County Fair Tops the Family Fare : From Fantasmic show to Christmas parades, it’s a busy season

The Los Angeles County Fair, which opened Friday and runs through Oct. 4, tops the list of don’t-miss events slated for fall. It’s a great place to take a date--or a family; it’s a jammin’ diversion for teen-agers, a paradise for animal lovers--a place where most anybody can be entertained. Attractions include carnival rides and a midway; a boat exhibit; 4-H kids vying for ribbons for creatures such as hogs and goats; horseback riding competitions; spas, crafts and photography exhibits; wine tasting, and foods you might otherwise have the will power not to eat--from fudge to funnel cakes.

You don’t even have to take it all in on one day, because the county fair lasts three weeks. L.A. Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. $10; seniors $7; children $5. (714) 623-3111.

If you think you’ve “been there, done that” when you hear “Disneyland,” it may be worth another trip to the park just to see “Fantasmic,” through Jan. 1. The magical mixture of water, lights and music originally planned for summer is being extended through fall on weekends and holidays.

The show, which takes place in the lagoon and on Tom Sawyer Island, is the latest spectacular to uphold the Disney reputation. It’s worth the wait until dark, but you’ll have to stake out a spot on the pavement or grass around New Orleans Square at least an hour before showtime (the bridge over Pirates of the Caribbean has a great view, but it’s standing-room only).

The 9 and 10:30 p.m. shows have averaged 10,000 people each night, so you might as well save your appetite, take a couple of turns on Splash Mountain, Star Tours and the rest, then pick your spot for the show, have a picnic, take a nap. About half an hour before showtime, a jazz band performs from a raft, floating across the lagoon. The third show, at 11:45 p.m., is the least crowded. Included in regular admission, $28.75; children 3-11, $23. (213) 626-8605.

The Hollywood Christmas Parade on Nov. 29 this year is one way (maybe the only way) to bring the stars out at night to Hollywood Boulevard. The town comes alive for this annual journey by floats, equestrians, marching bands and celebrity-filled vehicles, from 6-8 p.m. More than a million spectators can’t be wrong. It’s festive, it’s fun, it’s televised--on KTLA Channel 5. (213) 469-8311.

Universal Studios has tossed its hat into the bottomless pit of Halloween festivities, with a multimillion-dollar fright fest. Norman Bates’ mother is among the cinematic icons Universal will resurrect for the transformation of its 420-acre backlot for “Halloween Horror Nights.” Attractions include monsters, secret passageways, creepy cuisine, a fright-themed dance club and the Terror Tram Adventure, the twisted tram ride that boasts 4,000 gallons of stage blood, a thousand (trained, they claim) rats and a collection of crawly critters. Not recommended for children under 13. Entertainment includes Penn & Teller. Two weekends, Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31. 7 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $27; Ticketmaster, (213) 480-3232.

Knott’s Berry Farm makes its annual transformation into Knott’s Scary Farm, weekends Oct. 9-Nov. 1, a cobweb-infested, hair-raising event that will scare the pumpkin out of younger kids--and some adults. Teens love it. Includes the regular rides and most attractions, $27 (advance purchase recommended, $25). (714) 220-5200.

For an inside look at what a California Christmas was like at the turn of the century, the Workman and Temple Homestead Museum in City of Industry opens the Temple mansion for its annual “1920s Electrical Christmas.” Tours and festivities focus on the 1920s, 1870s and 1840s--periods that the family owned the historic rancho. Dec. 5-6, 4-9 p.m. $3. (818) 968-8492.

Other noteworthy events:

Monday-Tuesday: L.A. Job Mart, Long Beach Convention Center. (310) 436-3661.

Saturday-next Sunday: 34th Annual Catalina Festival of Art, Catalina Island. (310) 510-0808 or 510-1520.

Saturday: Koreatown parade. 3 p.m. (213) 730-1495.

Saturday: Louisiana to Los Angeles Festival. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Exposition Park, Los Angeles. (213) 485-2437.

