New rides, new food: 7 things to know about the 2024 South Florida Fair

The holiday season may be over, but there's still plenty to look forward to, including the South Florida Fair — a staple of the Palm Beach County event calendar. The 2024 fair will kick off on Friday, Jan. 12 and run for 17 days.

Now in its 112th year, the theme this year is "Dive into the Fun," throwing a light on marine life and ocean conservation with multiple shows and displays.

In addition, the fair again promises to deliver adrenaline-pumping fun via dozens of rides. These range from mild enough for the little ones, to wild enough to get you hanging on for dear life and your heart thumping in your chest.

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If you prefer your thrills to be of the culinary variety, the fair aims to deliver there too with plenty of culinary concoctions to tempt, excite and maybe even frighten you — just a bit.

Here are seven things to know about this year's fair:

1. Ocean conservation, marine-themed shows

With a "Dive Into The Fun" theme, there will be a show featuring live sea lions, a Live Shark Encounter with an aquarium filled with the toothy predators, the Live Stingray Encounter where patrons can safely view and even touch them. "The Dueling Pirates" performance will feature a huge set, pirate ships, and an 80-foot-high high dive. On the ice, head for the marine-themed "Ice In Paradise" show with world-class skating, elaborate costumes and more.

2. New South Florida Fair rides in 2024

In addition to dozens of favorites making a return to the midway, expect four new rides to be in the mix for 2024: the Venetian Carousel, Drag Strip Mega Slide, the Tesla, and the Cyclops — a machine that swings like a pendulum with a craw holding riders that rotates. (The Cyclops is returning after a recent absence from the lineup.)

3. New fair food to try

Rosie's Nachos, which debuted at the fair last year and was featured on the Cooking Channel's "Carnival Eats," will be serving up their newest creation, the Banana Cream Pie Nachos. It features tortilla chips tossed in cinnamon sugar then topped with banana pudding, whipped cream, graham cracker crust and fresh banana pieces. Get some!

New vendors for 2024 include Big T's Concessions, featuring outlandish, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches; The Crumb Up, serving gourmet cookies; Sparky's Pork Rinds, dishing up barbecue, Old Bay, dill pickle and ranch flavored pork rinds and Dizon's Chinese Food.

4. Tickets, ride vouchers

Advance tickets are available through Jan. 11. Single-day tickets (valid any one day) are $10 for ages 11 and older. Ages 10 and younger free. As a bonus, if patrons use their advance ticket on Friday, Jan. 12, opening day, they can keep the ticket and come back another day. This offer is courtesy of Publix. Those tickets can be purchased at any Palm Beach County Publix or at southfloridafair.com/tickets.

Single-day tickets bought at the gate from Friday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan. 28 are $15 for ages 11 and older Monday to Friday and $20 for Saturdays and Sundays. Ages 10 and younger are free.

Senior Day is Monday, Jan. 22. On that day admission is free for seniors ages 60 and older from noon to 4 p.m. and $5 after 4 p.m. This offer is courtesy of Humana.

Advance ride vouchers good for one ride wristband or 30 coupons (most rides require three to six coupons) are available for $25 through Jan. 11 at any Palm Beach County Publix or at southfloridafair.com/tickets.

After the fair opens, ride vouchers are $30 Monday to Friday and $45 Saturdays and Sundays.

5. South Florida Fair hours

The fair will be open noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 15; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. closing day, Sunday, Jan. 28.

6. South Florida Fair parking

General parking is $10 and premium parking at the fairgrounds is $20. Cash or cards are accepted.

7. South Florida Fair rules: Kids and bags

On Friday and Saturday nights, all guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult guardian 21 or older with ID, when entering the fair. Maximum of four minors per guardian. Purchase of admission and a ride wristband is required for entry for guests ages 11 to 17.

Bags brought to the fair must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags (maximum size of 12” x 6” x 12”) or small clutch bags of a maximum size of 6” x 9”. Clutch bag does not need to be clear.

Bonus tip

Though technically the fair runs from Jan. 12 to 28, there is a Ride-A-Thon (rides, limited food vendors, but no shows) from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. The Ride-A-Thon is $25 and includes admission and unlimited rides. There's even a $5 off coupon on the fair's website.

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida Fair in West Palm Beach: What to know before you go