Faircracker SUMMER 2021
Historic South Florida Fair Fair organizers deem it a success
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- For the first time
in its 109-year run, the South Florida Fair — which ended May 23 — made history by organ- izing and presenting two fairs within four months. The reason? The pandemic and all of the challenges it presented. The South Florida Fair was held as a mini fair during its normal 17-day period in January with all activities being held
outdoors, only kiddie rides and fewer food and other vendors due to continued COVID-19 concerns. Fair organizers re- quired everyone to wear facial coverings at all times, recommended social distancing, and made other adjustments, such as having hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the fairgrounds. “We had a great turnout in January for our mini fair and our guests were enthusiastic,” said Vicki Chouris, the fair’s
president & CEO. “We were encouraged by that and the pandemic’s shift so we decided that our faithful fairgoers de- served to have a full-fledged fair in 2021 and we began planning.” Although encouraged, Chouris and her staff weren’t sure what to expect, having never hosted a fair in May, dealing
with much warmer temperatures than in January, mixed concerns regarding COVID-19 by the public, and no estab- lished traditions for a fair held in May. Attendance began slowly, but by the second Friday of the fair, the crowds began to increase to levels comparable to its normal January fair. “We exceeded our expectations for the May fair, especially with the slow start,” said Chouris. “Our last Friday night
was one of the best attended final Fridays in the fair’s history. We have observed people enjoying attending with their families and we are so glad that we did this.” The South Florida Fair also made history by being the only fair in the industry to hold two fairs in just four months. She
points to her staff and volunteers’ dedication to producing a second fair in such a short period of time. “I could not be more proud of my staff and all of the volunteers who made this happen,” said Chouris. “This required an extraordinary amount of work but it was well worth it for the sake of bringing our community back together.”
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PAST PRESIDENTS: Front L to R: Jeanne Keaton, St. Lucie County Fair; Doris Graska, Citrus County Fair; Dawn Rowe, Os- ceola County Fair; Gayle Hart, Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair. Back: Artie McIntyre, Paul Davis, Florida Strawberry Festival; Clark Converse, Pasco County Fair; Bill Olson, Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair; Dan West, Manatee County Fair.
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