JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is opening at a new home on the Westside after operating downtown for years. The relocation offers expanded space, increased parking capacity, and additional attractions for attendees.
The new fairgrounds feature space for approximately 5,000 vehicles, supported by a newly constructed roadway along with multiple entrances and exits.
Public safety officials and local police will have additional personnel on site to assist with traffic direction and fairgoer safety.Bill Olsen, president and CEO of Jacksonville Fair Grounds, said the expanded venue significantly changes the event layout compared to previous years.
“Fair this year is going to be bigger than you’ve experienced in the past,” Olsen said. “A lot more space, a lot more parking, more rides, more shows, more of everything.”
Along with infrastructure upgrades, fair organizers separated the kiddie zone from adult rides to streamline the venue layout. The event grounds feature traditional agricultural displays, including cows and goats, a large duck, and a variety of food vendors.
Andy Deggeller, owner of Deggeller Attractions, oversees the carnival operations and ride installations for the fair. Deggeller highlighted several additions brought to the midway for this year’s event.
“Includes five new rides this year that have never been here before,” Deggeller said. “We have two roller coasters that are on our midway now.”Deggeller emphasized that the overall layout and ride lineup were selected to accommodate families.“We wanted to make sure that families could come out here and enjoy themselves, regardless of the age of the children that they’re bringing out here,” Deggeller said.
Organizers offered discounted pricing for advance ticket purchases, with the promotional rate available through midnight Wednesday.
An opening ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, with public gates opening at 5 p.m.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
