“People come [to the fair] to experience something familiar but they also come here to experience something new,” said Santana, who also serves on the Whittier College Board of Trustees, in a news article in the Daily Bulletin.
In the spirit of keeping things fresh, the 2018 fair embraced a theme for the first time in more than two decades—"Get Your Kicks…at the LA County Fair.” The vintage Americana theme, an homage to Route 66, was chosen to honor both Californian and American history, and was executed with plenty of décor including classic cars and replicas of iconic landmarks found along the famous road. The fair also featured an exhibit that highlighted the rich history of the highway itself.
Months before fair construction went under way, Santana traveled the entirety of Route 66 on a road trip, documenting his many stops, and used this experience as inspiration to bring the theme to life.
This year’s fair saw over a million attendees, and Santana hopes that new innovations like this one will continue to attract people to future fairs.
“I’m so proud of this, and our team did a great job of capturing the spirit and celebrating Americana, and yet, making it part of the Fair as if it was always here,” he added in the article.
