By Reanna Fogelman
TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida State Fair is a big attraction in Tampa every year. Held at the Florida State Fairgrounds, The MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater was the main place for this fair from Feb. 6 to 17, 2025, which is generally an auditorium for concerts. The Florida State Fair is the annual Florida Fair, with more than 150 other events.
The 330-acre Fairgrounds are situated permanently next to I-4 and I-75 in the center of Tampa Bay. This fair includes a few areas: Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, Cracker Country, and Florida Learning Garden.
The Florida State Fair offered tickets for exhibits, entertainment, and activities for visitors of all ages, making it a family-friendly destination that varied from a $15 no-riding admission to an all-package ticket that ranged from $27 to $45. The advantage of this all-package ticket was that it allowed you to ride all of the fair’s rides. This fair’s roller coaster rides included bumper cars, merry-go rides, teacup rides, and water gun games.
Piggy racing, live music, demolition derbies, circus shows, petting zoos, camel and pony rides, and other exclusive activities were also available. Burgers, pizza, corn dogs, fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and more were included in the vendors.
Rides had height and age restrictions. For safety precautions, individuals under the age of 17 had to be accompanied by a 21-year-old adult.
“The fair, first held in Tampa in 1904, has become one of the largest events in the state,” said Sharon Kennedy Wynne of the Tampa Bay Times. “It was on track to break records in 2024 with healthy spending and record turnout days, but then the final weekend brought a deluge of rain that dampened what would have been a record year.”
The Florida State Fair launched an app on Google and Apple. This app included the schedule for that day, food vendors, attractions, exhibits, shows, etc.
“We’re thrilled to offer a more interactive and personalized fair experience for our guests this year,” said Cheryl Flood, CEO of the State Fair. “The new app will give visitors an easy way to navigate the fairgrounds, discover new attractions, and enjoy all the classic favorites. With so much to see and do, it’s all about helping you make the most of every moment at the Florida State Fair.”
Flood loves the guide idea and believes it will benefit all incoming customers to the fair.
“I attended the Florida State Fair because I’ve never been to a fair before in my life, and I’ve always wanted to experience one, and I also wanted to have fun with my friends,” said Jose Abraham, a junior cybersecurity major at The University of Tampa.
“The racing pigs by far, and the ferris wheel were my favorite [attractions]; being able to squeeze our entire group into one capsule of the ferris wheel and then screaming at everyone was a lot of fun, and then cheering the racing pigs was a lot fun too,” said Abraham. “The 18-inch corn dog has gotta be my favorite [snack], especially because I’ve never had [a] corn dog before.”
Abraham loved his first time at the fair and recommended that anyone try it out with their friends.
“I went to the fair to experience something with friends,” said Jaxon Hook, a junior finance major at UTampa. “I never knew about the fair before this and wanted to try something that seemed very popular among Floridians. Either mousetrap or the fireworks [were my favorite part]. I didn’t have the money to go on that many rides at the fair.”
“I really liked the buffalo chicken grilled cheese. I also enjoyed the deep-fried cookie dough, but the food there was pretty expensive,” said Hook.
Hook said visiting the fair is worth it at least once, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny.
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Photo courtesy of Reanna Fogelman.