San Fernando Valley Fair won't be held this year

End of an era in the Valley, which was still agricultural enough in the 1940s to launch an annual livestock and equestrian fair held for a few decades at the Devonshire Downs race track and fairgrounds in Northridge. The fair has wandered around since losing its home base to Cal State Northridge development ambitions in 1982. The recent years have been especially hard on the fair — interest waned and it was even held outside the Valley a couple of times — and apparently very few people attended last year on the field at Birmingham High School. The Daily News reports on the fair's demise.

Should be noted: CSUN didn't actually need Devonshire Downs and eventually allowed a private company to build its factory on the site. Historic site, I should say.

Add Valley history: I'm quoted in a Studio City Patch story on Vitello's, the Italian restaurant on Tujunga Avenue.