A LOOK BACK:

Last week, we began our look at one of our city’s most memorable events held during its long history.

When the Huntington Beach Garden Club and Chamber of Commerce first planned to hold the third annual Country Fair in August of 1945, World War II was still being waged.

By the time the four-day fair was to begin, the enemy had surrendered, and peace finally came to America and the world.

To celebrate this monumental occasion, the fair committee converted this popular event into a joyous four-day affair now renamed the Orange County Victory Celebration.

Last week, we looked at the opening day of the victory fair on Aug. 16, 1945.

One of the highlights during this fair was the home-canned fruit and vegetable exhibit that was headed by Millicent Nitzkowski and her committee, which included Fern Bristol, Jessie Todd, Eva Henrickson, Mrs. John Webster and Glenda Peterson.

Lois Kitts from the Jack & Jill Children’s Shop at 119 Main St. was in charge of the fair’s baby health and beauty show that would include our war babies ages 6 months to 5 years old. This baby show would be held on the second day at the main entertainment bowl at the pier. The show would award prizes for the prettiest girl and the handsomest boy in each of the six age divisions.

Another great exhibit came from Wayne Schultz and his 4-H Club of Fullerton that brought in their champion Aberdeen Angus steer that they put on display in the third block of Main Street. The club offered a prize to the person who guessed the closest weight of their bull.

The second day was officially named Long Beach Day, and to celebrate that community, the fair committee arranged to have the Long Beach Municipal band present an hour and a half concert.

This band was conducted by J.J. Richards and aided by his assistant director James E. Son, who at one time was the leader of the Huntington Beach Municipal band in the 1930s.

There were many performers entertaining the general public, including the comedy acrobatics of Coralee and Kay, and comedy juggler Johnny Romero.

Little Shirley Ann Nichols from Huntington Beach took second prize in the baby show, and her sister Sandra Susan won third prize.

The second day concluded with an old-time dance at Memorial Hall and a program by the Virginia Valodin juvenile dancers.

The third day was Orange County Day, and on this Saturday a pet parade was featured along Main Street, with many of our boys and girls with their pets in tow.

I’m not saying that the Chamber of Commerce was going to the dogs, but just after 1 p.m. a huge gathering of dogs, cats, ducks, horses, rats and birds assembled with their owners at the chamber of commerce building at Fifth and Orange.

At 2:30 p.m., the pets headed in a long line to Main Street and down to the Pavalon by the pier.

There were many Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies, 4-H kids and our local boys and girls showing off their pets on Main Street.

The most decorated pet prize went to Max Kranz and his duck in a cart.

The smallest pet award was given to David Robbins for his rats in a cage, and Bobby Anderson received first prize for having a pet coming from the farthest distance.

Janie Parker, Charles Davis and Betty Seltzer all won first prizes for their hobby collections in the junior fair division.

Knotts Berry Farm got top honors in the dahlia show division and our own library on Eighth Street was awarded first prize for their floral exhibit.

Willis Warner won first prize for his homegrown victory garden vegetables, and Myrtle Hermann for her tomatoes.

For the best war relic collection, a blue ribbon was awarded to Sydney Tovatt.

An old-fashioned picnic was held at Lake Park put on by the Old Timers’ Club and was a popular noontime event.

Another fair event was the horse races on a quarter-mile track erected at Beach Blvd. and Pacific Coast Highway.

In the evening, the talents of Eddie Bartell from the Biltmore Bowl and the Rainbow-Four quartet entertained fairgoers.

The last day of the fair featured a barbecue at Lake Park sponsored by the Native Sons of the Golden West and featured two 1,200-pound steers on the menu for a lunch costing only $1.50.

The seventh annual Twins Convention took place at the Pavalon, with the oldest twins’ prize going to Emma Hart and her twin sister Anna Kahavill from Los Angeles.

The most freckled twins prize was awarded to Robert and Russell Bearce of Westminster.

A spectacular dance number performed by 10-year-olds Carrolee and Darrolee Frush was the featured attraction during the twins convention

Elinor Page from Los Angeles won the Bathing Beauty Revue, with our own Joanne Staal of Huntington Beach coming in third.

There were so many blue ribbons handed out to our residents during the fair that it would take several columns to list all of them.

Monday morning arrived, and for many of the late-night fairgoers it had come too fast and with the first rays of light put an end to our victory fair.

It’s too bad we can’t still have events such as this, but with today’s rushing society we just can’t stop long enough to enjoy watching a flower show or have a children’s pet parade that the whole family could participate in.

Life is too short to miss out on family events like our country fair.