Sarasota County Fair celebrates its 80th anniversary

Sarasota and Sarasota County aren't particularly agrarian places, but that doesn't mean the people there don't know how to put on a great old-fashioned rural fair.

In fact, this weekend will mark the 80th anniversary of the Sarasota County Fair. It gets under way Friday and runs through March 27 at the Sarasota Fairgrounds.

There's plenty of live music, including the Dennis Lee Show, Rosaire's Racing Pigs, an Elvis impersonator, a magician/hypnotist and bear and sea lion shows.

The fair also features agricultural exhibits and competitions, and a huge midway and lots of fair food.

Details: March 18-27, Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 2-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $8 adults, $4 seniors, active military and children 6-17, free for children 5 and under. Information: 941-365-0818, sarasotafair.com.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Sarasota County Fair celebrates its 80th anniversary ."