One of the most exciting times of the year growing up was the opening of the L.A. Country Fair. You're probably thinking the fair was in Los Angeles. But no, it actually was in my hometown of Pomona which is about 40 miles south of L.A. I'm not sure why the fair ended up there, maybe because there was lots of land and it was at one time a very agricultural area and maybe because that's where very leggy girls come from. (The fair photos are all from Google images).
I found this diary post from when I was about 13 (translation below).
"Today is the worst day of the year so far. Dick came over and said that he wasn't going to take us to the fair. My Mother won't let me go out tonight and I could be taking a walk with Dick and Richard might come over. The reason my mother won't let me go out is because it is Barb's 16th B.D. So I just went to my room and cried."
But then later I must have been able to go to the fair because I found evidence in my diary that I had been there for a big Rock and Roll dance. Here's the ticket:
I wonder if I wore the proper dress. And how on earth did I afford $1.50 to get in? I vaguely remember seeing Joe Houston. But who were the Six Teens & a Turk? They must have been one of those 1 hit wonders. And the Cups????
The L.A. County Fair is still in Pomona and will be opening some time in September. But I don't think I'll go. I'm sure they've patched those holes by now!
Oh my goodness, yes I remember now what was posted earlier for this next up coming SS! This was exciting! I love the fair! Any fair really!
ReplyDelete"Proper Dress" !!! :) One Thing For Sure,A Dress With Pockets In..to keep the ticket!
ReplyDeleteI certainly wasn't expecting to see a show of legs like this at a fair.
ReplyDeleteOh Teen Angst! That ticket is really Google-worthy. I'm off to see what I can find.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
DeleteI checked Google (out of both of our curiosities) and found that one group was the Turks and the other was the Sixteens. Two separate Groups.
A google post says:
In July, the Turks appeared as part of an Al Jarvis show at the L.A. County Fair Grounds in Pomona. They shared the stage with the Six Teens, the Platters, Joe Houston, and Shirley Gunter.
I can't believe they wouldn't have put The Platters on the ticket. They were sure bigger than the Turks or the Six Teens.
Now the mystery is - what or who were the Cups??
I read that too! I'm wondering if Cups isn't a group but a gift. Notice the line begins with Prizes - Cups would form the bookend. Maybe ticket holders got a free cup (instead of a beer koozie like they would get today). Or maybe they're a group that just didn't make it into Wikipedia.
DeleteThis was just great, and such a mix of oldies but goodies! As I was checking around for fair photos and such, I came across a lot of girly shows too....they were around before my time, because I don't recall ever seeing those either! Cool post, thanks!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the cups were given for the best dancers. That picture of all the girls with their legs in the air is unusual for a beauty parade isn’t it? Once again you’ve found us a really interesting take on the prompt.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, this is so cool. Glad to know that I am not the only one who snuck into the fair through holes in the fences. We would also see what the stamp of the day was on somebody else's hand and recreate it the best that we could. When you went more than once, it became very expensive.
ReplyDeleteThe boys and chance of meeting somebody at the fair, especially in junior high, was a big draw, wasn't it? Remember the "carnies", the guys who set up and ran the rides? Some were cute and they held a dangerous element ... kind of a scary bunch over all.
So glad that you ended up having fun on Barbara's birthday after all!
Kathy M.
I wonder what proper dress meant then--probably dresses for the girls and no T-shirts or jeans for the boys. At least that's probably what was required back when I was in school.
ReplyDeleteCould the Cups possibly be the Dixie Cups? The group had a number one hit "Chapel of Love" in 1964. Enjoyed your post! I'm always amazed that you still have all those special mementos from your childhood and teen years. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteMy husband tells stories of his family sneaking into the Royal Melbourne Show year after year. They lived locally and knew where there were broken planks on the fence, which could be slid off and replaced.
ReplyDeleteLoved the inclusion of the old music too.
That diary entry is a gem, at least it took until September to experience "the worst day of the year", so funny.
ReplyDeleteI see you did what you had to do to have some fun,
ReplyDeleteand meet boys!!
Funny the things we keep over time.
Saw something about six teens on you tube, but nothing about six teens and a turk...
Not the same, I presume.
:)~
HUGZ