Another excellent time at the fair grounds! This time for the Dream Asia Fest. This festival was absolutely amazing! Hope they come back annually. Buying tickets was easy. Bought parking through the fairgrounds website. Getting into parking was easy and I was navigated to my gate entrance to enter. They had so many food, drink, and shopping vendors. Live music and entertainment from both the crowd and the people running the stage. Great time and a lot of fun! read more

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I'm definitely bias since I've only gone to the Minnesota State Fair which is the #1state fair turnout in the country every year for the 12 days that it's open. Parking was $15 on-site & fair entrance was free for me with my FL medical professional license ID card since I went on a promo day for it. The best part of the Fl State Fair was the petting zoo of baby goats, donkeys, llama alpacas which was free to enter & pet at your own risk of poop & pee from the animals. Some of the alpacas were very agreeable to selfies lol so funny they knew the assignment well. 5 stars for the animals & zero stars everything else. All the food was terrible. I definitely wouldn't go back again. Even if the entrance fee or parking was free... not worth it. My friends that were born & raised in the Tampa Bay Area told me not to go that it's not worth it... should a listened to them lol. None of my Florida friends wanted to go that have lived in Tampa their whole life. I went for the experience. I didn't go on any rides, my germ radar was on too high alert lol. read more

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This was SUCH a great day at the fair! Arriving early would be your best bet if you are a thrill seeker or a foodie, lines are short. They offer a fast pass for rides but, if you get there early enough, you wouldn't need one. Even though I only went on a few rides, I still got a bracelet that allows you on all the rides multiple times. I would suggest to ride the big ferris wheel during the sunset, it is DOPE!!! The line was not long and you get to go around (2) times. The vibe was really chill, not fast-paced or crowed, but after 6:00pm it starts to get more congested with people and lines for things are longer. You will spend money while you are here, it's the fair, there is no way around that business model. Keep-in-mind the only vendors that do NOT accept cash are alcohol vendors. The food was DELICIOUS!! Let my videos and pictures speak for themselves! I did not leave the fair on an empty stomach and walking all day around balances a food frenzy! All-in-all I would definitely come back here. There's exhibits, petting zoo, just so much things to do eat, and there's so many things going on around you. This will be my yearly visit moving forward! #FirstTimer! read more

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I had an awesome day at the Florida State Fair! We went on Super Bowl Sunday! We arrived around noon and it was $15 to park. I saw online that if you bought tickets online it was only $10. Whoops. Free admission for law enforcement, first responders, active or retired military, medical personnel, and teachers with valid agency ID. Otherwise for adults it was $16. Of course I came here for the food. Up first we tried a corn dog from Smitty's Original Hand-Dipped Buttermilk Corn Dogs. OMG, they were as legit good as the ones you get at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Sleepy Hollow. I love the buttermilk taste and everything was perfect. For $8 I was very happy with it. Up next, we had a $10 elephant ear. Now these are super popular at the Indiana State Fair which I went to every year as a kid growing up. It was perfect. I always dump the extra brown sugar off as there is plenty on it. Highly recommend if you've never tried it. Next, went to pet the goats, donkeys, and alpacas. You can actually go into their cages and pet all of the animals. You can also buy feed to give to the animals. All of the animals know if you have food as they will swarm you. Fun taking selfies and messing around. Be careful as they might go #1 or #2 on you if you aren't paying attention. Then, went and tried Shantyman Beef Jerky. I like the black pepper and sea salt best. Habanero is delicious too. Ask the guy for a discount if you are going to buy a bunch because he's happy to make a deal with you. After that, tried a pizza. It was horrible 0/10. Tasted like it was frozen and from Wal-Mart. I almost forgot about the turtle candy I bought from Copper Coast. The turtle was awesome, but the price was not. For 4 tiny turtles it cost me $10. That's insane. Waaaay over priced. Lots of cool photo spots with the ferris and USA signs. Great way to spend an afternoon. I didn't ride any of the rides so I have no idea about those. read more

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Impromptu visit to the Florida state fair while vacationing there. This was my 2nd time here. I had visited while living in Florida. Both times I enjoyed it so much. However, this time was special going with my 1yr old daughter. We enjoyed walking around in search of yummy snacks and I took my daughter to the indoor animal petting area. We had a blast! Highly highly recommend. Plus it was free for military! read more

