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Ken Harrison

Ken Harrison is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Non-locals only at San Diego County fair

You're off base on this one Moss, being unfair to The Fair. Name one San Diego "headliner" that can fill 5,000 - 7,000 grandstand seats. That's what the "Grandstand" offers - national headlining acts at cheaper prices than concert or casino venues. In years past I've seen Gabriel Iglesias, Big Time Rush, Bob Hope, Dwight Yoakam, John Denver . . . only naming a few over the decades, all for free. Where else but at the fair. The fair put out a plea for local bands to sign up and send in audition tapes many months ago. Those local bands will be entertaining fairgoers playing metal, oldies, jazz, and all kinds of music, DJ's too, on one of the smaller stages around the fair. They'll attract hundreds of listeners if they're any good. I know, I played in a band at the fair for 15 years straight - The Fabulous Bel Air Boys Rock N Roll Review, up until the late 1980s. California, Ag. Districts run the county fairs up and down the state. Its nothing new. Ag Districts were formed in the 20s & 30s to promote agricultural via a county fair. The smart board of directors, who you descrbie as "somewhat shadowy" have turned our fair into a huge profit center for our local and state economy over the years, to now the "fourth largest fair in North America." The 22nd Ag Board seats are appointed by the Governor. A new Gov. usually replace two or three board members at the time of his election. At least it lets locals decide stuff and keep the state bureaucracy out of a great event. The fair is a different type of venue, in which it sounds like Linda Zwieg was trying to tell you. It can not be compared to the booking policies of the Belly Up, Sports Arena, casinos, Sea World/Zoo, street fairs, or any other music venue. None them serve food on sticks or have a Ferris wheel. I'm betting we won't see you at the media party?
— May 21, 2014 12:32 p.m.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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