The Clay County Agricultural Fair is one of those events that sneaks up on you every spring and suddenly becomes the best part of your week. It's a mix of guilty pleasure food, familiar rides from quirky, childhood shows and the kind of joy that only a fair can bring. This year, I went ahead and checked it out early to help spread the word about one of Northeast Florida's best-kept secrets: VyStar Family Day.
Each year on VyStar Family Day, members can get buy one, get one free admission and BOGO ride armbands. This year, VyStar Family Day is on Thursday, April 10. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to go — this is it! And if you can't make it this year, mark it down for next year.
Located at the fairgrounds on State Road 16 West in Green Cove Springs, you're going to want to set aside a good amount of time to get there, get parked and enjoy everything the fair has to offer. But it's no surprise that over 100,000 people are expected to attend the fair this year. It's that good!
I had an absolute blast turning a trip to the fair into a date night. After grabbing our wristbands (hello, unlimited rides!), we scoped out the food first — it’s hard not to with the smell of fried everything in the air. We started with dill pickle cheese curds, which were so greasily delicious but quickly realized that was a bad idea. We should all know by now it’s rides first, snacks later.
Every ride from my childhood was still there, and although they made me way more dizzy than I remembered, I couldn’t skip the classics such as the Sea Ray (the pirate ship that swings back and forth) and the Ferris Wheel. (You can see the full list of rides, operating times and height requirements on the fair's rides webpage.)
We laughed our way through pig races, played carnival games (and I walked away with a cute little plush pig prize), and ended the night with a funnel cake. Whether you’re going with your family, your best friend or on a date, VyStar Family Day is hands down the best way to do it — all the fun, half the cost.
So if you are ready for the most classic fun at the fair or you want to see what else is going on, get more information on the VyStar Perks page. Learn more about Jessie Drew Hawkins and the VyStar Perks she has recently enjoyed.