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We went to the State Fair the other day, on a weekday, from about a half hour after opening until about a half hour before closing. The ingress to the parking lots was easy once you got through the terribly aligned highway exit(s) that merged to and fro. Once that goal was accomplished the entry itself was pretty smooth, with the parking ticket folk quick on their toes; as well as the parking attendants getting people parked. We purchased our tickets at the gate and it moved quickly as well. We were amazed at how large and spread out this fair venue was, and how much it had to offer. We know there were thousands of people present, but it did not feel that way with it being so large and spread out. The amount of food vendors blew our minds. There had to have been easily over a hundred of them, offering up all kinds of foods. Some of the vendors had reasonable prices, while others were wanting too much for what they offered (so be discerning). Many of the "regular" fair foods, such as corn dogs, drinks and caramel apples, were noticeably less than what we had experienced at other State and County fairs (two thumbs up there). The show rooms where you can purchase products was just okay and not overwhelming. There is an indoor theater area where local acts were performing, which was nice, as well as live music off and on. The 'one man band' that traversed the outdoor area was fun, with that man being very talented (stand by and listen for a bit if you spot him). Beer, at $11 a pop, was okay I suppose, if you compare it to other venues. The animal and poultry areas were clean and interesting, with some young FFA members very willing to chat it up with you about their projects. Speaking of the FFA they have a food truck outside the building that offers up the best deals on grub, so check it out if you want to save a few bucks. Overall we had a very good time at this fair and plan to return! read more

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I had to update my prior review, because the Florida State Fair released an app for this year's fair! It was very easy to use, and I appreciated the simple layout. And so many helpful features were included. The BEST thing was being able to search for a specific food vendor, and see where their booth was ON THE MAP. I could even search for specific foods. And all of the food vendors are mapped out & include a few (if not all) of their offerings. My only critique is that Internet connectivity was weak everywhere outside of the Expo Hall. And we visited on a Thursday afternoon. This made navigating the app sluggish for me, and virtually impossible for my neice to download the app herself. Overall, I love the new app! Thank you, FL State Fair! See you next February! read more

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First time at the Florida State Fair and I had a great experience. My family and I went on the last day as soon as they opened. Parking was $10 because we pre paid online, but in person it was $15. Only 1 out of 5 of us paid admission due to a deal going on that day so it was $16 to get in. I highly recommend checking out what days are discounted/free admission so you can save money. The fair itself didn't start getting crowded until around 1pm, but still you could just walk onto a majority of the rides. The circus was so much fun to watch - I definitely recommend going to check that out. There was a lot of free shows you could see, barn animals, etc so if you aren't into rides there are other options. So many food options at the fair and the prices weren't too bad. Honestly - I would definitely come back next year, but only on the days they have the deals running. If you plan accordingly the fair can definitely be an enjoyable experience!! read more

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I have been to state fair many times, finally give them a review. Base on many past year fair attendance, I would said the show excitement is improving. Just the show, it is worth the money. The ticket coupon can be obtained before or during fair period. The have special discount also for after 3 pm on certain day. I have attended many show. This includes the magic show, wall of death- I like this one the most, motorcycles or bmx bike show, lake water spectacular, circus, pig race. Those are the show you may want to watch. The fair food definitely is indulging and savory. For one day I can live with all fried food in the fair. If you want to a bit healthier is grilled food and seafood. read more

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Florida state fair is something I look forward to each year. The carnival, the food, petting zoos (my fav), shows & circus make it a great place for all ages. Riding the big ferris wheel is always a must. The views are beautiful! read more

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SO GOOD! I went to the fair twice in one week it was sooooooooooooo much fun they had long lines but even with the quick pass, it was so quick to get into rides. My favorite ride was the Genisis and that ride was the thrill for a person like me. I RECOMMEND TO COMING HERE EVERY YEAR. Some of you have to try it. read more

Had so much fun at the fair this year! We went as a big group and were able to try so many fun foods this year. We went during the week so parking was easy and there were no lines or crowds. The live music and entertainment was also fun and perfect for when you wanted to rest your feet. I love the fair and felt like this was a really great year! read more

