11 Days of Rides, Food & Fun Coming to the 86th Annual Pensacola Interstate Fair

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Staff reports

Pensacola Interstate Fair and Reithoffer Shows, Inc. officials are excited to announce that the 2020 Pensacola Interstate Fair will take place starting Thursday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. The fair will be open from October 22 – November 1.

To celebrate the opening, the Fair will be offering $1 Day admission tickets all day Thursday.

“We know how important the Fair is to everyone and we’ve been working really hard to ensure we can present the Fair in a safe and responsible way,” said Don Frenkel, general manager of the Fair. “We’re thrilled to be able to make this happen, and look forward to bringing some much-needed laughter, fun and magic to the Pensacola community this fall.”

As always, the midway will be filled with amusement rides, attractions and fun fair food throughout the 11-day event.

This year’s Fair will spotlight the Cirque Ma’Ceo, an acrobatic and equestrian stunt show, as well as feature an all-new Kid’s Science Show, and the return of the Sea Lion Splash show. In addition, a new ride called The Beast will thrill those brave enough to try it.

The Fair will still be presenting the Livestock Show and Auction on Wednesday night, but in order to comply with health directives and social distancing measures, fair organizers decided to cancel the 2020 evening concert series and close all other exhibits.

“To ensure the safety of our fairgoers we decided to put an emphasis on sanitation and social distancing restrictions on our many attractions so that people can enjoy their annual trip to the fair without jeopardizing their health,” he added.

All Fair employees will be masked and screened daily for signs of illness, and all high touch areas, concessions and rides will be sanitized frequently. Fairgoers should be aware that this may cause longer wait times, but enforcing these new sanitation protocols will ensure strict compliance with public health guidelines.

Reithoffer Shows Inc. — the North American traveling midway providing carnival and fair rides, games and food concessions to fairgrounds around the eastern United States — is taking these specific steps to implement social distancing and enhance public safety in a modified fair, including:

 

  • Implementing strict cleaning protocols of all rides, attractions, concessions and high-touch areas using an EPA-approved disinfectant.
  • Implementing daily health screenings and temperature readings for all employees.
  • Requiring use of masks/face coverings for all staff.
  • Providing hand sanitizer at all concessions stands and handwashing stations throughout the midway.
  • Encouraging fairgoers to frequently handwash and sanitize.
  • Managing capacity and the density of people within the midway to allow for appropriate social distancing.
  • Controlling seating positions in rides and event attractions.

“This fair has been an annual tradition for 86 years in Pensacola. We know how much it means to many local area families, and we are confident that by taking these necessary steps, people will still be able to enjoy our annual event,” Frenkel said.

“We ask all fairgoers to do their part by complying with the safety measures we are putting in place, and by wearing face coverings whenever possible.”

This year’s Fair is scheduled to be held from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 with the following reduced daily admission prices:

Thursday, Oct. 22: $1 Dollar Day admission
Friday-Sunday, Oct. 23-25: $10 adults/$5 kids
Monday-Thursday, Oct. 26-29: $8 adults/$5 kids
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 30-31: $10 adults/$5 kids
Sunday, Nov. 1: $5 admission for all