Upside down, right side up, forward then backward. People do circles and knuckles turn to white as hands grab the bar belt with every inch of strength so as not to fall out of their seats. Stomachs churn at the sight of dangling feet while piercing screams are heard from 10 stories below at the L.A. County Fair.

The Top Spin ride strikes fear in the hearts of little children and visitors. This is just one of the many thrilling rides hosted there.

“It’s fun,” Evan Finley said at the fair.

The L.A. County Fair, held at the Pomona Fairplex, approximately 30 miles east of downtown L.A., offers a variety of choices for entertainment and learning involving the entire family.

The fair features seven theme sections with each containing at least 20 different kinds of attractions and entertainment. A family would probably have to attend the fair two days to experience all the fair has to offer.

One of the theme sections, Action Avenue, is the place to find independent amusements, including the Sky Coaster, a popular ride combining skydiving and hand gliding that drops riders from 11 stories.

“People come here and look for this ride because people usually already know about it,” Cole Minton, operations manager for Sky Coaster, said.

Like most rides at the fair, there is no age requirement to ride; people just need to be at least 42 inches tall.

The Home and Gardens section offers a handful of interactive exhibits and opportunities to quench one’s thirst, like the Vineyard for the wine connoisseur.

The Vineyard offers olive oil and wine education and tasting as well as cooking demonstrations and beer tasting. A variety of beers from Canada to Mexico are showcased for the third Annual California Commercial Beer Competition. Visitors may sample seven different kinds of beers for $7. At the wine garden, award-winning wines from all over California are tasted.

Yolanda Martinez sells wine by glass and in small samples to taste.

“We sell the wine by the glass, we do not sell it by the bottle. We also offer wine classes throughout the day for those who enjoy giving their palettes a little treat,” Martinez said.

Families and children may go to Fair View Farms, where livestock auctioning is held.

“We have rabbit judging , sheep and stuff,” Sarah Elton of guest services said.

Visitors are given pamphlets that inform them of everything they need to know in regards to judging the animals, which they can take part in. Animals judged include rabbits, chickens, pigs, sheep, beef and dairy cows, and even Guinea pigs.

“We’ve had a really good turnout this year of people who actually participate in the judging. It’s great fun and the children love the animals,” Elton said.

Just around the corner from the judging room, people watch how cows are milked using a modern metal milking machine.

“We show how to milk a cow,” Dale Abegglen, the milking parlor coordinator, said.

“It’s very interesting stuff and some people seem to be amused by it, which is good. Your average cow will give you five to seven gallons of milk a day,” Abegglen said.

For those who enjoy music, the fair offers music from all genres and bands, including the Doors. Concerts are every Saturday causing live music to be heard throughout the fairgrounds.

It is here where artists including Jackson Browne and Willie Nelson are scheduled to play on the weekend of Sept. 25-26.

The LG Action Sports Championships is where younger people can be found as they enjoy skateboarding, BMX, motorcross and in-line Skating championship events which can only be found at the fair.

Other competitive events include horse racing and betting, pig races, doughnut eating competitions, and monster truck rallies.

The fair also provides plenty of opportunities to shop, where the best location for this is at The Palms Marketplace. Numerous venues feature local craftsmanship and boutiques as well as international handicrafts and artwork, ranging from jewelry to rugs.

The museum section of the park is full of car memorabilia and classic cars, hosted by The National Hot Rod Association. Other art exhibits include paintings that portray California wilderness and photography exhibits.

The Palms Marketplace is also where the Budweiser Clydesdales used in the famous beer commercials may be visited.

The fair, which opened on Friday, will continue until Sept. 26. It opens at 11 a.m. on Monday and Friday and at 10 a.m. on the weekend. It’s open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, while closing at 10 p.m. on the other days.

Weekend adult admission runs $14 with the weekday admission cost at $10.