Clouds Don’t Dampen Crowds at the Fair

Overcast skies, low, gray clouds, morning drizzles and slight humidity cast gloom over most of Orange County on Thursday, but people attending Senior Citizens Day at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa didn’t seem to mind the dreary weather.

“This is perfect weather for Senior Citizens Day,� one elderly woman said. “We don’t like it very hot.�

At the “Ice Cold Beer� stand in the afternoon, business was so slow that a worker busied himself polishing the simulated shingles on the stand’s roof.

At the amphitheater, where the pop group The Jets warmed up for an evening concert, six maintenance workers wiped water off folding chairs with paper towels.

“Earlier this week, they (concert goers) would have liked this water, to cool off,� one worker said.

As of 3 p.m., 18,387 people had attended the eighth day of the fair, with more expected to arrive for the concert, said Jill Lloyd, the fair’s media relations coordinator. On the same day last year, 8,856 people attended the fair all day.

“It’s the exact ideal weather,� Lloyd said, adding that she didn’t expect the high attendance. “It’s cooler but it’s not cold. Senior citizens don’t like it too hot.�

But the wetness took a toll on morning commuters. “It hasn’t rained for a while,� California Highway Patrol spokesman Paul Caldwell said.

“The mist lifted all the surface dirt, oil and diesel fuel on the freeways and made it really slippery. Unfortunately some drivers don’t take this into consideration and end up sliding off the roads.�

Caldwell said there were no major accidents this morning, but as many mishaps were reported during the early Orange County commute hour as his office normally receives in an entire day.

“It was like the fire department during brush fire season,� he said. “We spent the morning running around all over the place. We had things stacked up left and right.�

He said the worst traffic came at 8:30 a.m. when three cars had separate accidents on the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway near Dyer Road, with commuters backed up in both directions for almost an hour.

At county beaches, dark clouds loomed over small surfs and “very minimal� crowds, lifeguards reported. The water and air were cooler than normal, at about 65 degrees, and lifeguards described the two-foot surf as “poor.�

Fewer than 500 people--5% of the normal crowd size--showed up at Bolsa Chica State Beach, lifeguard Ron Hoffman said. A foggy morning and cloudy skies kept crowds so small that the lifeguard towers were closed and the lifeguards patrolled on foot.

Newport Beach had a “pretty quiet� crowd of about 35,000, less than half the normal attendance, according to Lt. Ron Johnson of the city’s marine department. A few surfers hit the surf Thursday morning, he said.

And at Seal Beach, overcast skies and morning drizzles kept the crowds to about 500, although there are usually about 11,000 people, a lifeguard reported.

“It’s pretty sad today, not much of a turnout,� said Mike Beuerlein at Huntington Beach. About 12,000 people were there, but 45,000 usually roam the beach, the lifeguard said.

“People are trying to stay warm,� he said. “They’re either moving around or lying down wrapped up. It’s almost at the point of being tedious. Not much going on at all.�

Laguna Beach was humid, overcast and “real dreary,� lifeguard Jason Ehret said. Many of the 300-400 people, down from about 8,000, played basketball and volleyball.

“Some people were trying to catch some fogged sun, which was pretty useless,� he said.

Today should be slightly cooler, with low clouds and sporadic drizzles all day, according to forecasts. The afternoon will be partly cloudy and breezy with a low in the mid 70s and a high in the low 80s. The surf will be up about a foot.

Times Staff Writers Steve Emmons and Lonn Johnston contributed to this story.