Mission Statement
Fairplex is a nonprofit enterprise that serves as a place, a convener and a creator of memories to strengthen the community and economy through arts and entertainment, agriculture, education and commerce.
Guiding Principles
- Public Benefit – Committed to doing good in everything we do
- Guest Experience – Placing our guests at the center of what we do
- Partnership – We are at our best when we partner with others
- Sustainability – Committed to being financially healthy and environmentally friendly
- Uniquely Southern California – Celebrating the best of our community
What is Fairplex?
Fairplex is the name for the 487 acres that Los Angeles County Fair Association (LACFA) uses for conducting the Fair and year-round business. Between 1941 and 1952, a total 421 acres of the land belonging to LACFA was deeded by the Association to Los Angeles County as a gift and in return the Association received a long-term ground lease. The remaining acreage is still owned in fee by the Association.
Why is LA County Fair Association a nonprofit?
As a 501(c)5, we have these primary objectives in our charter of nonprofit business operations to advance and promote:
- Agriculture
- Horticulture
- Industrial and other interests of Los Angeles County
- To operate and maintain county fairs and expositions for the exhibition of livestock, dairy, poultry, household and fine arts, and school and educational exhibits
- To acquire land, develop our land or make improvements for the benefit of the LA County Fair
As a community benefit organization, we continually reinvest our profits into our facilities, people, programs and community. Besides employing 300 year-round employees and nearly 1,700 FTE jobs during the Fair, LACFA provides millions of dollars of benefit in cash and in-kind donations to education and community programs. We are pleased to help organizations and people from throughout Southern California as we work to build stronger communities.
What is The Learning Centers?
LACFA also oversees two 501(c)3 organizations called The Learning Centers at Fairplex and the Fairplex Child Development Center. It is no exaggeration to state that the Fair Association oversees one of the most highly recognized unique learning complexes in California for all ages. With a mission to fill unmet educational needs and provide opportunities to build stronger communities through early childhood, leadership, career and technical education programs, The Learning Centers today provides nearly $5 million of educational programming and is supported with nearly $1 million in overhead support plus buildings, infrastructure and land from the LACFA to operate each year. Serving more than 150,000 “students” each year (more than 600 daily outside of the Fair event), The Learning Centers provide a continuum of learning for students of all ages. The significance of our programs is evidenced by our innovative partnerships with prestigious colleges and universities like Cal Poly Pomona, The University of La Verne, The Claremont Colleges, Mt. Sac and also all school districts in our surrounding communities. The Learning Centers campus features a museum, agriculture farm, automotive education workshop, classrooms, art studios, continuing education programs and school-linked educational field trips throughout the year.
Strategic Planning
In 2018, Fairplex adopted a five-year Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan focuses on three main priorities: Fairplex events, Fairplex as an economic engine and Fairplex as a community partner. Initiatives have been created for each of these, with a timeline for each, as well. The Plan includes information from a recent Economic Impact Report conducted by Beacon Economics. The report shows the financial impact Fairplex has on the city of Pomona, Los Angeles County, the state and the country. For example, Fairplex provides more than $2.7 million in tax revenue, and an additional $5.8 million from Fairplex-related events. The Strategic Plan lays the framework for Fairplex’s immediate future, and scope for the next 100 years.