BY KIRSTIN MAGUIRE – The Miami Herald
The 33rd annual Broward County Fair offers family fun and thrill rides.
Between motorcycle daredevils and 100-foot-high rides, Broward County fairgoers are in for a trip.
Themed Catch a Ride, the 33rd annual fair runs through Nov. 30 at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. Organizers expect about 250,000 people to attend.
CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD
The festival is a place to have traditional family fun, said fair manager Beth Jarvis. ”Especially since it’s Thanksgiving time, people are reminded it’s a time to spend with family,” Jarvis said. “The fair has something for the littlest of children and the oldest of grandparents to enjoy.”
Fair organizers have recruited the ”Fearless Flores” family to perform motorcycle stunts in the Thrills & Spins arena. The performers’ main attraction is the Globe of Death, a big, caged metal ball where they race each other on bikes.
”I wish we could come back here every year,” said Ricardo Flores, whose family performed at the fair in 2004. “The crowds are awesome. People come back to the shows over and over again.”
A 104-foot ride called Speed, which swings in the air, is returning to the fairgrounds for the first time in many years. Usually people have to pay an additional $10 for the ride, but this year it’s included in the unlimited ride ticket.
To return to simpler times, the fair features Kids’ Town, where families can watch demonstrations ranging from cattle roping to soap making.
As usual, the Community Arts Stage will be set up for contests, with ice cream eating, Baby Beautiful pageants, Miss Broward County Fair competitions and there will even be a Critter Crowning by the animal tent.
An atypical batch of vendors will be at the fair this year in the new health and home section. They will feature services such as bathroom remodeling, teeth whitening and health screening. People also can buy fair trinkets, including wind chimes and candles.
Along with traditional festival fare of corn dogs, cotton candy and funnel cake, organizers have added what could become a staple of the fair diet: chocolate-covered fruits.
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