'Feed Your Brain' at the 2010 Youth Expo April 9 & 10 at the OC Fair & Event Center

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2010 Youth Expo theme is "Feed Your Brain," which is what local students are encouraged to do at this annual fun-filled event. The two-day expo, which takes place April 9-10 at the OC Fair & Event Center, will feature the work and creativity of public, private, and home-schooled students in educational exhibits and activities that broaden their educational spectrum beyond the classroom.  

Admission to the 2010 Youth Expo is free for everyone. Hours are Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday is School Field Trip Day and parking is free for school buses on this day only. General parking is $5.

This educational experience seeks to get students off of the couch and active in agricultural-focused activities, hands-on academic demonstrations, individual competitions and vocational exhibits.

Featured exhibitors and Centennial Farm-related activities include OC Beekeepers; a Vermiculture exhibit, where children can get their hands dirty in a worm farm; blacksmith demonstrations; milk a replica cow; make butter; make recyclable planting pots and plant a seed to take home; oxen demonstrations; baby chickens on display, and leather demonstrations where, for a small fee, children can make their own leather craft to take home.

New this year, the Ag Magic Show will offer children an entertaining and musical show that spotlights local and state commodities related to agriculture and farming.  Also, Heavenly Ponies & Critters Petting Zoo will bring their petting zoo to Youth Expo for the enjoyment of attendees of all ages.

Returning Youth Expo events include Gale Webb's Extreme Sports & Air Show, which presents exciting demonstrations in BMX, skateboarding, in-line skating, and extreme scooter sports; Wild Science, 23 hands-on or visual science displays; and Prehistoric Pets, a live reptile display.

Local 4-H clubs will offer demonstrations on the Guide Dog Puppy Program, livestock demonstrations, arts and crafts and hands-on science workshops.

The 2010 Youth Expo will be held in conjunction with the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF) and the 21st annual Home Builders Council (HBC) Design/Building Competition. OCSEF challenges students in categories like electricity, electronics, chemistry, zoology, botany, physiology, behavioral sciences, social sciences, and product testing. Interested students can enter at www.ocsef.org. The Design/Build competition teaches high school, Regional Occupation Program, and community college students to design and build a structure that will be evaluated by city inspectors and engineering professionals.

The OC Fair & Event Center is located at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa and is home to more than 100 events throughout the year including the annual OC Fair, Youth Expo and Centennial Farm activities. For more information visit ocfair.com or follow us on Twitter – ocfair.

SOURCE OC Fair & Event Center