The Tustin Ranch Corps’ third annual Country Fair drew almost 500 people, including friends and neighbors in the Tustin Ranch, Orange, Villa Park, Tustin and Irvine communities.

Featured were Christian ventriloquist John Reed, a barbershop quartet, an all-female Blue Grass band, the “Lillies of the West,” the Tustin Ranch “Praise Works” contemporary praise band, and a boutique corner. The three hour program also offered pony rides, moon bounce, cotton candy, popcorn, barbecue, face painting, and a 35-foot climbing wall for the brave at heart.

The food court, manned by corps soldiers, featured a cake baking contest and a chili cook-off. Registration showed that 96 families came to the Army for the first time.

According to Captain Lee R. Lescano, corps officer, “This and other events throughout the year are designed to be a very unique outreach to the community–to give them a chance to visit us in an informal setting, to help break down the barriers, and to help inform.”

More than 2,000 flyers were distributed throughout the neighborhood beforehand. Space in local weekly community newspapers helped promote the occasion, and during the event, corps weekly and Sunday service schedules were announced, with a warm and cordial invitation to visit.