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What a perfect day for the state fair! Great weather, food was yummy. Yes I had a Smittys Famous Buttermilk corn dog! Plant city's finest! Always love walking through the exhibits and animals too! You have 11dats of perfect Florida weather, go get some fun! read more

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FL State Fair 2025 - Always have a good time. Most stalls are back and in their same locale. Enjoy Hollywood pig racing and the free zoo across from it where we got to feed goats, cows, horses and zebras. All rides were operational except a few, but they had duplicates scattered round. The Gel gun battle arena was fun and worth the price! read more

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Gotta go to the fair for the food! I mean it's a given every year right!? Bought our tickets weeks in advance given the yearly sale that happens with armbands. Take the kiddos and let them free while mom and dad eat their hearts out. And get the yearly Keel Farms ale. This year they had churro flavor which actually was pretty tasty. My corn dog was hot and fresh and delicious and of course the Tiki Tea. I had peach and my free refill was the strawberry. Definitely stick to peach. The strawberry flavor tasted like fruit punch and I ended up throwing half out. Yuck. Also got my Amish pretzel from Peachys. This is an absolute MUST. They make the BEST pretzels and glazed donuts. And if you want to try them outside the fair, they are based out of Sarasota. Enjoyed the petting zoo and feeding the horses and goats this year. I try to tell hubs that I want a pet goat but he just laughs at me. They are just so cute!!! read more

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I rated the fair as 4 star my last review. This time, it's a 3.5. The fair doesn't change much year to year, other than having slightly different vendors. But this year,no vendor really stood out. The rides were fine, the food tasted ok, and there were animals to be petted and fed in multiple areas. But it has gotten expensive. The highlight (really a lowlight) was getting a deviled crab from Alessi's. We didn't ask how much it was and figured maybe 7 or 8 bucks. Effing $12 for a single deviled crab. The chicken teriyaki noodle bowl I got was $16, but it had much more food and actually tasted better. Went home and looked on their website, and they normally charge $7.99, which is still expensive for a single serving. At this rate, I'll just eat outside of the fair since it's much cheaper, or it's the same price and you get full meals. I'll still go because I like the atmosphere and spending time there with the family, but it makes me wonder how much longer before people can't afford to go... read more

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The Florida State Fair is here! And so is all the good fair food. Donuts from Peachy's are a must. They are light and airy and have the best glaze. Had to try the new Spam grilled cheese, not my favorite but I like to try something new each year Fried Oreos and lemonade are fair classics, can't go wrong with these. The steak sundae is nice and salty in contrast to all those sweets. read more

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We haven't been back in Florida state fair for more than 10 years, since the kid grew up. My good friend told me there was a three dollars discount ticket Thursday after 3 PM and free parking. Such a good deal. Thursday was a slow day , not so crowded. We tried to catch most of the shows for the limited time we had there. We saw the water spectacular show , the magic show , the Hollywood racing pig , the Hollywood Circus , wall of dead , cycle circus live. All the show were very good , exciting ,adrenal rush, jaw dropping. I was very impressed the quality of the show was so good. There were different bands playing on two stages . The concerts were quite good . I liked the petting zoo - so many cute animals, camel, goat, llama, miniature horses, etc. In the agriculture displace we saw the rabbits, chicken, turkey. There was even corn sandbox for kids to play in. There was a fresh orange juice station. We picked up one Valencia orange and the lady behind the counter juicing it for us to drink. The weather was hot in the afternoon. After around 5 o'clock sunset, it cooled down and the big wheel rides lighted up. The view was beautiful. We didn't do any ride. I was surprised that the fair food and drink price had gone up so high, almost like Disney theme park pricing. Most of the food was deep fry, non-so healthy. But once in a while, let it go and enjoy the American tradition. I enjoyed the fair this year so much. Maybe because the discount ticket and the spectacular shows. The stare fair provided entertaining for kids till senior citizens. It's a fun family event. I will do it next year. read more

