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{{Short description|Fairgrounds for Los Angeles County in Pomona, California, U.S.}}
[[File:L.A. County Fair at Dusk.JPG|thumb|L.A. County Fair at dusk, 2008]]
The '''Fairplex''' has been the home of the [[Los Angeles County Fair|L.A. County Fair]] since 1922. Known prior to 1984 as the '''Los Angeles County Fairgrounds''', it is located in the city of [[Pomona, California]]. The L.A. County Fair is held during the month of May since 2022, but the facility is used  year-round to host a variety of educational, commercial, and entertainment such as trade and consumer shows, conventions, and sporting events.

The Fairplex is owned by [[Los Angeles County]], but is leased to and is governed by an independent, self-supporting [[non-profit organization]], the [[Los Angeles County Fair Association]], which manages and produces the county fair and re-invests surplus revenues generated by the fair and other events in the maintenance and development of the facility.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fairplex.com/fp/AboutUs/index.asp |title=FAIRPLEX - Home of the L.A. County Fair - About Fairplex |access-date=2007-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109034724/http://www.fairplex.com/fp/AboutUs/index.asp |archive-date=2007-01-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Facilities==

Having begun in 1922 with {{convert|43|acre|m2}} donated by the City of Pomona, the Fairplex grounds now cover {{convert|543|acre|km2|1}} and include nearly {{convert|325000|sqft|m2|-2}} 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 {{convert|12|acre|m2}} of carnival grounds.

===Railways ===
The [[RailGiants Train Museum]] is owned and maintained by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. The museum operates the '''Fairplex Garden Railway'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fgrr.org/|title=Fairplex Garden Railroad|website=fgrr.org}}</ref> It has over 80 volunteers and from November through July, runs the second Sunday of every month, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, for the general public.<ref>{{cite AV media | date=October 3, 2024 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFYeyurEOqw | title=Fairplex Garden Railroad | time=2:04 | via=YouTube }}</ref> The FGRR gears up every year for the L.A. County Fair, its primary show. In December various members run their Christmas trains. The garden railroad uses [[G Scale]] trains.

===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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fairplex.com/fp/HorseRacing/index.asp |title=Fairplex Park - Pomona horseracing, Satellite wagering, Betting, Wagering, Satellite racing, Pomona bullring |access-date=2007-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109034949/http://www.fairplex.com/fp/HorseRacing/index.asp |archive-date=2007-01-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/76505/barretts-and-fairplex-park-combine|title=Barretts and Fairplex Park Combine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=February 26, 2013|publisher=bloodhorse.com|access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.cyclenews.com/2015/06/article/pomona-half-mile-cancellation-explained/ Pomona Half Mile Cancellation Explained] - Andrea Wilson, Cycle News, 11 June 2015</ref>

The Fairplex is home to a [[dragstrip|large dragstrip]] known as the [[Auto Club Raceway at Pomona]], which hosts both the opening and closing rounds of the [[NHRA]] [[drag racing]] series. The Fairplex is also the location of the [[Wally Parks]] NHRA Motor Sports Museum, presented by the [[Automobile Club of Southern California]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fairplex.com/fp/Destinations/nhra/index.asp |title=FAIRPLEX - Home of the L.A. County Fair - Destinations - NHRA Motosports Museum |access-date=2007-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022225231/http://www.fairplex.com/fp/Destinations/nhra/index.asp |archive-date=2006-10-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Fairplex is the site of the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex, a year-round education and exhibit space affiliated with [[The Smithsonian Institution]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fairplex.com/fp/Foundations/MillardSheets/aboutus.asp |title=The Millard Sheets Gallery at Fairplex |access-date=2007-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524053922/http://www.fairplex.com/fp/Foundations/MillardSheets/aboutus.asp |archive-date=2007-05-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The center is located in the historic Fine Arts building, a {{convert|12000|sqft|m2|-2|adj=on}} facility designed by architect [[Claud Beelman]] and erected by the [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] in 1937. In 1994 the building was renamed in honor of artist [[Millard Sheets]], a Pomona native who was the director of the county fair's art programs from 1930 to 1956.

===RV park ===
{{More citations needed|date=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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-county-fair-tax-20170405-story.html|title=They paid a bogus tax for years. Now, fairgrounds trailer park tenants will get some money back|date=April 5, 2017|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

===2028 Summer Olympics===
In April 2025, the Fairplex was announced as the venue for [[Cricket at the 2028 Summer Olympics|Cricket]] at the [[2028 Summer Olympics]]. <ref name=dodgertaxday>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2025-04-15/dodger-stadium-2028-los-angeles-olympic-venues?sfmc_id=6532a2e625b3640666be1f4a&utm_id=39440381&skey_id=c6aa602546ca4fd0450fd225c2569d6a15db925146688b61dcfc51b310a323c6&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ALERT-Email-List-LA28%20announces%20new%20Olympic%20venues%20as%20lineup%20for%202028%20Olympics%20is%20nearly%20complete-20250415&utm_term=Alert%20-%20News%20and%20Sports | title=Dodger Stadium among new venues selected for 2028 L.A. Olympics |date=April 15, 2025}}</ref>

==Pomona Assembly Center==
[[File:Pomona, California. General view of assembly center being constructed on Pomona Fair Grounds for ev . . . - NARA - 536837.tif|thumb|200px|right| Construction of the Pomona Assembly Center.]]
During [[World War II]], the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds was the site of one of several temporary detention camps (also known as [[Internment of Japanese Americans#WCCA Civilian Assembly Centers|assembly centers]]) located throughout the [[Western United States|West]]. The first phase of the [[Internment of Japanese Americans|mass incarceration]] of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during the war. Most internees were U.S. citizens. Pursuant to [[Executive Order 9066]], signed by President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] on February 19, 1942, fifteen makeshift detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds and labor camps. These facilities confined [[Japanese Americans|Japanese American citizens]] until permanent location centers such as those in [[Manzanar]] and [[Tule Lake Unit, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument|Tule Lake]] in California could be built in more isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30, 1942, native-born American citizens and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were ordered to surrender themselves for detention.

