OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party

Positive:
1. Great music and many options
2. Lots of variety of food
3. Casino was a lot of fun to play-​we won 2 concert tickets!
4. Lots of parking
5. Safe and people having a great time
Negative:
Actually we won 4 concert tickets but when it was time to pick it up they only had 2 ticket for us. There was no way to prove we won the other tickets :(

Dear Ancient Mayans… Suck it! The New year has arrived and we’re still all here!
I’ve never been to the OC fair grounds before, so luckily, Ryan gave us a pair of tickets! THANKS RYAN!
So we came here at 10 and decided to park in the neighborhood. It was one hell of a walk because they closed off the side entrances and you have to go through the front. Luckily, a security guard gave us a lift from one side of the park to the other!
They don’t let you bring in any drinks here, including water :(. Almost everything is outdoors, so dress warmly.
We spent a majority of our time in the casino, where they give you 100 pt token and you play black jack and roulette in order to save up for one day or seasonal passes. Luckily, we won 2 seasonal passes to the OC fair, such a sweet deal!
They had a few food trucks around, say around 15. I’m used to the LA art walk where there are over a hundred food trucks so this was pretty disappointing. They also have a couple of free rides such as bumper carts, a pendulum swing and a rotating hammer type of ride. (I don’t recommend eating and then going on those rides).
The cool part is that they have a bunch of tribute cover bands for different decades of music. 70’s, 80’s, and 90s and a modern music dj. Unfortunately, it was freezing so it’s not the most fun environment to dance in XD.
For the countdown, it was on the main stage where the Queen tribute band was performing. Also, they dress up the giant cow and chicken, great photo op! (I recommend doing this when you get in because everyone wants photos at the end).
2013 is here and the OC party was a fun way to kick off the new year!

This past NYE was the second one that I spent at the OC Block Party and I plan to keep going back.
Lots of cover bands that cover all the rock decades going on simultaneously. You can move from stage to stage listening to all your favorite hits. There is a dj that spins all night and if the dance is in your heart you can bust moves till it is content.
Food trucks and staple OC fair food vendors are scattered about so you can grab a bite to soak up the cocktails you have been consuming as you move from stage to stage.
There are carnival games so that your NYE date can prove their bravado by winning you a fluff filled token of their affections and you can return the gesture with a NY kiss.
Both times I went the crowd was very diverse as were their attire. Some ladies refuse to forgo their traditional sparkly NYE cocktail dress and heels despite the chilly low (for southern California) temperatures. Others were dressed down bundled in comfy pants and sweatshirts. But all were dressed to have a good time their way which seems to be the whole theme of the OC Block Party.
The event is all ages, but the tickets are the same price for adults and children. To me this is genius. I’m guessing the full price ticket of between $ 30 and $ 50 bucks deters parents from bringing children that couldn’t handle an adult oriented event. But it also provides a place for parents who want the NYE night out experience with their children that can appreciate it a place to party.
This is just fun times for anyone and everyone.
Hope to see you there next year!

THANK YOU RYAN FOR MAKING THIS EVENT! It was a really great NYE event that I won’t forget.
We arrived a little late to the event, but were able to avoid the 10 $ parking fee by parking in a nearby neighhborhood :) It was quite a walk, but one of the security was friendly enough to give us a ride to the front of the entrance when he saw us walking far. I loved that everything was practically free here except the food from the food trucks, but I had already ate a big dinner so I didn’t have room to try the 10+ food trucks there. I really wanted dogzilla too! :(There were I think 2 rides that I was familiar with seeing from the OC fair that were free! There were also some game booths (throw darts at the balloon) but the prizes weren’t that great and price was expensive compared to the OC fair. They use a single deck for 21 so if you wanna practice counting cards go for it haha
CASINO ROOM — OMG I wish every casino was like this. This was the highlight of the night. I would’ve been in this room for hours if I had arrived earlier. They closed it down at about 11:30PM. They give you FREE CHIPS to play to win prizes! That’s unheard of. We were able to win OC fair superpasses for free :) There was roulette, blackjack, and poker.
There were different stages as well w/​DJ’s and music going on which was fun. Lots of couches and lounge chairs for people to sit and chill. Loved the heat lamps that were on the whole night.
THE COUNTDOWN! Very fun with the big screen at the hangar. There was confetti and fireworks going off. Great way to end the year

This is the second year I’ve attended the OC Block Party on New Year’s Eve. It felt less chaotic this year which is great because it goes to show that they’re making changes and tweaking it each year.
The entry ticket was just under $ 50 but this year, they also offered a VIP ticket which was twice the price. If you planned ahead, the tickets could be had for around $ 30. For the VIP ticket, you were able to sit in the VIP area where there were sofas laid out and heaters (which did nothing really because they were so small) as well as blankets to beat the cold. The highlight of the VIP ticket was the bar (you get 2 alcoholic drinks with your ticket) as well as a small buffet of food stuff to munch on. There was a cheese plate, ceviche, stuffed mushrooms, chicken and beef teriyaki skewers, a DIY potato skins lay out.
I took a bite of the food but then decided I was better off just going outside to the food trucks and having my dinner there.
There were rides, cover bands, fair games, fair food, a casino area where you can ‘gamble’ with fair bucks that they give you when you enter. There even was a demolition derby this year.
When it came time for the count down, the hangar was the place to be with the Queen cover band Queen Nation doing the count down and the ‘space needle’ ride doing the ball drop at midnight.

