If temperatures around San Diego start to rise over the next couple of weeks, don’t be alarmed – it is probably just the deep-fryers at the 2009 San Diego County Fair. This year’s edition, themed “Music Mania,” will be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds June 12 to July 5. “There’s all kinds of new stuff,” said fair information officer Linda Zweig. “It’s all good.” The Music Mania exhibit will showcase the music industry with an interactive exhibit where fairgoers can learn how to build guitars, play instruments and even learn about music history. “Music covers everybody and everything,” Zweig said. Food lovers will not be disappointed by the new eats at this year’s fair. Snacks new among the 109 food vendors include grilled asparagus, fried cheese curds and s’mores, chocolate-covered bacon strips, barbecued spaghetti, catfish and giant pork sandwiches. The most unusual food item is the oatmeal cookie chicken sandwich. This unlikely combination features two oatmeal raisin cookies — one covered with strawberry jam and the other with cream cheese — surrounding a fried chicken breast in a savory sauce, all made into a sandwich. Zweig has tried the sandwich and was not completely repelled. “Don’t think about it, just eat it,” Zweig said. “The flavors complement each other, and it’s actually really good.” Zweig jested that the oatmeal cookie chicken sandwich might also be one of the more healthful choices on the fair menu. “The oatmeal raisin cookie wipes out all the calories,” she said. “It’s the healthy part of it.” More than 1.2 million people attended the fair in 2008. Zweig said she expects that number to increase despite tough economic times, in part because of the increased number of deals that this year’s fair offers. “We expect to surpass last year’s attendance because we have some really great passes,” Zweig said. The best deal of this year’s fair is the Best Pass Ever, sold online through today, June 11. For $22, people can come to the fair each of the 22 days it is open. Other offers include $2 Tuesday on June 16, wherein fair admission is only $2. Tickets for $2 Tuesday are sold exclusively at area Albertson’s stores along with discounted adult admission tickets. Tuesdays also bring Taste of the Fair Tuesday, wherein fairgoers can buy bite-size portions of different fair cuisine for $2. Wednesdays and Thursdays are Pay-One-Price Ride Days, where thrill seekers can ride any of the 90 rides as many times as they want for $30. Headliners at the fair’s Summer Concert Series include Melissa Etheridge, Bret Michaels, American Idol’s David Archuleta, David Cook and Kelly Clarkson, Bill Engvall, Switchfoot and Smokey Robinson. For a complete list of headliner acts or to find out which shows require a separate ticket, visit the fair’s website at www.sdfair.com. Pacific Beach Day at the fair will be held on June 21. Locals will showcase Pacific Beach businesses, restaurants, artists and musicians. Attendees can enter a free raffle for an acoustic guitar and win prizes for answering questions about Pacific Beach. Admission costs $13 for adults, $7 for seniors (62 years and older) and children ages 6 to 12, and children five and younger are free. The fair opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, Fridays and July 3, and 11 a.m. all other days. It closes around midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and around 11 p.m. on the other nights. Parking at the fairgrounds costs $10 ($15 for RVs). Free parking is available at Horsepark and weekends at MiraCosta College San Elijo Campus and Torrey Pines High School. Buses depart every 15-20 minutes.