New policy for parents and kids at Florida State Fair. The Florida State Fair is returning to Tampa on February 9th and will run until the 20th. This year, the fair has implemented a new admission policy for minors in order to ensure the safety of all guests. After 6 p.m. each day, children ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian aged 21 and older with a valid ID. This adult can supervise up to four people.
Additionally, all admission gates will close promptly at 9 p.m. This new policy is similar to measures being enforced at events around the country, and is being implemented as a safety precaution. In 2014, 14-year-old Andrew Joseph III was ejected from the fair on Student Day and tragically died trying to cross I-4. His parents, Deanna and Andrew Jr., have been on a mission to improve the safety of children at the fair. They won a wrongful death lawsuit against Hillsborough County sheriff’s officials and were awarded $15 million in damages.
While there is no information about Student Day on the fair’s website, there are two special days for families: Family Day on February 17th and Kid’s Day on February 20th. On these days, guests younger than 18 get free admission with a paid adult admission before 6 p.m. For more information, visit floridastatefair.com. TBT