By: After Gasparilla goes down in late January, many Tampa Bay residents look forward to the next big, annual event in Tampa, the Florida State Fair.
This year, the Florida State Fair will open its doors to thousands of Tampa residents and visitors alike from Thursday, February 9 through Friday, February 20.
The Florida State Fair is a mecca of fun for kids and adults of all ages. Patrons can enjoy the classic fair experience with a huge variety of rides, games, entertainment, and more.
Fans of greasy, ridiculous food concoctions often flock to the fair every year to sample the biggest in best in deep fried, sweet, and deliciously fattening fair food. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Florida State Fair visitors can expect a variety of new food concoctions including deep fried bubble gum, glazed doughnut burgers, a bacon peanut butter burger, deep fried mashed potatoes, and deep fried M&M’s.
The fair will also host a variety of entertainment through its 12 day run. There will be an Xtreme Sports Show inside the Sweetbay Entertainment Hall every day of the fair as well as performances from a number of country artists during the Country Gold Tour on February 15. Patrons can watch one of two shows (12 and 4 p.m.) and see performances from country stars including Leroy Van Dyke, Lynn Anderson, Gene Watson, Janie Frickie, and T.G. Sheppard.
For a full list of entertainment events at the Florida State Fair, visit the Florida State Fair events page.
Advance single tickets to the fair cost $8 for adults (12+), $4 for kids, and $6 for seniors. A midway armband, which will get you unlimited rides for the day, costs $25. A sheet of 30 tickets for the midway is $24. To purchase advance tickets or get more information, visit the Florida State Fair website.
