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Let the madness begin

The Florida State Fair opens Thursday with an eclectic mix of things to see, do and hear.

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 8, 2007

The Florida State Fair runs through Feb. 19 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. View fair photos and share yours
	[Times photo (2006): Daniel Wallace]

The fair by the numbers 

2 Fireworks displays (Saturday and Feb. 17)

5 Times a day fairgoers can milk a cow

86 Number of rides on the midway

160 Length (in feet) of the longest of three steel roller coasters on the midway

200 Concessionaires (approximate number)

800 Calories in a funnel cake (approximate number)

1904 Year of the first Florida State Fair (then called the South Florida Fair)

4,000 Number of lights on the Patriot Wheel gondola ride

4,500 People entered in the culinary, craft and horticulture competitions

5,000 Number of animals - rabbits, chickens, goats, cows, pigs, llamas and more

8,000 Number of cheerleaders and dancers expected to compete in the Florida Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Sunday and Feb. 17

434,067 People who attended last year's fair.

The headliners

Acts will perform in the Entertainment Hall.

Thursday: Reel Big Fish, 8 p.m., $5.

Sunday: 1964 . . . The Tribute, 2 and 6 p.m., $5.

Tuesday: Bennie Anderson and the Drifters, 2 and 6 p.m., $5.

Wednesday: Cornell Gunter's Coasters, 2 and 6 p.m., $5.

Feb. 15: Country Gold Tour 2007, 2 and 6 p.m., $10.

Feb. 16: Mickey Gilley, 6 p.m., $5.

Feb. 17: Davy Jones, 6 p.m., $5.

Feb. 18: Ronnie Milsap, 6 p.m., $5.

These people can deep-fry anything 

Pepsi joins Twinkies, Oreos, Snickers and Milky Ways on the menu of deep-fried goodness.

Try something new 

Roller Derby, the season opener between the Tampa Bay Darlins and the Tampa Tantrums, 7 p.m. Friday, Entertainment Hall.

Battle of the Bands, featuring Select Start, Hot Sauce, the Corks, Good Fortune, Dawn of the Dude and LaBamba, 4 to 10 p.m. Monday, Entertainment Hall.

Cabo Wabo Cantina, with Cajun and zydeco music by the Porchdogs at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. daily.

Circus Hollywood, 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. daily, plus a 7:30 p.m. show Fridays through Sundays.

Circus Menagerie & Giraffic Park, with tigers, camels, zebras and other animals.

Here's to Beer Lounge, with music by Robert Foster, 4 to 8 p.m. daily.

Hollywood Racing Pigs, appearing daily.

Laser Maze Challenge, fairgoers try to navigate a maze without breaking a beam daily, $3.

Washboard Willy's Jamboree, family-friendly shows daily.

Spend date night with Stevie Nicks 

The loudest concert I've ever heard? Not Judas Priest. Not Sabbath or the Stones or Nine Inch Nails, either. Believe it or not, after years of seeing shows, the biggest threat to my tympanic cavity was none other than the Gold Dust Woman herself, Stevie Nicks.

It was at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland, back in the '90s. She was awesomely loud, Stand Back and If Anyone Falls and Edge of Seventeen presented as roaring waves of majestic pop. Her voice - that voice - was especially shrill and witchcrafty, a gurgling siren. The bescarved singer tossed in a few Fleetwood Mac hits to sate fans (Sara, Dreams), but alas, great chunks of people left early because it was too loud.

But I stayed. It hurt, but I loved it. And I wasn't the only one.

Toward the end of the show, a woman in the front row thrust her child, just a tiny thing, up to Stevie. The singer, still gorgeous after all those hard Hollywood nights, bent down warily and took the infant. There was an exchange between mother and singer.

Stevie stood up, this strange baby in her arms, and announced to the throngs, "This is Rhiannon."

The crowd roared. Ms. Nicks then kicked into the tyke's namesake song. Loudly. But wee Rhiannon didn't cry. She just kind of squirmed. Bad parenting? Probably. Killer rock 'n' roll moment? Heck, yeah.

She performs in the Ford Amphitheatre at the state fairgrounds at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $35-$65 and include parking and fair admission. (813) 740-2446; www.livenation.com, www.ticketmaster.com.

-Sean Daly, Times pop music critic

If you go

Today through Feb. 19, Florida State Fairgrounds, Interstate 4 and U.S. 301, Tampa.

Hours: Gates open at 9 a.m. daily. The midway opens at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday and Feb. 17-19. Closing times vary.

Admission: $10 ages 12 and older, $5 ages 6-11.

Admission discounts: $6 admission for middle school and high school students 12 and older on Friday and Feb. 19; $6 admission for those 55 and older Feb. 13-15.

Armband days: Unlimited rides with $15 armband today after 3 p.m. and with $25 armband Friday, Sunday and Feb. 16, 18 and 19. $5 discount on armbands Friday and Feb. 19 for students redeeming a Pepsi product or a Hungry Howie's proof-of-purchase at the gate.

Free parking and trolley service.

Information: (813) 621-7821, toll-free 1-800-345-3247 or www.floridastatefair.com.

[Last modified February 7, 2007, 17:22:50]