JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 2014 Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair opened Wednesday, drawing big opening-night crowds to the downtown fairgrounds off A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard.
Fair organizers said the fair's firefighter show, circus clowns, racing pigs and alligator show will be among the highlights.
The 2014 entertainment lineup -- the 99.9 Gator Country Concert Series -- includes some of country music's favorite artists. The lineup includes featured artists J. Collins Band, Thompson Square, Linsay Ell, Kari & Billy, Scotty McCreery, Brett Eldredge and many more.
IMAGES: Rides, food & fun
There there's the fan food. A favorite was the deep-fried food, from deep-fried Reese's to Snickers and Oreos.
"I'm coming to try some of these fried Snickers, and all the other fried everything," said Yola Prejan, who enjoyed her first time at the fair Wednesday. "All the good turkey legs and all of the good food."
Jimmy Smith was another fair-goer who went straight for the deep-fried goodies.
"This is a funnel cake sundae. It's ice cream on top of a funnel cake. I had never seen it before, so I had to try it," Smith said. "It's real good."
Funnel cakes are another fair favorite, along with pizza, corn dogs and extra cheesy curly fries.
But delicious doesn't mean everything is deep fried or stuck on a stick. For Delaney Hurst, it's the family time she finds the most fulfilling at the fair.
"It's fun just hanging out with your friends and you get to socialize," Hurst said. "It's a time to bond with each other. Show them some love."
For vendors like Dre's Place BBQ, turkey legs are their bread and butter, but giving back to the community also comes with every order.
"We do North Carolina-style BBQ, but we hire people within the community," said Andre Bullock of Dre's Place BBQ. "See, we don't just come to the community and take all of the money out of the community. We put the money back into the community, because the people are the most important thing."
The fair operates under the direction of a volunteer board of directors of more than 500 people.
The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair has an estimated economic impact on Duval County of more than $10 million. The impact to the city of Jacksonville through lease revenues and revenues from parking during the 12 days of the fair is annually more than $195,000.
The fair impacts the community in other ways, too. Since its inception, the fair has made contributions totaling about $3.1 million to charitable and civic organizations. This year marks the 59th Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair.
It continues through Nov. 16 at the fairgrounds located in downtown Jacksonville (adjacent to EverBank Field). Hours are Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 10 and Tuesday, Nov. 11, noon to 11 p.m.; Fridays, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information about this year's fair, including fair ticket prices, show schedules and operation times, visit JacksonvilleFair.com.