Southwest Florida Ag Expo makes a return to fair grounds

The Southwest Florida Agriculture Expo has officially kicked off, bringing excitement to the Lee Civic Center.

The event promises rides, food, crafts and various exhibits for attendees to enjoy over the next 10 days.

The gates opened around 4 p.m. on Thursday and as soon as the ribbon was cut, more people poured through the gates each hour, eager to enjoy affordable family fun.

This is the second year the county has run the event, which was previously known as the Lee County Fair. Officials have invested in preserving this tradition by making site and safety repairs.

With the $86,000 loss last year, the county says the funds allowed for more youth participation by waiving youth participation fees, 3% commission and registration fees, and not collecting revenue from auction sales.

Phillip Harrington, an expo goer, acknowledged the deficit.

“That is a lot of money,” said Harrington. “I’m glad that they’re kind of giving back to the community.”

Former fair employee Paul Nachtrieb believes the county will recover financially.

“They’ll get all that money back from all the public when it comes in with the fair in town,” Nachtrieb said.

Cynthia Suycott, another expo attendee, praised the county’s efforts.

“Kudos to the county for putting this on and making sure that it’s available to everyone,” said Suycott.

Beyond the rides and snacks, the expo highlights the importance of youth agriculture in Lee County.

“For many of us, this is a combination of our creative living and animal projects and a way to show off all the hard work we put in this year,” said Veronica Rozier, who is showing at the Ag Expo. “The life skills we are able to learn from this experience are invaluable.”

Click here to purchase tickets to the SWFL Ag Expo.