Miami-Dade County Youth Fair Kicks Off Thursday, Celebrating 70th Anniversary

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Miami-Dade Youth Fair is back and organizers say it's better than ever as the annual event celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Starting Thursday, March 17, guests can enjoy amusement rides, food, live entertainment, concerts, and agricultural and academic student exhibits.

The fair was canceled in 2020 and then postponed to November of 2021. So this is the first time since the pandemic, the Youth Fair is back on schedule.

"Two years ago, we were right here having a very different conversation. We were talking about how we weren't going to open the doors for the first time in our history. Today, we're having a great conversation where we are opening the doors, inviting the community back, and celebrating the end of two very difficult years," The Fair President Eddie Cora said on Wednesday during a media preview.

New attractions this year include the Jetpack Flying Water Circus featuring an aerial daredevil performing amazing stunts inside and above a 4' deep Olympic size pool.  There's a circus, an ice-skating show, and a stilt circus that strolls through the fairgrounds.

The pig races are always a favorite, along with the petting zoo and pony rides.

Every night there's a parade.

Also, new this year, The Youth Fair partnered with UM-NSU CARD to create a special sensory room, making the area autism-friendly.

The fair, which opens at 4 p.m. on Thursday, is located at Tamiami Park on SW 112 Avenue & Coral Way. It runs thru April 10, except March 28-29 & April 4-5.

Click here for more information about free and reduced admission offers, hours, and parking.

There's also a Youth Fair app where users can purchase tickets, view a list of rides, new foods, shows & attractions, schedule, map, discounts & deals, as well as general information.