The Orange County Fair drew 1.37 million people this year for what is now one of North America’s largest fairs. It was the second-highest attendance on record for the event, which includes 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports, and headline concerts in the Pacific Amphitheatre. Next: Summer 2014
As the country's entertainment capital, Los Angeles is naturally home to several big-time award shows—like the Oscars, Grammys, and Golden Globes. But such events are just one part of Southern California's busy event landscape. Consider expos like the Electronic Entertainment Expo, massive county fairs in Los Angeles and Orange County, and festivals well outside the city limits, like Coachella.
And there's certainly plenty of movement from year to year. Next year will see the TED conference leave California for Canada, while major changes are expected to D: All Things Digital after the recent announcement that co-founder Walt Mossberg will end his two-decade run with The Wall Street Journal. In terms of the local fashion industry, the scene in Los Angeles is known for its inability to coalesce, particularly after the partnership between Smashbox and IMG for a formal fashion week program dissolved in 2008. But a wide variety of events nevertheless try to rally around the title. And there’s a distinct feeling that the energy surrounding those efforts is growing.
From established affairs like the California Science Center's Discovery Ball and the Tournament of Roses, to newcomers like the Tour of California and L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade rising in popularity, here are our picks for the events that annually draw the biggest buzz, crowds, media and donor attention, and important players in their respective fields.
To choose and rank the annual events on this list, we look at several factors, including economic impact, buzz, innovation, and an event's prominence within the communities it intends to serve.
