South Florida Fair in West Palm Beach steps up rules for teens, kids
In an effort to curb unruly behavior from fairgoing children and teens, the South Florida Fair is making permanent a policy put in place at the end of last year to make sure those youngsters arrive with more supervision.
This year’s fair, which runs Jan. 13-29, will require that all children ages 6 to 17 be accompanied by an adult when entering the fairgrounds after 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The adult will need proof of age, and in addition to paying for admission, guests ages 6 to 17 will need to buy a ride wristband before entering the fair.
“Safety is first and foremost in our decision-making process,” said fair CEO and President Vicki Chouris. “So we decided to go ahead and 'pro-act' this year, instead of react.”
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The fair first put the rule regarding minors in place during the final weekend of last year’s event, after incidents that led to some frightening moments for fairgoers. This year’s policy goes into effect a half-hour earlier, at 8 p.m. instead of 8:30.
“Fortunately nothing bad happened, but when kids start gathering together and running through the crowds, it scares people, and that happened,” Chouris said of events last year. “Some drapery was pushed down, and there were just incidents of kids screaming and causing chaos. It made people uncomfortable.”
South Florida Fair organizers have seen a large number of unsupervised young people on the grounds in recent years, Chouris said. “It just isn’t good for the families,” she said.
The decision was made in the interest of safety and ensuring everyone can enjoy the fair, she said. “We want to try to make this so that everybody has a good experience.”
Requiring these young fairgoers to sport a ride wristband that can cost $25 to $40 each depending on when they are purchased is the fair's effort to add another layer of security.
Exhibits and buildings close and the entertainment acts are wrapping up at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, leaving rides and food as the primary reasons to be at the fair after that hour. The wristbands are "kind of our assurance that people are coming to the fair for the right reasons," Chouris said.
In establishing the policy, fair officials looked to similar events around the country. Some start their requirements earlier in the day or make it mandatory throughout their events, she said.
At the Kentucky State Fair, all children under age 18 must have a parent or guardian age 21 or older with them if they enter the grounds after 6 p.m. Kentucky State Fair officials strengthened those rules during last year’s event after disturbances caused by teens wielding noisemakers caused some scary moments for families who thought someone was shooting into the crowd, according to local news reports.
The Tennessee Valley Fair has a policy for minors that is closer to what the South Florida Fair is launching this year: All attendees under age 18 who enter after 7 p.m. must be accompanied by a parent or guardian age 21 or older, with a maximum of six minors per guardian, according to the fair’s website.
“We follow what the industry is doing, and this is something that is happening nationwide,” Chouris said.
Though the goal is to make the fair safe for everyone, Chouris said she feels for the young people this policy might affect.
“Quite honestly, your heart goes out to the young guy who’s 17 and wants to bring his girlfriend to the fair,” she said. “I get it. I really do.”
Chouris suggested a teen in that situation arrive earlier in the day. People also can buy wristbands and pay for admission in advance to save money, she said.
“We’re just trying to avoid something really bad happening,” Chouris said.
After putting the policy in place during the final days of last year’s fair, Chouris said her team received a positive response.
“Nobody wants to come out here and spend all the money they spend, and then have an incident like that,” she said. “We want to make sure people know that they’re going to be somewhere that we’re doing everything we can so they enjoy their time with us.”
This year’s fair theme is “Dino-Myte,” with animatronic dinosaurs on display and dinosaur-related exhibits for families to enjoy.
South Florida Fair
Where: 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: Jan. 13 through 29
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. MLK Day and Friday, Saturday, Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. closing day
Cost: 10 and younger free; 11 and older at gate $15 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and $20 on Saturday and Sunday; Tuesdays $2. Entry fee does not include rides or parking. Ride wristbands $25 at gate Monday through Friday, $40 at gate on Saturday and Sunday. Parking $10 general, $20 premium.
Information: 561-793-0333; 800-640-FAIR; southfloridafair.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm Beach's South Florida Fair 2023 cracks down on teens, kids
