Mall Stage
400 boys and girls participated in Fishing in the City
450 people took a ride on the tractor that circled the fairgrounds
6.5 pounds of wool were shaved off during sheep shearing in Centennial Farm
8 hats were entered into Imaginology’s first ever Steampunk Hat Contest
60 pounds of honey sold by OC Beekeepers Association
1,346 burgers and brats sold by Boy Scout Troop 339
14 other vendors and local organizations provided delicious dining options for guests, including Boy Scout Troop 274, OC 4-H Tri-City, Cathy’s Cookies and Scooter’s Italian Ice
Finally, six scarecrows were entered into the annual Scarecrow Contest, including one made by Xander Leising, 9, of Long Beach. Leising did not let his severe allergy to hay stop him from entering the contest. Instead, he decorated his scarecrow while wearing a Hazmat-like suit and mask.
“He likes to participate and do the same activities that the others do,” Andrew Leising, Xander’s father, said. But if Xander is in contact with hay, “he gets incredibly itchy, suffers from a runny nose and is miserable for the rest of the day.”
Initially hesitant to enter the contest this year, Xander brought the idea to his parents that he could wear protective gear. The family purchased a protective coverall suit and mask on Amazon. In the end, his hard work paid off and Xander took home Best in Show, the top prize of the competition.
Imaginology 2018 was held April 13-15 at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. In an effort to showcase S.T.E.A.M.-powered education, the event provided exhibits and demonstrations based on the facets of science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The event offered various educational hands-on activities designed to inspire and encourage academic and career exploration. Several arts-related competitions were hosted by OC Fair with participation from hundreds of local schools. Results for the competitions will be posted at ocfair.com/imaginology.
