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. The Music Mania exhibit will showcase the music industry with an interactive exhibit where fair goers can learn how to build guitars, play instruments and even learn about music history. Food lovers will not be disappointed by the new eats at this year’s fair. Snacks new amongst the 109 food vendors include grilled asparagus, fried cheese curds and smores, 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,” said fair information officer Linda Zweig. “The flavors compliment each other, and it’s actually really good.” Zweig jested that the oatmeal cookie chicken sandwich might also be one of the healthier choices on the fair menu. 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. 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, where 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 where fairgoers can buy bite-size portions of different fair cuisine for $2. Wednesdays and Thursdays are Pay-One-Price Ride Day, 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.