The South Florida Fair is an annual fair

Fair

A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...

 held in West Palm Beach, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, every January or February. The fairgrounds site occupies 100 acre (0.404686 km²; 0.156250138152179 sq mi) and is located on the site of the former Palm Beach Speedway at the intersection of Southern Boulevard (US 98/SR 80) and Fairground Road. It is set up to make it adjacent to the Cruzan Amphitheatre

Cruzan Amphitheatre

Cruzan Amphitheatre is a 19,000-seat open-air music venue in West Palm Beach, Florida. The facility, owned by the South Florida Fairgrounds, is a modern amphitheatre used primarily for concerts and other performances...

. Nearly 500,000 people attended the South Florida Fair each year.

The fair features a midway

Midway (fair)

A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....

 of rides, games, and concessions, themed exhibition halls, an agricultural and livestock agriplex, and smaller exhibition areas. There is also Yesteryear Village, a history park on the northeastern corner of the property.

History

The fair began as the Palm Beach County Fair in March 1912, the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 caused the South Florida Fair to operate with only a midway before ceasing to operate at all in 1937 also due to the effects from the Great Depression. The attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

 in December 1941 disrupted plans to restore the South Florida Fair in 1942. The fair resumed in 1946 at the Palm Beach International Airport

Palm Beach International Airport

Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport located 3 nautical miles west of Palm Beach, Florida, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and serves Palm Beach County. The airport is operated and maintained by Palm Beach County Department of Airports. Road access to the airport is available...

, it was moved off of that site when the Airport began to operate during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. The Fair was moved to the Palm Beach Speedway from 1953-1955 and it was also incorporated in 1953. Again, the location was moved to the campus of Palm Beach Community College

Palm Beach Community College

Palm Beach State College is a member institution of the Florida College System,a public state college located in Lake Worth, Florida. Palm Beach State College was formerly known as Palm Beach Community College and before that Palm Beach Junior CollegePalm Beach State College enrolls more than...

 in 1956; the property was later given back to the college.

In 1957, the fair was moved from John Prince Memorial Park

John Prince Memorial Park

John Prince Memorial Park is a park located in Lake Worth, Florida. The park covers 726.36 acres and is managed by the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department. Most of the park is on the western and northern shore of Lake Osborne...

. Finally, in 1958, the Palm Beach Speedway was purchased and is still the current location of the fair. The fair was renamed to its present day name for the 1960 event.

Organization

The South Florida Fair and Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation organized and existing pursuant to Chapter 616 of the Florida Statutes. It has a Board of Trustees that consists of 17 people who are responsible for setting policy and seeing that management of the association is carried out under direction of an executive staff consisting of the President/CEO and currently two Vice Presidents. The Fair also has Directors who serve in an advisory capacity. There are currently 55 Directors. The Trustees and Directors are non-paid volunteers. The day-to-day operation is the responsibility of the President, Rick Vymlatil, who oversees a staff of over 45 full-time employees.

Economic impact

According to a study released in 2000 by Economic Research Associates, Inc., the South Florida Fairgrounds generated a total economic impact of $149,924,000 in 1999. This was prior to the development of the Expo East Exhibit Hall, the enhancement of Yesteryear Village (including the new Bink Glisson and the Sally Bennett "Big Band Hall of Fame") and the aggressive marketing of the Americraft Expo Center exhibit floor space. In addition, the Cruzan Amphitheatre alone is estimated to generate an economic impact in excess of $20 million. But not only does the Fair generate a significant economic impact, it makes a substantial annual cash distribution to the youth of this area from its own resources. In the 2007/08 fiscal year, the South Florida Fair paid in excess of $200,000 in scholarship and 4-H premium awards, compensation to choruses and bands performing during the annual Fair, and contributions to Palm Beach County schools through its Partners-In-Education Advance Ticket program.

Fairgrounds

Approximately 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) comprise the real property commonly referred to as the "Fairgrounds". In 1957, Palm Beach County gave the Fair 100 acre (0.404686 km²) at its present site but later took back 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) for the stockade. This contribution was made in consideration of the Fair agreeing to relocate from John Prince Park in order that the County could vie for a state university (PBCC). Generally, the Fairgrounds is segregated into several pods or tracts: the parking tracts, Yesteryear Village, the Cruzan Amphitheatre, and the exhibit buildings, including the Americraft Expo Center and the Agriplex. The space available on the Fairgrounds for trade shows and exhibits exceeds 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²). During the annual South Florida Fair, the southern parking tract is utilized as the "midway" containing rides, shows, games, and concessions.

Events

The main event on the Fairgrounds is the annual South Florida Fair, which occurs over a 17-day period, generally in the last two weeks of January each year. Over the past several years, the annual fair has incorporated a theme as a means of stimulating tourism as well as the educational and cultural interest of the residents of Palm Beach County. For instance, "Florida" was featured at the 1998 fair and "Alaska"; "Tales of the American West"; "New England"; "Hollywood"; "Having a Ball"; "Dreams, screams, thrills, chills"; "Party with the Animals"; and "A World of Fun" were showcased in previous fairs. One of the greatest aspects of the annual fair is its agricultural and livestock exhibits which clearly provide the greatest variety of such exhibits anywhere within Palm Beach County. Even though agriculture is such a tremendous part of Palm Beach County’s economic base, many school children have never been exposed to it. However, at the annual South Florida Fair, not only can they see and learn all about agriculture, but can even witness a calf being born, or learn how a dairy is operated. The annual fair attracts nearly 500,000 people through its turnstiles. However, 650,000 people will attend various events on the Fairgrounds on an annual basis. Besides the 150000 ft (45,720 m). Americraft Expo Center, there are 10 other smaller exhibit buildings along with the Cruzan Amphitheater, Agriplex, and Yesteryear Village. These events constitute 250 event days.

Yesteryear Village

Yesteryear Village is a history park on 10 acre (0.0404686 km²; 0.0156250138152179 sq mi), showcasing buildings and artifacts from the 1850s to the 1950s. It exhibits a large collection of early, original, and replicated buildings, including an old school, a farm, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a church, a fire department, a post office, a bait & tackle shop, and the famed Riddle House

Riddle House

The Riddle House is an old Victorian house that is located in Palm Beach County, Florida and was built in West Palm Beach in 1905, but was dismantled and moved to Yesteryear Village, a historical park within the South Florida Fairgrounds in Royal Palm Beach...

. Included is the only big band museum in the United States, the Sally Bennett Big Band Hall of Fame Museum. Guided tours are available.