Fairplex
The Fairplex has been the home of the
The Fairplex is owned by
Facilities
Having begun in 1922 with 43 acres (170,000 m2) donated by the City of Pomona, the Fairplex grounds now cover 543 acres (2.2 km2) and include nearly 325,000 square feet (30,200 m2) of indoor exhibit space. Slightly less than half of the grounds are given over to paved parking areas to accommodate 30,000 vehicles. Among other features of the Fairplex are various scenic parks, plazas and picnic areas, a historic train exhibit, and 12 acres (49,000 m2) of carnival grounds.
Railways
The
Barretts OTB, sales, and closed race facilities
There is a large off-track betting (OTB) horse wagering racebook at the Fairplex, located on White Avenue, about a mile north from McKinley Avenue in Pomona. The OTB accepts racing signals from the United States, Canada, and Australia. There is also a restaurant and Sports Bar called the Finish Line Grill. Next to the OTB is Barretts Sales and Racing, a horse facility with a (now closed) 5/8 mile racetrack and a grandstand seating 10,000. Barrett's provided equine training facilities, horse show facilities, and the Barrett's Equine Limited horse auction complex.[3] The grandstand facility is also used to host concerts and special events accommodating up to 15,000 patrons. Barrett's and the Los Angeles County Fair Association reached an agreement in February 2013 for naming rights, and the race meet was referred to as the "Barrett's Race Meet at Fairplex."[4] In addition to horse races, the track hosted the final round of the American Flat Track motorcycle racing series in 2009 and from 2011 to 2014.[5]
The Fairplex is home to a
The Fairplex is the site of the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex, a year-round education and exhibit space affiliated with
RV park
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2020) |
From 2015 through 2017, the Fairplex became the subject of news and investigation by the Los Angeles Times for the improper collection of taxes from Fairplex RV Park residents, as well as its neglect of the RV park grounds, which resulted in issues with bed bugs and roaches as well as infrastructure problems that include damaged roads and walkways, bathrooms in disrepair, inadequate plumbing and electrical fixtures. In 2017, in a separate article written by the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Fair Association agreed to a $325,000 settlement with the residents of the Fairplex RV Park. The settlement agreement allowed at least 475 people to be reimbursed for improper collection of taxes. Unfortunately, due to the law that provides a legal right to recover improperly collected taxes, residents were only able to file for reimbursement as far back as four years prior to the 2015 lawsuit, leaving some residents unable to request reimbursement for taxes collected prior to that date. Within the aforementioned article, it has also been reported that the Association has spent $250,000 on renovations of public bathrooms and showers, and calls for more transparency of the Los Angeles Fair Association by the public and the City of Pomona.[8]
Pomona Assembly Center
During
Construction on the
On August 24, 2016 a plaque was erected to recognize the former assembly center, POW camp.[9][10]
Location
It is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, California, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.
Transportation
The facility features a Metrolink platform on the north side of the property, where San Bernardino Line trains provide passenger services on fair days.[11]
Preceding station | Metrolink | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Covina toward L.A. Union Station
|
San Bernardino Line (fair days)
|
Pomona–North toward San Bernardino–Downtown
|
The under construction Los Angeles Metro Rail La Verne station on the Foothill Extension will service the Fairplex, set to open in fall 2024.
In popular culture
- The rodeo scenes in Pee-wee's Big Adventure were shot at the Fairplex in 1985.
- 2 songs: Atchison, Topeka and Santa FeCaboose #1314 was re-identified to "The Biggle Express" For the 2 Songs.
References
- ^ "FAIRPLEX - Home of the L.A. County Fair - About Fairplex". Archived from the original on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ "Fairplex Garden Railroad". fgrr.org.
- ^ "Fairplex Park - Pomona horseracing, Satellite wagering, Betting, Wagering, Satellite racing, Pomona bullring". Archived from the original on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ "Barretts and Fairplex Park Combine". bloodhorse.com. February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- ^ Pomona Half Mile Cancellation Explained - Andrea Wilson, Cycle News, 11 June 2015
- ^ "FAIRPLEX - Home of the L.A. County Fair - Destinations - NHRA Motosports Museum". Archived from the original on 2006-10-22. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ "The Millard Sheets Gallery at Fairplex". Archived from the original on 2007-05-24. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
- ^ "They paid a bogus tax for years. Now, fairgrounds trailer park tenants will get some money back". Los Angeles Times. April 5, 2017.
- ^ Linke, Konrad. "Pomona (detention facility)" Densho Encyclopedia (accessed 18 Jun 2014).
- ^ "California in World War II: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area during World War II". www.militarymuseum.org.
- ^ "Metrolink to make special stop at the L.A. County Fair". Metrolink. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "Park and Ride Lots".
- ^ "197: Pomona – Claremont – Montclair via Fairplex and Arrow Hwy".