If you buy your tickets ahead of time, it’s about $ 30 a piece. If you wait long enough to win ticket from Unilocal,then you get in for free like we did.
There were bumper car rides, the hammer swing, the drop ride and we decided that it was just too damn cold to wait in line. It looked like fun, but I couldn’t bare the cold.
I was impressed with the heat lamps strategically placed throughout the fairgrounds, located near the rides and at the food trucks.
We stopped by Dogzilla, had the original beef and then tried the furi dog for a sprinkle of nori and furikake on top on spicy pork. I should have just stuck with the loco moco with spam and eggs over the dogs.
The highlight of our evening were the cover bands who kicked major a$$. My favorite was the Beetles and for my husband was Van Halen. What NYE party can you attend to have endless live music and venture from tent to tent to treat yourself to an awesome concert.
Then, there was the countdown at the main stage where the cover band of Queen was performing along with fireworks and confetti. We were at the right spot, next to Lucile’s hot coffee getting our lattes on. Who says you can’t have fun while being sober?
This Block Party was awesome to say the least! They had a gambling casino, games, rides, alcohol, VIP sections, plenty of food trucks for variety, really clean bathrooms and a bunch of happy folks =)

The place that brings you deep fried almost everything is also the spot for a hot and happening NYE bash. Who knew?
Actually I’ve known for about 3 years but this is the first year I’ve actually gone. This year’s block party featured a demolition derby, food trucks, musical entertainment, and plenty of rides. I was surprised that the lines were short and there was access to bathrooms also without lines. The VIP area was accommodating with drinks and there was a live fun countdown with fireworks. I bundled up for the event but there were plenty of heat lamps to keep warm.
Overall, this was an impressive venue for NYE and I’d consider going again next year if I don’t already have plans.

Won 2 admission tickets from CM Ticket Giveaway: OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party, thank you Ryan C!!!
As usual my companion was late (again), so we literally arrived 2 minutes before the countdown. Didn’t get to sample the food trucks and since I don’t drink, booze was definitely out of the equation. So it was great to do the countdown with a lot of jubilant partygoers with their sparkling hats and tiaras, welcoming the year of the water snake. Big smiles, hugs and kisses all around. Walking huddled in thick coats and warm scarves, trying to take in all the wonderful sights. Didn’t get to watch the many shows either, but from what I observed how the crowd looked, I know I would’ve enjoyed myself too. Just looking at the set-​up, even when we were late it was still worth the trip. So in awe was I, that I even forgot to check in :(
Anyways, soon after it was time to leave. Dunno if I will get this chance again next year. If I do, I will definitely plan it better.

