The weather in Tampa this week has been amazing and spring isn’t far away! Last weekend was the perfect weekend for our family to check out the Florida State Fair. The fair opened on Feb 9th and runs through Feb 20th with special events every day of the week.
There’s something about a state fair that brings out your inner youth. Growing up in Georgia the state fair was a pretty big deal. I haven’t been to a big fair since before the kids were born and I’m not sure that anything will ever top the size of a fair as a child. Things always seem smaller as an adult, even when they are as big as the Florida State Fair.
I lost count of the number of ferris wheels that they had at the fair, I think I saw 4 full size ferris wheels and we ended up on 3 of them! It’s a great way to take in the massive size of the fair and help your kids overcome any fear of heights they may have.
If you plan on riding rides, be sure to get an all-day armband for unlimited fair rides. It’s well worth the money considering most rides take anywhere from 4-8 tickets; even the sky buckets!
There are mellow rides and thrill rides. Be sure to take on the thrill rides before you take on the fair food!
A fair wouldn’t be a fair without the fair food! You can have bacon wrapped corn dogs, bacon on a stick, and even chocolate dipped bacon.
…and even bacon on a donut cheeseburger!! If you’ve never tried this I would highly recommend it to please your sweet and salty taste buds.
…and you can’t leave without at least one deep fried treat! I am especially fond of funnel cake and the kettle corn was our family’s favorite. I think I’ll pass on the deep fried butter though.
For fun away from the midway my little one loved meeting the Shopkins Kookie Cookie and Apple Blossom. We also enjoyed the pig races, the petting zoo, and you could get lost inside the vendor area. Some friends of ours were lucky enough to catch a cow giving birth during their visit in the cattle barn. My kids will probably be talking about Taylor Swine and the other pigs from the pig race for weeks.
If you’re planning on taking the family I would recommend going early on the weekends (unless you can escape during the week) and plan to stay all day. We left right at sunset and may have taken home a little sunburn with us too….don’t forget your sunscreen like we did!
For more information, ticket prices and hours visit the Florida State Fair website. Special thanks to Tampa Mama, Magic 94.9 and the Florida State Fair for sponsoring our visit to the fair. All opinions are my own.
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