TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida State Fair announced on Thursday a new admission policy for minors as the annual event inches closer.
A new youth policy will be enforced for those entering the fairgrounds during the evening hours, state fair leaders explain in a news release. Starting at 6 p.m. each day, all guests 17 or younger will have to be accompanied by an admission-paying parent or guardian.
The parent or guardian has to be 21 or older with a valid ID which is required to be shown. A total of 4 minors can be supervised by one adult.
All admission gates are set to close at 9 p.m. sharp.
“The Florida State Fair is intended to be family-friendly environment for visitors of all ages, and this policy will assist us in ensuring all guests enjoy their experience while visiting the State Fair” State Fair’s Executive Director Cheryl Flood said in a statement. “Events are enforcing a similar measure around the Country and in order for us to keep safety as a top priority, we feel this is the next step to implement at the Florida State Fair.”
The change comes nearly nine years after 14-year-old Andrew Joseph III's death. In 2014, Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies kicked him out of "Student Day" at the fair, along with nearly 100 other students.
While crossing I-4 later that night, Andrew was hit by a car.
Last year, his family took the Sheriff's Department to court with a wrongful death lawsuit and a jury found the department mostly at fault, awarding the family $13.5 million.
Now, their fight for increased safety at the fair continues.
His parents tell 10 Tampa Bay they believe their son would be alive had a policy like this been in place then.
"The official statement at the time was 'we're not babysitters', but you just invited the whole county out there by themselves? So we fought very hard for chaperones," Andrew Joseph, father to Andrew Joseph III, said.
His parents have spent the past nine years fighting for increased safety at the fair and across Hillsborough County through The Andrew Joseph Foundation. They say this new policy is a step in the right direction.
"My son Andrew influenced those changes so that other children can be safe," his mother, Deanna Joseph, said. "It’s wonderful that the change has occurred. That’s what The Andrew Joseph Foundation is about, protecting our children."
Leaders with the Florida State Fair say "Student Day," where all Hillsborough students traditionally received free entry, will be rebranded this year.
They say they'll be sharing more details on those changes early next week.
The Florida State Fair will open its gates to guests at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 and will run through Feb. 20.
But even with the new age policy in place, state fair visitors can look forward to all the yummy food selections that will be available.
Each year, the fair brings back classics like corn dogs and caramel apples, along with a highly-anticipated menu of new foods. The 2023 selection has some pretty funky flavors that are sure to pique the interest of every daring foodie.
Click here for a list of all the new foods coming to the 2023 Florida State Fair.