The OC Fairgrounds knows how to throw a party, be it the middle of the summer for the county fair or the last night of the year! The Block Party advertisements boasted Music.Food.Fun yet it was so much more! The OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party is a mini one night winter tribute band version of Coachella without the heat and overnight camp sites.
The festivities started at 7:30pm till 1:30 a.m. The big halls were transformed into concert halls with four stages covering the four decades of music from the 60’s to the 90’s for the 12 tribute bands. The 1960s stage featured Neil Diamond hits with the Hot August Night band, then crossing the pond for the Brit beats of Abbey Road band/​Jumping Jack Flash –The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones). True Stone fans would have appreciated the presence of Brian Jones in the band’s lineup which had a backup singer who looked like Janis Joplin!
The 1970s Stage was the Hangar stage with the back of the hall open to the Main Mall with the view of the neon lights, the food trucks, plus the free bumper car games, Super slides, and Super Shot. On the 1970s stage the evening featured Journey Unauthorized, then transitioned to Led Zeppelin tribute band Heartbreaker and finished the night with Queen Nation with a very convincing looking Freddie Mercury lead singer.
In the 1980s Stage was the Van Halen tribute band Atomic Punks, Dead Man’s Party is the Oingo Boingo tribute band, and the evening closer was Strangelove as the Depeche Mode tribute band. On the 1990s stage was Green Today for the Green Day tribute, The Joshua Tree for the U2 tribute with the local OC band members and their spot on Bono frontman as well as the blonde bombshell energy of Nu Duh for the No Doubt/​Gwen Stefani tribute.
Most of the attendees dressed warm in long pants, jackets, long coat and scarves as well as donning blinking Happy New Year tiaras and blinking glitter hats which were on sale in the merchandise booths. There were matching silver jacket couples, some unique lit tuxedo jackets with hats as well as some brave warm blooded scantilly dressed femme fatales. Security was visible yet not overpowering. The crowd seemed well behaved and having a good time with the variety of stages to visit, food trucks to check out as well as the Party Zone with djs playing the best dance music of the millennium.
The fair has its own year round Baja Blues bar adjacent to the outdoor arena for motocross events. For NYE there was an 8:30pm Demolition Derby which doesn’t last that long due to the nature of the sport. The arena was transformed with mounds of dirt for terrain for the automotive challenge. Also inside the Baja Blues bar was the opportunity to be the star of your very own music video and receive a free DVD of one’s performance by Dance Heads with their green screen background.
This year’s setup was more contained with the focus on the Main Mall for the 2013 Countdown Celebration. A previous OC Fair NYE featured Blondie as the headliner on an open stage with VIP booths in the parking lot. This year there was no laser show but there was fireworks at midnight while Queen Nation did the celebrated countdown. Each stage was well run with sound engineering and lighting. Every band was spot on with their performances.
For many older guests, it was a a wayback machine of melodies and anthems from concerts of their youth. Though it was mainly an adult crowd there were some families and teenagers yet the majority of the crowd was early 20s and up with a mix of many ageless groups.
Some local performers like female folksinger rocker Kerry Getz as well as Jason from the Galway Hooker band had the night off from performing to be on the other side of the stage. One of the benefits of the OC Fairgrounds is its ability to be a city center for the county making a big place to feel like a small town for the night.
I met people who had already celebrated the Irish New Year at 4pm at the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub in Long Beach with its live big screen coverage of the Imelda May performance and fireworks from Dublin. Some of the local pubs like the Old Shippe had their British New Year countdown as well. A lot of people were glad to have 2012 in the rear view mirror and they were looking forward to a fresh slate and a new beginning. Music is a great way to celebrate with old and new friends. Happy 2013.
Maybe the next NYE festival could change gears and feature some more original local music who deserve the big stage spotlight like bluesman K.K. Martin and Kerry Chester, Flashback Heart Attack, Tijuana Dogs, The Creepers or international music halls with Irish bands like Trooper Thorn, the Mulligans, the Twilight Lords or Rain for their Beatles tribute.

I won tickets from Off the Menu OC for the OC Block Party. I was really excited because I had never been before and this was a first for me. Finding something fun to do on NYE has always been a bit of a dilemma so having tickets to the biggest block party in OC was really cool. Admission is normally $ 47 per person but you can find deals online starting in September. Parking was $ 10 per car so carpooling is advised. They had quite an impressive line-​up of cover bands and food trucks.
Chris K. and I made a beeline for the food trucks after entering. After eating our fill from Bacon Mania, we walked around to check out what was offered. There were stages set up with a rotation of cover bands from the 1960s through 2000s. You could also get fair food if you really wanted it but I felt that the better deal was with the food trucks. We made our way into the Game Room where they set up a casino of sorts. Each person was given $ 100 of play money and we gambled for prizes. After trying our luck at the Blackjack tables, we won enough for a free ticket to the 2013 OC Fair. We went to cash out and the guy gave us a little more than what we actually won. Score! We actually got 3 tickets to the 2013 fair. Awesome!
The countdown at midnight also included fireworks. You could buy beer, wine, or cocktails if you were 21 & over. Rides were included with admission so you could ride the bumper cars or the drop tower for free. The food selection was decent and there was a healthy crowd. You could buy NYE hats with flashing LED lights to wear. It’s definitely something fun to do in a safe environment. I’m sure it will be even bigger next year. Happy New Year!

