What was the idea behind the Weird Al exhibit?
When the fair performs at its highest level, it’s because we are educating while we entertain. So we try to predicate everything on that. We’re not a school, so we don’t have a curriculum, but we do try to value lifelong learning in people. So we started conceiving the idea [for the exhibit] in 2005. The fair had already had a very successful relationship with Al coming to play concerts here. Every time he played, he would sell out. So we thought, how can we take the concert experience to the next level? The attraction was much more accessible to people [than a one-off concert]. About 18 months ago, we started the actual production. It’s been about four years in the making and has cost $2.5 million [to execute]. How will you measure the success of such a costly exhibit, and how do you measure the fair’s overall success? Al’s Brain was designed to go on the road and travel. When it’s finished in Orange County, it will go up to the Western Washington State Fair. One metric we will use wi