Sept. 26: Day of the Drum Festival, Watts Towers. (213) 569-8181.

Oct. 3-4: Avocado Festival. Foods, entertainment, farmers’ market, arts & crafts. Downtown Carpinteria. (805) 684-0038.

Oct. 3-4: Stagecoach Days. Parade, carnival, rodeo, Western dancing. Banning. (714) 849-4695.

Oct. 17: Autumn Sea Fair, with ocean-oriented games, exhibits, food and music. Cabrillo Marine Museum, San Pedro. (310) 548-7562.

Oct. 21-25: Boat Show, Long Beach Convention Center. (310) 436-3661.

Oct. 26-31: Halloween carnivals/haunted houses, Long Beach. Parks, Recreation & Marine Department, (310) 421-9431.

Oct. 28-Nov. 1: Boat Show, indoor and in the water. Long Beach Convention Center and downtown marina. (714) 633-7581.

Oct. 29-Nov. 1: NHRA World Finals, L.A. Fairplex Drag Strip. (714) 623-3111.

Oct. 24-25: Calabasas Days and Pumpkin Festival. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Paramount Ranch, Agoura. (818) 222-5680.

Oct. 24-25: International Festival of Masks, Hancock Park. Dance, theater, storytelling. 11 a.m.-dusk. Free. (213) 937-5544.

Oct. 31: Happy Haunting, gifts to first 200 costumed kids at Shoreline Village, Long Beach. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (310) 435-2125.

Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Halloween Paradefest, Rainbow Lagoon Park, Long Beach. Music, food, rides, games, “Wanna Be” parade, kinetic art sculpture race. (310) 983-8600.

Nov. 5-8: Sports Spectacular, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Nov. 8: 10th annual International Folk Art Market, Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Culver City. $4. (213) 937-5544.

Nov. 13-15: Great Western Show, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Nov. 20-22: Woodworking show, Long Beach Convention Center, (310) 436-3661.

Nov. 20-22: Pomona Valley Indian Ceremonial Show, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Nov. 20-22: Palm Springs Road Races, a three-day event surrounding a vintage auto race. (818) 506-4661.

Nov. 25-29: Long Beach International Auto Show, Long Beach Arena, (310) 436-3661.

Nov. 27-Dec. 24: Ghost Town Christmas Crafts Festival, Knott’s Berry Farm (park admission not required), (714) 220-5200.

Nov. 27-Dec. 13: Victorian Christmas, Fridays-Sundays, Heritage Square Museum, Highland Park. (818) 796-2898.

Nov. 28-29: Great American Train Show, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Nov. 29: Doo Dah Parade. Noon-2 p.m. Pasadena. (818) 795-9311.

Dec. 1-31: Christmas Tree Lane and parade. Private homes decorated on Daisy Avenue, Long Beach. (310) 436-7703.

Dec. 1-31: Floating Lighted Christmas Trees, Alamitos Bay, Long Beach. (310) 436-3661.

Dec. 4-6: Harvest Festival, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Dec. 5-6: Victorian Christmas. Banning Residence Museum, Wilmington. (310) 548-7777.

Dec. 11-13: Rancho Los Cerritos candlelight tours, $3, Christmas open house Dec. 13, free. Long Beach. (310) 424-9423.

Dec. 11-13: Great Western Show, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.

Dec. 12: Marina del Rey Christmas Boat Parade. 5:30 p.m. from main channel. Free. (310) 821-7614.

Dec. 16-24: Las Posadas, a candlelight procession down Olvera Street depicting journey of Mary and Joseph into Bethlehem, 8 p.m. Downtown. (213) 687-4344.

Dec. 20: “Run for the Roses,” 5K & 10K run at Rose Bowl. 8 a.m. Free to spectators. (818) 449-1952.

Dec. 26-Jan. 1: La Mesa RV Show, L.A. Fairplex. (714) 623-3111.