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Been going to fair every year for about 30yrs. This year was the absolute worst!! In the Expo hall all the good vendors have been pushed out and replaced with hot tub sellers, mattress sells, vendors yelling at you to try their skincare, cell phone companies. We have always lived all the vendors and we did not go there to buy a mattress or get a cell phone!! A couple of the vendors one of which we buy from every year told us they have been priced out. Only big retail companies can afford to rent space. And what was there was absolute junk!! I see better quality at Dollar Tree!! And a lot of the animals were gone! The pregnant cows were gone. Everything just felt off. And I felt like what vendors were there weren't happy. My daughter was going to go this weekend but I told her about it and to save her money. I've told many people about this. We are looking forward to the Strawberry Festival. It's not State run so they aren't about the dollars from big retail. I don't go to the fair to buy a mattress or a hot tub or get a cell phone!! WTF??!! Honestly I'd give a zero if I could. Very sad. And the theme was weird too! read more

The fair hasn't added many things. I miss the dog water show.......the cowboy show, the akc tent. And now you want to add to your benefit................parking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will not be back next year unless there is free parking and different entertainment!! read more

Absolutely love coming to the fair every year. The best part is trying all the new foods. The pickle grilled cheese is a MUST. Can't go wrong with any of the lemonade stands. The strawberry shortcake soft serve was another favorite this year. read more

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The fair how can you ever go wrong as what isn't there to do here? Now this was a super cool experience as this fair is much bigger than meets the eye as it has all your standard fun from rides to animals to yummy food to exhibitors selling you things that you really need that you don't really need in the carnival of products and then you find a whole colony of radical old time activities hidden in the back! So let's break it down first we checked out the carnival of products and inside we found lots of goodies some to buy and some sweet treats which just kept calling my name! Then it was all about the midway where we took on some of those challenging games and super fun carnival rides which I must say they had a good sized selection of rides here as their midway was definitely awesome in it's own way! Food wise we had everything from apple fries to cheese curds to one of the best corn dogs I've ever had as it was dipped in buttermilk which made for a unique experience of flavorful goodness! Then they had Cracker Country hidden in the back of the complex where it was all about the old times as they was a blacksmith a old general store a train exhibit and lots of fun things to do at every turn! So I bought my ticket to the fair a few weeks in advance so I was able to save a few bucks on that which is always nice when you come to the fair as it could be a very pricey trip! One other thing I noticed is that pretty much every vendor would charge a connivence fee if you used a credit card while it was only a few bucks each time I definitely avoided this as much as I can by paying cash so that's definitely something to keep in mind when your visiting this fair! Overall this was a super fun experience at the fair as you can't ever go wrong coming to a fair no matter where you are and this fair being in February was a new one for me but it was super cool to go so early in the fair season! read more

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The Florida State Fair is worth checking out. Lots of food options, some better than others, and a great spot for people watching. The admission price is a little pricey at $16 for adults on the weekends. Parking is free at least but it's busy getting in and out of the parking lots. read more

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Free Parking. $11 on weekdays for seniors. An excellent day of animals, crops, arts, crafts, farm machinery, exhibits. Lots of carney food of ALL kinds. Check out my pictures. Worth 1000 words. read more

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I love fairs, and having been to this one for many years, this is oddly my first review. We always go on a weekday because of the crowds, and this year was no different. We arrive when it opens, wait a bit to get in and then take off to look at everything. We were starving this year so we started with the Donut Cheeseburger. Sweet and savory, made to order and very good. Next was a slice of pizza. It was decent and the sauce had a nice zip to it. We also got one of those big donuts for $5. They are super yummy. I could eat at every booth, but my body can only take so much. Love all the choices. We don't ride the rides, but love watching the kids enjoy them and there are so many that it was fun to watch. We watched the dog show this year and love that they use rescue dogs in their act. Lots of energy and very fun. The racing pigs was very cute. We listened to music at 3 different stages and enjoyed the variety. We didn't even get to see all the stages or the acts. We walked through the exhibit halls and marveled at the talent of so many people. I can't imagine what I would change about this fair, so it gets 5 stars from me . read more

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Amazing way to spend an entire day enjoying the BEST of FL living...Great food, talented entertainment, unique crafts & merchandise vendors and of course fun rides & carnival games, where everyone can win something! read more

