Members of the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America (FFA) prepare to exhibit the sheep they have raised during the previous year. Photo courtesy of Central Florida Fair
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Central Florida Fair
The Central Florida Fair is the oldest and largest
not-for-profit fair in Central Florida. For eleven days over two
hundred thousand visitors, local and tourists, attend the Central
Florida Fair which features rides, live entertainment, horticulture
and agriculture displays, petting zoos, dancing and cooking
contests. The fair showcases the accomplishments of residents from
six Florida counties: Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, Lake and
Brevard.
The theme for the 88th annual Central Florida Fair
for 2000 was "Strive to Make a Difference." Attended by over
205,000, this year's fair featured free entertainment such as
Rock-It Robot, a blacksmith with a working forge, a Wild West show,
Paul Bunyan Lumberjack show, Frisco's Exotic Petting Zoo &
Elephant Show, and the Adriatic Attractions. There are many
exhibits and competitions, including 4-H contests, craftsmen,
needlework and quilting contests, a state Future Farmers of
American (FFA) contest, and livestock auctions. The fair also
features performances by local entertainers. Each day has a
different highlight, such as free admission for college students,
family day with discount ride coupons, school-field-trip and
senior-citizen days, and 102 JAMZ Nite.
Between fairs, the 87-acre facility, which includes
five exhibit halls, a crafts hall, social hall, and covered
pavilion, can be rented in whole or in part for trade shows,
concerts, company picnics, seminars or crafts shows. The fair
grounds are so frequently used during the year, it is estimated
that one and a half million people visit them each year.
The Central Florida Fair's earliest beginnings can be
traced back to 1886 and the display of agricultural products in the
agricultural building constructed by Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
Today the Fair provides more than just thrills and entertainment.
It awards over $125,000 in prizes, awards, and ribbons for its
exhibits. The Fair also funds scholarship grants for students
attending Valencia Community College and the University of
Florida's Institute of Agriculture and Food Science. Others
recipients of donations from the Fair include the Orange County
Sheriff's Task Force, the Orlando Police Department Explorers, a
division of the Boy Scouts, and the West Orange High School
Athletics Department.
Project is documented with text, six color
photographs, and a Central Florida Fair magnet.
Originally submitted by: Bill McCollum, Representative (8th District).
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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
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