I won a pair of tickets from Unilocal and had a blast! :)
We’ve never been before so it was pretty cool getting to save $$ on admission prices and blowing it on lots of beer instead!
Parking = $ 10
Large Beer = $ 12 (We got Shock Tops)
I think we went to the Beers of the World vendor like 4 – 5 x and got larges each time. They’re definitely making some dough there.
–FOOD–
Lots of food trucks available but our favorite was:
SHORTSTOP BBQ! — We got there at 7:30 PM and they were already sold out of a lot of items. We got the PULLED PORK Sandwich ($ 7) and wow, melt-​in-​your-​mouth goodness! It had creamed corn on top of the pork, hugged by a brioche bun. We loved it! And we got another for a friend that came later, who also loved it too :) We were walking around with the food getting beers, and was so surprised that it didn’t get soggy. Totally delicious.
Baconmania — We got the Bacon Mac ($ 5) which was bacon mac n’ cheese with a little spicy kick. SUPER cheesy, super bacon-​y. For the price and the amount, it was just OK. I would’ve gladly switched the mac for another Pulled Porker from Shortstop though.
White Rabbit — This was disappointing :/​We got the Beefsteak Burrito ($ 8). Comes with beefsteak, rice, and a fried egg in it. Too expensive for what it is.
–DEMOLITION DERBY–
I was most excited for this since I’ve never watched one. There were 13 cars in the event, and it was SO much fun watching them ram into each other repeatedly. (!) Lots of smoke, lots of crowd roars, and there was even a fire! So exciting! :D
Pic:
–MUSIC–
Lots of different stages/​rooms with cover bands from the 60s-​90s but we spent most of our time in the Party Room which was the main dance floor. Definitely got a workout there!
There was also a great No Doubt coverband called No Duh that played after the midnight celebrations.
–GAMES/​RIDES–
There were 3 carnival rides that was included in the ticket but we only went on 1, which were the Bumper Cars. It was nostalgic :) The other 2 were Super Shot (ugh, my stomach can’t handle that) and Kamikazee (my stomach DEFINITELY cannot handle that).
We wandered into the Vegas Games Room but it was pretty packed so we didn’t play. :(
–MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION–
They used the Super Shot as the «drop» for the midnight countdown and there were some minor fireworks. Not Disneyland quality for sure, but overall everyone had a great time.
–POLAR BEAR–
Our friend dressed up as a polar bear, and he was the only one in a furry costume so he got A LOT of attention.
Pic:
It was pretty cool that he got shoutouts from the Demolition Derby announcer and the No Duh singer :)
But not cool when he got his beer slapped out of his hand TWICE when people were too excited to jump on him or get a picture taken with him: P
If I didn’t win tickets, I would’ve never had thought to come here since shelling out $ 45 is kinda pricey. Not to mention the beer price that can add up (and it did!). And since I’m not a «Vegas-​games» kinda person, that room held no interest for me.
I would’ve enjoyed more carnival rides, and maybe some discounts on the food. Also, they should let people bring in their own waters too. Overall, thankful for the chance to win tickets though, and if you’re a music lover and «gambler» this is the perfect and safe NYE event for adults (not kids)!

I NEED HALF STARS!!! It needs to be a 3.5 star! This is good that I’m the first reviewer because we went last year when it was their first year doing it and then we went again this year, so pretty much, I’m an OC Block Party expert!
Last year I would say it was 4 stars. this year closer to 3, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and start them off with 4 stars.
PROs: good music (a ton of cover bands and they are pretty good ones) last year the Heart and Journey cover bands were AWESOME! This year they had a Green Day one that was pretty good, but nobody else that I was overly interested in… Bowie was pretty good. Food trucks are the main source of food. We love food truck meet-​ups, so that’s a definite plus there… the ones that showed and that we had were pretty good (Sexy Burger and Burnt Truck were delicious) but not as many came this year (more in cons). They had a party zone that had sumo wrestling, a jacob’s ladder, ferris wheel, swing ride, and hot shot ride. so things other to do than just music and eat. Decent selection of booze, Shock Top on tap ONE OF OUR FAVs!! Apparently there was a casino and dueling pianos and comedy hypnosis… but we got too drunk to see any of that :-) Conveniently located right across the street from a Best Western which is where we booked a room just for the occasion.
CONs: If we’re being honest, it’s a little expensive for what you’re actually getting. It’s anywhere from $ 30-​$ 50 (depending on when you buy tix) and all you get for that is entry… I guess it is paying for the cover bands. You have to pay for all food, drinks. and most entertainment once you’re inside. The dueling piano and comedy stuff is obviously included, but still, I think a legit price is a flat $ 25 no matter when you purchase, especially since food trucks CAN get a bit pricey. My other major complaint was that there was no where NEAR the ammt. of food trucks this year as there were last year! I remember like 40+ trucks last year and this year they didn’t even get 20… pretty lame since that’s like a solid third of the reason to go.
This is a good venue if you can’t find anything else to do on NYE. It’s nice because you get everything pre-​planned for you in one area and you can feel safe within the confines of the fairgrounds & you’re among a lot of people which is a cool feeling for NYE. You even get some fireworks at midnight. There is def. enough to do with the bands, rides, shows, etc… at least a couple things for everyone (or almost everyone). I would DEFINITELY say this is NOT a good venue for children, period even though there does not appear to be an age restriction. Going 2 years in a row, we said this… we would go again next year since it’s so close and convenient, but we would look to make different plans first and if there wasn’t anything else to do, we’d do this again because we know exactly what to expect.