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We had a great time at the state fair this year, 2024. We've never been before, so we stopped at the information desk and told them We don't want to go on any rides- what's there to see? She gave us the book, explained about the shows and we were off! Number one, it is a LOT of walking. And They don't let you take in food unless you have special needs. I'm not one for fair food, but I wish I would have grabbed a big water bottle. There is no going back to your car either- once your in, your in. Thursday after 3 was 3$- but we planned poorly. After 3 would be perfect bc it would be cooling down, and you could still catch a few shows. We went to the Circus, the Paul Bunyannand the wall of Death. We loved every one- a little hokey but pretty cool There were no skanky carnies, the grounds were very clean, parking was free. All in all it was a great day! read more

Florida State Fairgrounds - Festivals Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I always love the Florida state fair. . Every year, they preview some very funky different food. Be careful cause it might upset your stomach, lol. This year I tried the chocolate covered bacon with marshmallow and graham crackers. I probably wouldn't have it again because I could chew the bacon, but it was interesting. I always love the petting zoo and animals no matter how old I get. read more

I was so happy to see how clean the fairgrounds were this year, but also understand I went opening day. It's business as usual, same fair, same feel, same events. The food vendors seem to be a little more diverse this year which is nice, and some of them are cooking up some really tasty food! read more

Florida State Fairgrounds - Peachey's classic donut. - Festivals Near Me - Tampa, Florida

As fairs go, this is a very good one. There are plenty of attractions and food booths. The circus tent performances alone are worth the price of admission. read more

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The Florida State Fair offers up a traditional, fun, foody, fair experience with a little something for everyone. My wife and I went to the Florida State Fair on the last Saturday it was open. We went early, around 1030am. It was pretty quiet, we got decent parking and no line to get in. We were already hungry and had planned ahead for what we wanted to eat. We started our fair experience in Cracker Country. This living museum shows you what Florida living was like back in the 1890's. The buildings are originals from that time period and costumed interpreters, dressed in 1890's clothing, make it seem all the more real. I highly enjoyed seeing this exhibit. After that, we walked on down into the fair, scoping out our first food item. Typically, we always eat foot-long corn dogs at any fair we go to. Switching things up, we each had just a normal corn dog. My wife's was jalapeno and mine was cheesy. They were decent. The fair was pushed back due to the pandemic, so the usual milder temps were gone. As we finished up our corn dogs, we ventured into one of the structures to check out some vendors. Mostly, we just wanted to cool down a bit. After that, we came out and I spotted Smitty's Original hand-dipped buttermilk corn dogs. I had to have one. These was also a traditional size but the breading was perfect. Sweets, fluffy and crunchy. I added a little mustard but it really was good all by itself. It was definitely one of the better corn dogs I've ever had. Next on our food list was the Pickle Pizza from Angela's Pizza. My wife and I walked around, people watching and looking for Angela's. It was getting hotter by the minute. We stopped in to a petting zoo and saw a giraffe and other animals. Eventually, we found it! We ordered a slice of the pizza and a huge, quarter pound mozzarella stick. We found some shade and a large fan and enjoyed our meal. The pizza was fantastic. Crispy crust, tangy white garlic sauce, topped with dill pickles and ranch. Different but so good. The Mozzarella stick was great too. A hefty chunk of cheese, breaded and fried. For dessert, we had fried oreos and reese's. Nothing more to say about those except that they hit the spot. If you've never had deep fried sweets like that, do it. Divide and conquer. My wife and I split things and that allowed us to try more food. It's the main reason we go and it did not disappoint. We love going to the fair. Any fair or festival really. The Florida State Fair was a lot of fun and we will be back! read more

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Always a one time a year event that brings joy to all. My daughter and I really enjoyed the foods this year from the corn to the corn dogs. The rides were great as well and this year seems to have really nice and more of a family type of vibe to the fair. The carnival employees were really great and they have a lot of new items to try as well. They also handed out a great guide book to help with all the great locations to check out and how to navigate through the fair. Alessi was a great spot to check out along with the mangonada drink. If you like tajin this is your drink of choice. read more

Florida State Fairgrounds - Festivals Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Mostly expensive food and midway. We were extremely disappointed in the lack of unique vendors to see new products and wares.

