Florida State Fair 2018: Events On Last Fair Day

TAMPA, FL - The last day of the Florida State Fair will be held Monday, Feb. 19 with last chance to visit the largest midway in North America this year. The Fair features 110 rides including four large roller coasters and the largest traveling Ferris wheel in North America. The Fair opens at 9 a.m.

Fair officials say there are new trends in food with creative concessionaires. This year’s new food items include: BBQ pulled pork ribbon fries, catfish sundae, banana frenkel funnel cake and deep fried strawberry shortcake.

Students from Sarasota, Manatee, Polk and Pinellas counties receive free admission with a school ID or adult supervision with driver’s license from that county. Pinellas County must have ticket distributed through the
Pinellas County School System. Also, there is a $5 admission with an empty Coca-Cola product can or bottle.

Some of the highlights at the Fair on Monday, Feb. 19 include:

Dennis Lee
10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – Tampa Bay Times Stage
Lee and his music mates are a four-decade favorite at the Florida State Fair. Dennis
Lee describes himself as a mixture of comedian Robin Williams and Red Skelton,
rock ‘n’ roll legends Elvis Presley and preacher Reverend Billy Graham.

Vocal Trash
11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. – Sleep Number Stage
Described as, Glee Meets Stomp, Vocal Trash asks you to recycle your imagination
as their urban themed Broadway style show energizes audiences from New York to
Seattle and Las Vegas to Beijing. The show includes world-class singing, industrial
drumming and award-winning break-dancing.

Kazual
11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. – Tampa Bay Times Stage
Kazual (pronounced Casual) is a family band made up of three brothers and a
cousin that bring a distinct sound to their fans. They mix the sounds of
R&B, pop and hip hop.

Extreme Illusion & Escapes
2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 8 p.m. – Mall Arena
Josh Knotts & Lea are a Merlin-award winning illusionist and escape artist team who perform a
high energy, family-friendly, modern and theatrical show consisting of large scale
illusions and skillful escapes.

The Fair also is introducing for the first time the Ninja Experience. A team of martial arts experts has been entertaining audiences from around the world with high-flying performances that showcase a display of extreme breaking, kicking, and flipping. There will be three free shows daily at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The show is located next to the Big Wheel.

Located in the Florida Center, The PBS Kids Fun Zone is a large gathering of PBS Kids Characters. Kids can meet Clifford the Big Red Dog, Peg + Cat, Arthur, Curious George, and The Man in the Yellow Hat, Elmo, Jet Propoulsion, Nature Cat, Buddy Dinosaur, Katerina Kittycat, Maya and Miguel, Word Girl, and the Super Why team.

Each day of the Fair, multiple characters will be available to meet fans. There will also be activities such as dance parties, book readings, and crafts. The PBS Kids Fun Zone is open at 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily in the Florida Center.

To end each day of the Fair, there will be a laser light show at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Florida State Fair, first held in Tampa in 1904, has become one of the largest events in the state, attracting more than 500,000 people during its 12-day run.

The Florida State Fairgrounds is located at 4802 U.S. 301 N. For more information, click floridastatefair.com.

Image via the Florida State Fair