Fair to celebrate 35th season November 24 - December 5
Pembroke Pines, FL — August 12, 2010 — The Broward County Fair, one of South Florida’s most treasured time-honored traditions, will be back for its 35th season this fall with a new location, new leadership and a renewed emphasis on its agricultural roots.
Fair officials are signing a lease agreement with the City of Pembroke Pines to hold the event Nov. 24 - Dec. 5 on the 115-acre City Center property located on 106th Avenue just south of Pines Boulevard and west of Pembroke Pines City Hall.
The Fair’s Board of Directors also approved expanding its run from 10 days to 12 days and earlier this month appointed David Erickson as Fair Manager through December 31, 2010. He replaces longtime Executive Director Ina Nadler, who passed away in June.
Erickson, a South Florida event organizer whose involvement with the Broward County Fair spans 30 years, said he is excited to take over management duties. The first event Erickson worked was the Broward County Fair, in 1980 at Gulfstream Park.
“I am honored to have been chosen by the Fair Board of Directors to lead us into the future,” said Erickson. “Many people are needed to accomplish the tasks each year, and I am one of the workers who will make this the greatest family event in Broward County.”
The Broward County Fair, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization chartered by the Florida Department of Agriculture in 1976, has faced challenges in recent years because of its lack of a permanent fairgrounds. The Fair was first held on the grounds of Broward Community College’s Central Campus in Davie, and subsequently at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Pompano Park in Pompano Beach and Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Last year’s Fair was presented at the Pompano Beach Citi Centre, a shopping mall, without its usual midway rides, games and food booths.
Erickson said this year’s event will not only refocus on its original mission to promote local agri-business but will also benefit the community by creating hundreds of jobs, helping to support area businesses, and providing South Florida residents with a safe and secure environment that combines both entertainment and education.
“The Broward County Fair is headed in an exciting direction,” Erickson said. “The City of Pembroke Pines is offering a great level of cooperation with the Fair to establish itself in a new venue for this year. We are currently negotiating a contract with a midway operator and are actively seeking corporate sponsorships that will enable us to produce Broward County’s premier family event.”
