News of Florida Fairs South Florida Fair Enjoys Record Breaking Days

By Doreen Marcial Poreba

Tyrannosaurus Rex and triceratops may have vanished millions of years ago, but the 2023 edition of the South Florida Fair brought them and other dinosaur species back to life. That’s because the Fair’s theme was Dino-Myte.

The 2023 Fair kicked off with an evening Ride-A-Thon on Thursday, Jan. 12, and the full fair followed the next day, drawing visitors through January 29 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach.

The Fair experienced one of its best years ever, attracting record crowds on multiple days of its 17-day run. “I think people are feeling more comfortable being in large crowds again, which I hope is a good sign for the fairs that will take place later in the year,” said Vicki Chouris, president & CEO of the South Florida Fair. “Visitors also loved our dinosaur theme, plus we had near perfect weather this year. Both of those factors also contributed to our overall success.”

Many of the Fair’s longtime food vendors noticed the increase in attendance.

The Fair’s staff attributes much of its success to its high-quality vendors along with a variety of attractions. This year’s activities included Imagine Exhibitions, which showcased several animatronic dinosaur displays second to none. The traveling exhibit, titled “Dinosaurs Around s most unique and recently discovered dinosaurs. Guests were able to discover where the various species of dinosaurs lived, how they arrived and the latest paleontological, cutting-edge research.

Vicki and Brad.jpg – Vicki Chouris, president & CEO of the South Florida Fair, with Federation member and comedy hypnotist Brad Matchett stand before one of the dinosaurs on display at the South Florida Fair. Matchett performed daily during the fair

Fairgoers also got to see lifelike dinosaurs in action and interacted with them throughout the Jurassic Kingdom Lockdown show. Additional theme-related exhibits included prehistoric dinosaur adventures, a mobile museum, the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History, the Cox Science Museum and Aquarium, a Dino Encounters Excavation Zone and Mr. Adler an experienced paleontologist who loves to take his babies for a stroll around the fair.

New attractions included Extreme Illusions and Escapes, presented by American Bath & Shower. Featuring Josh and Leann Knotts, the duo presented a show mixed with stage illusions, skillful escapes, audience participation and music to go along with it.

For the first time, the Fair offered two different wine pairing dinners, sponsored by the Sun Sentinel and presented by Cugini Winery.

A new horse show titled “Hollywood Horses Tricks and Tales” impressed guests. Austin Anderson offered this educational show. He taught the audience how the horses are trained and discussed how he approaches training, working with a horse’s natural ability and how to enhance it. The horses performed some amazing tricks and even took a bow on command.

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South Florida Fair Enjoys Record Breaking Days continued

The annual ice skating show, Dinotopia On Ice, presented by Ford, is always a crowd pleaser and this year was no different. Of course, the award-winning agriculture and livestock program featuring more than 1,000 exhibitors from more than 30 Florida counties also engaged visitors.

The always popular Mooternity barn gave guests a chance to see calves being born.

More than 200 rides, games and attractions, five stages of live music, a drumline competition, two robotic competitions, daily parades and comedy hypnotist Brad Matchett also drew a lot of attention.

And what’s a fair without the usual “fried everything” which is among the top reasons why guests come to the Fair.

Another highlight was Carnival Eats, a Canadian TV series that features culinary creations from various fairs and festivals. The show’s 10-person crew spent four days filming on the fairgrounds. They captured foods made by several concessionaires and also interviewed the vendors and fairgoers as they tasted delectable delights. Two shows are planned with a tentative show date of July.

The South Florida Fair also crowned Miss South Florida Fair and Miss Palm Beach County. Participants competed for more than $13,000 in scholarships. Both title winners will be entered into the Miss Florida 2022 Competition in June. The Fair also awarded $55,000 in scholarships to 21 deserving students.

“The Fair is all about bringing smiles to the faces of everyone from young children on up,” said Chouris. “We also are very proud to be an integral part of our community by helping our youth with scholarships and programs to further their education.”

At the South Florida Fair: Jim Ward, Becky Brashear, Dan West.

Danny Grant, Dan West

Rich, Stilt Circus, Dan

Jim, Clint Yoder of Carnival Treats

Dan & Jim with Charles Panacek of Belle City Amusements

Jim, Josh Knotts of Extreme Illusions & Escapes, Dan, Brad Matchett Comedy Hypnotist

At the North Florida Fair in Tallahassee: from left: George Kolias, Dan West, Mark Harvey, Fair Manager and Jim Ward

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Jim

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Channel 13’s Charley Belcher interviewing Pasco County Fair President Kevin Corrigan.

Competitive Exhibits: Standing from left: Jessica Petersen, Sarah Ritschard, Ken Woodard, Doris Graska. Seated: Margaret Roddenberry, David Tillman. Doris & Margaret are from the Citrus County Fair and came down to help with the judging..

Lew-E-’s Comedy Circus

Jim Ward welcomes the newest member of the Sattler Enterprises family.

President Corrigan, Fair Chairman Tracy Thompson, Dan Jolley.

On February 21st the Pasco County Fair Board of Directors gathered with the Late Sylvia Young's family (H.C., Mary & Trish ) to dedicate a memorial plaque in honor of Sylvia. The plaque is located on the North end of the Schrader Building. Sylvia chaired the Community Booths in the Schrader Building for years and spent many, many hours in this building. She was a hard worker with a Heart of Gold. She is missed by us all.

Thanks to Gary Hatrick for capturing the dedication.