I love this fair! It never disappoints. We like to visit at night to hopefully avoid larger crowds. The parking is free and there is an ample amount. There are so many food options to choose from, which can be overwhelming for an indecisive person like myself. I prefer to walk the entire fair ground first then circle back to the food booths that caught my attention. The food is always so good! There are certain food vendors that I look forward to seeing every year at the fair. This is definitely a great place to bring the family, to go for a date night, or even to go solo (I recommend going solo during the day just to be safe). The food isn't that expensive either, and I definitely felt like I got my money's worth of food. I shared everything with my husband, because I couldn't eat all that food by myself. And my eyes tend to be bigger than my stomach, so if you are like me (a foodie that wants to eat everything), then make sure to have someone with you to share the food with. But the fair does stay around for a week, so you could always come back for more. Just a side note: I only took 3 pictures but I purchased a lot more food than this. read more

Florida State Fairgrounds - Apple caramel cinnamon roll - Festivals Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I had to add an extra star because this year they have a Mother's room. My baby was seven months when we went, so he was still breastfeeding. I saw on a Mom's facebook group that there was a Mother's room so I decided to look around for it when I needed to feed him. In short, it was amazing. They have three rocking chairs all separated by partitions and three changing tables. They even had water and snacks. It was super nice with wood looking floors and pictures of happy families. They even had diaper pails. Everything was gray so it matched. It is insane how nice it was. I used it twice and I was beyond grateful that it is there. It was on the fair side of the expo hall, towards the center doors before you go in - right across from the Safe Kids area. If there was someplace I could email to say please do this every year, I would. They told me this was the first year. I ended up being one of those creepy people that would go up to women with babies saying, did you know there is a mother's room? I wish there was a mother's room everywhere I go. Kudos to the Florida State Fair! read more

The Expo Hall here is incredible. The air-conditioning on this very hot day was excellent. Speakers work and you can hear even in the back row. Parking is wonderful and the security personnel are kind and fast. Big applause to the Florida State Fairgrounds. read more

Can you say... FLORIDA STATE FAIR!? *Can you smell that? (All the yummy food from the food stands & food trucks!) *Can you hear that!? (Everyone laughing, giggling and having a good time!) *Do you feel that!? (Yes, that warm weather!) *Can you taste that!? (Yummy... those sweet treats and those delicious drinks!) What Can I say? Florida State Fair is totally worth it! Parking is more than enough, well spaced out and organized! A wide selection of foods, drinks and treats for everyone's taste buds! Rides for the youngest to the oldest! The waiting period isn't much, as long as everyone follows the proper guidelines. More than enough bathrooms available. They are pretty much clean. Different areas for sitting, relaxing and catching your breath! Aside from rides, there are a pretty good selection of games, shops and activities to do! The only reason I've given them a four (4), is due to the fact that there should be more security officers and police officers walking around the carnival fair watching to avoid any incidents. read more

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We always enjoy the State Fair in Tampa. There is plenty to do for everyone and they always give you a chance to buy tickets early at a discount. Great family fun! Free parking! read more

This year's fair was disappointing all the way around. First, and foremost, some "Brainiack" decided to move the dates from the traditional beginning of February (when the temps were perfect for walking the outside grounds in the 60's), to the end of April, when we begin experiencing Summer heat and humidity. It was announced this move was due to the Covid19 situation (even though FL proved hosting the Superbowl.and Victory Parade were indeed NOT "super spreader events"). Having no plans to attend, I did not purchase tickets in advance, which would've saved a dew dollars. Family and out-of-town friends wanted to go, so gate tickets were now $14 each. I always looked forward in the past to the horse exhibition, but that is no longer part of the fair. I also looked forward to purchasing non-dairy food from the Agricultural Center, but when I walked in discovered it, too, is no longer being offered at the fair. Pre-Covid19 (last year's fair) if you brought a non perishable food item on a specific day, admittance was free. Not this year. I no longer ride the rides but enjoy watching others as they scream with terror. I hope 2022 will have the fair return to its' original February dates. read more

This event is "Huge" so be prepared to stay a while and wear comfortable shoes. There's more food then you could eat in a year and making decisions will be tough. If you have kids there are plenty of rides and attractions, mostly free shows and events to keep you entertained. Craft fairs, home show attendees there is something for everyone. Free parking that's a plus and entry cost is reasonable compared to other events. Food prices are what you'd expect from this type of event but hey they have costs as well so be generous and don't forget to ti read more

Florida State Fairgrounds - Welcome - Festivals Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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