Dinosaurs and Dessert, an unlikely combination that will have families entertained all day long.

January 14th, 2022

Yes, you read that right, dinosaurs have invaded the South Florida Fair this year. The new theme this year is a welcomed addition to the ever-changing landscape of the fair. From the moment you arrive inside the Expo Center, guests witness some incredible animatronic dinosaur displays. The traveling exhibit, titled “Dinosaurs Around the World,” showcases some of the world’s most unique and recently discovered dinosaurs. Guests have the opportunity to discover where the various species of dinosaurs lived, how they arrived and the latest paleontological, cutting-edge research.

However, while I didn’t have the chance to check it out just yet, fairgoers also have the opportunity to see lifelike dinosaurs in action and may touch and interact with them throughout the Jurassic Kingdom Lockdown show. For the past nine years, this show has been one of the most beloved displays in the fair and festival industry. Host Miss Kala opens the performance with an introduction that sends the audience back in time. 

“We know that many children are fascinated by dinosaurs, even though they’re extinct,” said Vicki Chouris, the fair’s president and CEO. “Dinosaurs fit into their world of imaginary play and we hope to entertain and educate them and their families in a fun-filled, visual way.”

Additional theme-related exhibits include prehistoric dinosaur adventures, a mobile museum, the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History, the Cox Science Museum and Aquarium, a Dino Encounters Excavation Zone and Mr. Adler — an experienced paleontologist who loves to take his babies for a stroll around the fair.

Other activities on our brief visit included seeing roosters, bunnies and then cows at Mooternity, but also the adjacent Cowboy Circus with Danny Grant. With plenty of laughs and some audience members becoming a part of the act, it’s a wholesome show that will entertain everybody in the family.

Now about that dessert. While there are several food vendors throughout the fairgrounds, many of which that have become annual staples at the fair, the latest addition from Fluffys Hand Cut Donuts will have you in a sensory overload. That specific item is the massive banana cream pie donut. Hand-cut and yeast raised, this donut is filled with banana cream pudding, dipped in vanilla icing and topped with crushed Nilla wafers and a sweetened banana chip. There’s literally no chance that on my next trip to the fair that I don’t grab another one. Seriously, it’s that good. My diet could take a vacation.

And like any vacation, nothing has to follow an exact status quo (at least that’s my train of thought). So, with that thought process I reversed course and finally decided to have dinner at another new spot, The Original Holy Macaroni. The Build Your Own Mac & Cheese Bowl concept was a welcomed distraction to all the coming and going of the fair’s surroundings. However, with so many options of meat, seafood and vegetables, I went all in with the Meat Mac Daddy, which paired an oozy cheese macaroni with steak, chicken, bacon, sausage, pulled pork and chorizo. It’s enough food to keep you full for several hours. Trust me while the hand cut fries seem tempting, if you’re not sharing, don’t do it. Your stomach will thank me later.

The South Florida Fair is produced by the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and has a longstanding tradition of raising funds for educational and charitable purposes. Located at 9067 Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, the 2023 South Florida Fair will kick off with its Ride-A-Thon at 5 p.m. on January 12 and the full fair will be held January 13 – January 29. For more information, call 561-793-0333 or visit the website, http://www.southfloridafair.com.