Photos and story by Martha Rhine
It’s February, so you know what that means: The Florida State Fair has arrived in Tampa with lights, games, kitschy charm and all the fried food you could ever imagine. Don’t think it can be fried? Think again.
According to its website, the fair opened at the Florida State Fairgrounds in 1977. Crowds have flocked to the fair for all its campy pleasures ever since, but the old-fashioned fun comes at a price. It gets expensive, quick. College students on a budget will have to be prepared for price inflation on food, from hot dogs to pretzels and everything in between.
Parking is free, but there is an $11 entrance fee for adults Monday through Thursday and $13 Friday through Sunday.
Armbands are $25 for unlimited rides Monday through Thursday and $35 Friday through Sunday. Visitors who wish to skip the lines can purchase an upgraded band for an additional $15.
One of the biggest draws of the fair is the most expensive: the food. A corndog costs between $8 and $12 at some stands, a pretzel $5, and one sugary churro is $4. It adds up. Don’t go on an empty stomach, and limit your spending to a few treats. Be careful with the most inventive ones, like the fried Oreos — no sense in throwing away $7 if you don’t like it.
If you picture yourself walking out of the fair clutching an oversized plush toy, and you’re up for the challenge of winning one, there’s no shortage of games on the midway. Drop a ring around a glass bottle, pop a balloon with a dart, test your strength at the high striker or win at the water gun races. All these can get pricey, at around $5 for a few tries at some booths, but the game operators can be persuasive.
The fair is magical at night when the lights on the midway seem to twinkle, flash and sparkle all at once, and the many smells of frying foods, cotton candy and kettle corn cloud the air and the senses.
The rides are fun, and the Ferris wheel is still a favorite for sappy couples, giggling girlfriends and anyone needing a pop of color on their Instagram feed.
For some, the fair is a tradition. Best friends Madison Hampton and Chyann Zolna, both 15, have been coming to the fair together for years since they met in kindergarten.
“I get matching henna (tattoos) with all of my friends and we go on the skyride,” Hampton said. “The haunted house; that’s an every year thing too,” Zolna added.
That’s one of the most unique things about the fair: the sense of community you find in an event that draws thousands of people throughout 11 days in February. So, if you can spare some extra cash, carpool with some friends, share some fried craziness, try your luck at games, challenge your fears in some spinning contraption and “Discover the Fun.”
If you go: The Florida State Fair: Florida State Fairgrounds Physical Address: 4800 US Hwy. 301 North, Tampa.
Plush prizes hang at one of the many game booths at the fair. 
The lights of the Merry-go-Round blur as it spins visitors around Feb. 9 during a busy Saturday night at the Florida State Fair in Tampa. The annual fair, which runs through Feb. 18, offers amenities such as game booths, petting zoos and rides. 
A lemonade stand lit up in neon serves cold drinks and snacks. 
Candied apples sit on display for sale. 
Best friends, Madison Hampton and Chyann Zolna, both 15, have been coming to the fair since they were children.
