Big Drops, Hot Grease, and Tigers

We've been kicked off the cable cars for spitting on the little heads 50 feet below, smoked out on the ferris wheel, tripped acid on the Gravitron, and gotten laid in the parking lot. But the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition is not just for kids. This year, for the first time in its illustrious 58-year history, the fair will sell beer. Add that to 90 midway rides, 165 food vendors, 130 merchandise shops, 50 games, 50,000 exhibitions, and free shows by dancers, acrobats, and tigers, and you're bound to find new ways to enjoy the largest fair in Florida. Some 80,000 ears of corn are expected to be consumed, but there will also be your deep-fried favorites as well as grilled items for the health-conscious.

Thrill junkies should visit Monday through Friday, when visitors pay one price ($25) for an unlimited ride pass. We support the fair because, as the largest nonprofit event in Dade, it supports us with jobs, scholarships, prizes, knowledge, and memories to last a lifetime. The fair begins this Thursday, March 26, and continues through April 12. Gates close at 10 p.m., and rides run till midnight. Oh, and kids 5 and younger get in free, so tell your 7-year-old to fake it.
Tue., March 31, 2009