Castles made of sand at Orange County Fair

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- A small and sandy city precedes the temporary microcosm

that is the Orange County Fair.

Though scholars debate whether Atlantis even existed -- not to mention

whether it was in the Atlantic or the Indian Ocean -- the speculated

island stands, for now, in Costa Mesa in the form of 400 tons of artfully

sculpted sand.

The towers reach as high as a nearby magnolia tree. The city is as

wide as the red administration building behind it.

Fair officials call the area the Beachfront -- a large exhibit that

will, by opening day on Friday, include a swimsuit display, exhibits of

surfboards and other aquatic features to fit with this year’s

water-themed fair.

“We’re using the Beachfront as a tribute to the water that we play

in,” said Joan Hamill, director of exhibits for the fair. “The Lost City

of Atlantis -- we thought that would be an interesting spin on an ocean.”

The rest of the entrance will include performances by hypnotist Mark

Yuzuik on the Sun Stage, fast-paced rides and a display of “woodie”

station wagons.

On Tuesday, yellow chalk scribbles marked where the woodies and

sandbox should go. With employees wearing matching fair shirts, driving

around in convenient fair carts, the whimsical mood of the 110th fair had

already arrived.

Running Friday through July 28, the fair this year will include

additions like a frog-ridden Ribbit Exhibit and mainstays like the

demolition derby, carnival rides and livestock auctions.

Throughout the fair, Sandscapes artists who created the Lost City of

Atlantis will build two more sculptures for visitors to witness the

process. They will be smaller, which means about 15 tons per piece,

artist Greg Glenn said. The company makes it a point to use material

found locally because it’s easier to transport.

As two-time world champions at the Sand Sculpture World Championship,

Glenn and his staff have made just about everything for both their

clients and for competitions. When asked why they constructed a rendition

of Atlantis, the artist shrugged.

“It was requested by the fair,” he said, pleasantly nonchalant as to

why his customers want what they want. “It keeps it interesting for us.”

The sculpture, which was finished last month, boasts details as subtle

as the eyebrows of a goddess’ face and the splinters at the edge of a log

that has fallen and broken in the rubble of the city. There are scalloped

domes and windowed towers, arches and even shrubs.

“It’s so intriguing because you see something different at every

angle,” Hamill said. “People are really amazed at the artistry and the

beauty of it. I think the size of it is quite amazing as well.”

* Young Chang is the features and arts and entertainment writer. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or by e-mail at o7

[email protected] .