Construction on the [[Pomona assembly center]] began on March 21, 1942, and the camp officially opened on May 7, 1942. The Pomona Facility consisted of 309 barracks, 8 mess halls, and 36 shower and latrine facilities. The first group of 72 Japanese American citizens arrived on May 9. By May 15, 1942 the Pomona site was operating near capacity, with 4,270 internees. Pomona reached a peak population of 5,434 before its closing on August 24, 1942. Most internees there were transferred to [[Heart Mountain Relocation Center|Heart Mountain]] in Wyoming. The site remained in use for the duration of the war, first housing U.S. troops, and then German and Italian [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]. Today, the site serves as the Fairplex parking lot.

On August 24, 2016 a plaque was erected to recognize the former assembly center, POW camp.<ref>Linke, Konrad. [http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Pomona%20%28detention%20facility%29/ "Pomona (detention facility)"] ''Densho Encyclopedia'' (accessed 18 Jun 2014).</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/LAWWII.html|title=California in World War II: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area during World War II|website=www.militarymuseum.org}}</ref>

==Location==
It is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, California, approximately {{convert|30|mi|km|0}} east of downtown Los Angeles.

==Transportation==
{{Redirect|Fairplex station|the under construction Los Angeles Metro Rail station|La Verne/Fairplex station}}

The facility features a [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] platform on the north side of the property, where [[San Bernardino Line]] trains provide passenger services on fair days.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metrolink to make special stop at the L.A. County Fair |url=https://metrolinktrains.com/news/news_item/news_id/864.html |website=[[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] |access-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830055818/http://www.metrolinktrains.com/news/news_item/news_id/864.html |archive-date=30 August 2013 |date=26 August 2013}}</ref>

{{Adjacent stations|system=Metrolink (California)
|line=San Bernardino|left=Covina|right=Pomona–North|note-mid=(fair days)
}}

[[Los Angeles County]] operates a free Park and Ride facility for commuters adjacent to the grounds at 1810 Gillette Road with 553 spaces available.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://go511.com/ParkAndRide/Index|title = Park and Ride Lots}}</ref> Weekday connections to/from downtown [[Los Angeles]] are available via the [[Foothill Transit]] route 699 bus.  The Foothill Transit route 197 bus connects the facility to the [[Montclair Transcenter]] and [[Pomona–Downtown station]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://foothilltransit.org/line/197/|title=197: Pomona – Claremont – Montclair via Fairplex and Arrow Hwy}}</ref>

The under construction [[Los Angeles Metro Rail]] [[La Verne/Fairplex station]] on the [[Foothill Extension]] will service the Fairplex, set to open in 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scauzillo |first1=Steve |title=A Line light-rail extension from Azusa to Pomona set to open in late summer |url=https://www.sgvtribune.com/2025/01/03/a-line-a-light-rail-from-azusa-to-pomona-is-done-and-set-to-open-in-late-summer/ |access-date=January 4, 2025 |work=[[San Gabriel Valley Tribune]] |publisher=[[Digital First Media]] |date=January 4, 2025}}</ref> The project will include a pedestrian overpass connecting the Metro Rail station with both the Metrolink station and the Fairplex.<ref>[https://la.streetsblog.org/2024/12/10/la-verne-pedestrian-bridge-will-connect-metro-a-line-metrolink-and-fairplex Streetsblog LA. La Verne Pedestrian Bridge Will Connect Metro A Line, Metrolink, and Fairplex.]</ref>

==In popular culture==
* The rodeo scenes in ''[[Pee-wee's Big Adventure]]'' were shot at the Fairplex in 1985.
* 2 songs: [[The Loco-Motion]] & The little Red Caboose from the 1994 [[Kidsongs]] video: "Boppin' with the Biggles" were shot at the Railroad museum where 3 locomotives on the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] : 4–12–2 #9000, Centennial Built Diesel 6915, & Big Boy 4014, Are Cameoed throughout the 2 songs as well as [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]] 4–10–2 #5021, & [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe]] Caboose #1314 was re-identified to "The Biggle Express" For the 2 Songs.
* In [[Seabiscuit (film)|Seabiscuit]] The Fairplex racetrack was used to represent the defunct [[Caliente Hipódromo|Agua Caliente Racetrack]] in Tijuana.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The tricks behind the making of 'Seabiscuit' |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=1585578}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.fairplex.com/ Official website]

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[[Category:Economy of Pomona, California]]
[[Category:Internment of Japanese Americans]]
[[Category:Defunct horse racing venues in California]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in California]]
[[Category:Fairgrounds in California]]
[[Category:Sports in Pomona, California]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Pomona, California]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in California]]
[[Category:Convention centers in California]]
[[Category:Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic cricket venues]]