Judges' choice: Michael Steirnagle's oil painting titled “Waiter” earned him the Coordinator's Award in the exhibition of art's people class. He said that when he travels, he takes photos and sometimes uses them to create oil paintings. He found this particular waiter in Prescott, Ariz.

Background: Steirnagle, 58, lives in Fallbrook and teaches art at Palomar College. He was an illustrator who did book jackets and album covers for the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones and other rock bands.

How he got started: Steirnagle's mother was an artist.

Comment: “I still have the first painting I ever did. I copied it from an oil painting instruction booklet. I think I was about 11.”

Tip for learning more: Steirnagle suggests taking his class next semester at Palomar College.

TODAY'S PICKS

Summer Concert Series: Joan Osborne, 7:30 p.m., free with fair admission.

Summer of Sports Exhibit: An appearance by Dan Hernandez, host of the weekly television series “Sport Fishing With Dan Hernandez,” 5 p.m.

Special: San Diego Union-Tribune  photographers Nelvin Cepeda, John Gastaldo, John McCutchen and Howard Lipin and photo editor Michael Franklin will present “Inferno: The 2007 San Diego Wildfires,” photos taken by staff photographers during the October wildfires. A panel discussion will follow. The show and panel discussion will be in the presentation room of the photography exhibit, Fine Arts building.

Highlights: Enviro Fair, exhibits, vendors and speakers all day; Monster Trucks, Transformers and Freestyle Motocross, 1 and 5 p.m., Chevrolet Del Mar Arena.

FAIR FACTS

Through tomorrow at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Gates are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Admission: adults, $12; seniors 62 and older, $6; children 6 to 12, $6; children 5 and younger, free.

Information: (858) 793-5555; (858) 755-1161; sdfair.com/fair.

On-site parking: cars and motorcycles, $9; recreational vehicles, $15; preferred parking, $15; no motor homes.

Off-site parking: free, with shuttles from 9 a.m. to midnight. Del Mar Horsepark, 14550 El Camino Real, daily; MiraCosta College, San Elijo campus; and Torrey Pines High School.

Public transportation: hourly buses to and from Escondido Transit Center. A shuttle between the Solana Beach train station and the fair leaves every 25 minutes. Passengers with a Breeze bus or Coaster train ticket receive a $1.75 fair admission discount at the west gate. Information: (760) 966-6500 or gonctd.com

NEWSROOM
AT THE FAIR

The San Diego Union-Tribune's  Newsroom at the Fair exhibit is in the Paddock Lounge next to Plaza de Mexico near the Grandstand entrance.

Explore the technology that brings you the daily newspaper, Today's Local News,  Enlace,  multimedia site SignOnSanDiego.com and AmplifySD.com, the all-San Diego music online radio station.

Tune to “U-T in the Community” and “Community Spotlight” on SignOn Radio LIVE, hosted by Drew Schlosberg on Tuesdays and Fridays (except July 4).

Online: For fair news, videos and information, go to fair.uniontrib.com