South Florida Fair facts for kids
| Previously known as Palm Beach County Fair (1912–1960) | |
South Florida Fair logo
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| Location | 9067 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida |
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| Status | open |
| Opened | 1912 (113 years ago) |
| Owner | South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc. |
| Operating season | 12-28 January 2024 |
| Attractions | |
| Total | Over 100 (at least) |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Water rides | 1 (until 2007) |
The South Florida Fair is a big yearly event held in West Palm Beach, Florida. It happens every January. The fairgrounds cover about 100 acres (which is like 75 football fields!). You can find it near the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre.
The fair started way back in 1912. In 2012, it celebrated its 100th birthday! Almost 500,000 people visit the South Florida Fair each year.
At the fair, you'll find a fun midway with rides, games, and places to buy food. There are also special buildings for exhibits and a large area for farm animals and crops called an agriplex. Don't forget Yesteryear Village, a cool history park on the property.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, West Palm Beach Police, and security guards help keep everyone safe at the fair.
Contents
History of the Fair
The South Florida Fair began as the Palm Beach County Fair in March 1912. The very first fair was held under one tent in downtown West Palm Beach. It lasted for four days. Important local people helped start the fair. They wanted to show off farm animals, winter crops, and land. Farmers could even win money prizes from Henry Flagler.
In 1913, the fair moved to a new spot near the railroad. The fair grew a lot in its early years. But then, the Great Depression hit, which was a tough time for the economy. Because of this, the fair only had a carnival midway from 1930 to 1937. After that, it stopped completely for a while.
Plans to bring the fair back in 1942 were stopped by the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The fair finally started again in 1946 at the National Guard Armory in West Palm Beach. Two years later, it moved to Morrison Field (which is now the Palm Beach International Airport). It stayed there until the United States Air Force turned the airport into a military base for the Korean War.
In 1953, the fair became an official organization. From 1953 to 1955, the fair was held at the Palm Beach Speedway. This was close to where the fair is now. In 1956, the fair moved to the current location of Palm Beach State College. But the county changed its mind and gave that land to the college instead. This meant the fair had to move again, this time to John Prince Memorial Park in 1957.
Later in 1957, the fair bought the Palm Beach Speedway property. This land was about 35 acres. They bought it by selling bonds and getting money from the Florida Department of Agriculture. Palm Beach County also gave the fair about 100 acres of land. In return, the fair gave its land at John Prince Memorial Park back to the county. This helped the college expand.
Construction on two exhibit halls began on June 10, 1957. Finally, on January 27, 1958, the fair opened at its current home. In 1960, the Palm Beach County Fair changed its name to the South Florida Fair.
Recent Fair Events
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 2021 fair was smaller. All exhibits, shows, and sellers were outdoors. Only kiddie rides were open. The fair also had a safety plan. This plan asked everyone to follow CDC rules. A full fair event for 2021 was held later, from May 7 to May 23. The 2022 fair went back to its usual full size in January. Most pandemic rules were also removed.
How the Fair is Organized
The South Florida Fair and Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group. This means it's a charity that doesn't make money for owners. It follows rules from Florida law.
The fair has a board of trustees with 17 people. These trustees decide how the fair should be run. They also make sure the staff follows their plans. The fair also has 55 directors who give advice. All the trustees and directors are volunteers and do not get paid.
The daily work of the fair is handled by the president, Matt Wallsmith. He leads a team of over 45 full-time employees.
Fairgrounds and Events
The South Florida Fairgrounds covers about 135 acres. In 1957, Palm Beach County gave the fair 100 acres at its current spot. Later, 20 acres were taken back for a stockade. This land was given so the fair would move from John Prince Park. This allowed the county to try for a state university.
The fairgrounds has different areas. These include parking lots, Yesteryear Village, the Coral Sky Amphitheatre, and exhibit buildings. The exhibit buildings include the Americraft Expo Center and the Agriplex. There is over 200,000 square feet of space for trade shows and exhibits. During the yearly South Florida Fair, the southern parking area becomes the "midway." This is where you find rides, shows, games, and food stands.
Main Fair Event
The biggest event at the fairgrounds is the yearly South Florida Fair. It lasts for 17 days, usually in the last two weeks of January. For many years, the fair has had a special theme. This helps bring in visitors and teaches people about different cultures. For example, past themes included "Florida," "Alaska," "Hollywood," and "A World of Fun."
One of the best parts of the fair is its farm and animal exhibits. You can see many different kinds of animals and learn about farming. Many kids who live in the city might not know much about agriculture. But at the fair, they can learn all about it. They might even see a baby calf being born or learn how a dairy farm works!
The yearly fair brings in almost 500,000 people. However, about 650,000 people attend different events at the fairgrounds throughout the year. Besides the Americraft Expo Center, there are 10 other smaller exhibit buildings. There's also the iThink Financial Amphitheater, Agriplex, Palm Beach Model Railroaders, and Yesteryear Village. These events happen on about 250 days each year.
Yesteryear Village
Yesteryear Village is a history park and exhibit. It covers about 10 acres. This village shows buildings and items from the 1850s to the 1950s. It has many old, real, and copied buildings. You can see an old school, a farm, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a church, a fire station, a post office, and a bait & tackle shop. The famous Riddle House is also there.
Yesteryear Village is also home to the only big band museum in the United States. It's called the Sally Bennett Big Band Hall of Fame Museum. You can take guided tours to learn more about the village.
See also
- Americraft Expo Center
