Under the Sea and Over the Moon: Creating Core Memories at the South Florida Fair!

January 14^th, 2023

Finding things to do with your little ones in a place where it’s basically summer year-round can be incredibly difficult. When a trip to the beach or playground is about as common as a trip to the grocery store, when something like the South Florida Fair comes around it’s an event you don’t want to miss.

The fair, which has hosted over 12 million guests since its first opening in 1912, takes on a theme each year, making it a new experience for you and your family.

The exciting underwater theme made quite the splash as it featured fun activities like petting the smallest species of stingrays, a shark and sea lion show, and Moby Dick fans will especially love walking through a replica of a humpback whale. My littles personally loved the underwater room, which was an immersion experience bringing you to the depths of the ocean. While inside you can see the most vibrant sea creatures while singing along to family friendly underwater jams, like “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s Moana. My kids loved trying to touch the fish as they swam by and dancing in the blue lights, they didn’t want to leave!

Not only were these experiences fun, and a great way to enjoy the fair even on a cloudy south Florida day, but they were also playfully educational as the instructors were always nearby to answer even the most curious of questions.

The fair featured over 20 toddler and kid friendly rides, most only requiring 32 to 36 inches to ride– meaning even my 2-year-old could enjoy them! The rides ranged from spinning strawberries to soaring down big slides and awesome tractor rides. You can’t miss a trip to the 2 classic fun houses that the fair offers, too! If you are planning to attend, make sure you give the petting zoo a visit. Here, guests can learn how to milk a cow, with a baby calf that is only days old– don’t worry mama cow gave her seal of approval. Guests can also learn about fowls and rabbits as you take a walk through the chicken run, where you can see over 20 different breeds of chicken and 10 different breeds of bunnies! Be sure to keep an eye out for the friendly turkey (I wish I knew the name), who stands at 3.5 feet tall and loves to have her feathers stroked.

When you’re visiting the South Florida Fair, you can’t forget to spend some time exploring the dozens of delicious treats. This event is always a success for picky kids, as they have it all! We made sure to grab a few slices of pizza as we watched the Cowboy Circus with Danny Grant located at the east end of the park.

Some of our favorite snacks included the curd cup from Meggers Hot Wisconsin Cheese, which had the tastiest fried cheese I’ve ever had. You can enjoy both regular and spicy cheese bites with a side of ranch or marinara.

At Fluffy Donuts you can indulge on giant donuts in incredible flavors like Oreo, maple bacon, banana cream pie, and even dill pickle! At $10 a donut, these were the perfect sweet snack to have, be sure to top it with ice cream and a cup of coffee for the perfect dessert.

If you like the classic, and smaller donuts, you can also grab a donut cup from Cider Donuts, which is right across from The Creation Station and Anime Venture.

Last, but certainly not least, the Dill Pickle Lemonade from Miller’s Lemonade was mind blowing. This perfect mixture of salty and sweet included pickle juice and over 6 slices of pickles. This creative concoction is worth a visit to the fair alone!

If you are wondering how to keep your littles entertained this next week, definitely check the fair out. Entrance to the park is free for children 10 and younger, and both ride tickets and unlimited ride wristbands can be purchased at the gate or inside the park. Bring your adventure and your appetite on your visit to the South Florida Fair!