"DEL MAR FAIR" GETS MUCH TOUGHER

Del Mar -- After several upstanding citizens thought they smelled marijuana at the San Diego County Fair this year, the fair's board is clamping down HARD on patrons of musical events for next year.
That seems odd inasmuch as next year's fair will highlight "Music Mania," with "popular music of all kinds," according to a news release published today (10/20) by the fair's staff.
The Fair is getting TOUGH!
The entire venue will be smoke free in 2009, "with limited, designated locations for smoking."
"The (Del Mar Fair, as it is commonly known) is one of the first county fairs to implement a smoking ban."
And, "to insure safety of all patrons," the following strict rules will be implemented for the 2009 event, which runs from June 12th to July 5th.
** All reggae musical activities will be held at the Grandstand, where security officers will have more control over patrons.
** You must be 21 to enter, and wristbands will be issued by tough security officers.
** The "Reggae Festival" will be a paid show, with a separate ticket required for admission.
** Security and "anti-drug messages" will be increased with signage, announcements and "patdowns" of everyone by security officers.
In other words, entry into the featured "Music Mania" events at next year's county fair will be similar to airport security, with equally long delays on entry.
"Young music-lovers will not put up with that heavy security B-S. If they had a problem with people smoking grass, then go after those people,. But, don't punish all of us with these insane, airport-type security restrictions," said a 28-year old engineer who works at General Dynamics.
"Their ticket sales will be down, dramatically, next year as a result of these increased security meanures. After all, this is not Iraq; but it will look like it with pat-down searches and everything. The fair board is seriously overreacting!," he added.
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Copyright, 2008 by San Diego News Service, leopowerhere@msn.com (619) 757-4909