Date: February 8- 19, 2024
Opening Time: 11 am weekdays / 10 am Fri., Sat., Sun.
Closing Time: Cracker Country is open until 6 pm daily during the Florida State Fair.

What is it? Cracker Country is a Florida State Fair tradition, welcoming guests every day of the annual fair since 1979. We invite you to drop in during your visit to the fair and experience a slice of rural Florida history. Throughout the Florida State Fair, Cracker Country comes to life with skilled artisans and historical educators who demonstrate crafts and life skills that would have been important to Florida settlers of the 19th century.

Main Stage:

• February 8: Southern Express Bluegrass Band: 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm

• February 9: Southern Express Bluegrass Band: 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm

• February 10-11: Southern Express Bluegrass Band: 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm & Buffalo Barfield: 12 pm, 2 pm

• February 12 - 15 Bits of Grass Band: 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm

• February 16-19: Southern Express Bluegrass Band: 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm & Buffalo Barfield: 12 pm, 2 pm

Activities: Visitors can tour historic buildings and grounds that represent home life, commerce, and transportation as it was in many rural Florida communities just before the turn of the 20th century. As you stroll through the grounds, you will meet artists who create baskets of pine needles, carve wooden duck decoys, hammer hot iron into useful tools, print newspaper on antique printing presses, and more!

Activities & Demonstrations:

• $2 Dip a beeswax candle

• $2 Twist a rope (times vary)

• $2 Indigo Dyeing (times vary)

• Grinding and cooking sugar cane;

• Bee keeping & honey demonstrations;

• Wood duck decoy carving demonstrations;

• Shaker box making;

• Open fire cooking;

• Soap making;

• Sea sponge shaping;

• Grist mill demonstrations;

• Leather working & saddlery;

• Whip braiding;

• Pine needle basket weaving;

• Spinning & weaving;

• Folklore & swamp cabbage demonstrations (Feb. 16, 17 & 18)

• Antique display and sale;

• Handmade broom demonstrations;

• Blacksmithing & hand forged blacksmith wares;

• Sweet grass basket weaving;

• Antique roses, herbs & tea display

Shopping: There are lots of unique gifts to be found at the General Store! The store features nostalgic and reproduction items, historical toys and games, books, candy, and many other unique gift items. The General Store accepts cash and all major credit cards. Proceeds from sales in the General Store help support Cracker Country's field trip programs.

Food: Enjoy boiled peanuts, kettle corn, pork rinds, and lemonade. Old fashion soda and candy are available for purchase inside the General Store.

General Pricing: Click for pricing information

Parking: Free parking during the annual Florida State Fair.

Additional Exhibits

Florida Cattle Ranching: 500 Years of Tradition

Florida's cattle industry, one of oldest and largest in the nation, is vital to the state’s well-being.  Ranching is an essential economic activity that preserves many aspects of the natural landscape, protects water resources, and maintains areas used by wildlife or for recreation.  Yet few know about Florida’s unique ranching traditions, which have been adapted to the subtropical climate and influenced by the state’s distinctive history.

This exhibit presents historical documentary images, scenes of contemporary ranch life, and artifacts that range from the Spanish colonial spurs to modern electronic ID tags. Learn about Florida's cattle ranching heritage from the 16th century to the present, the story of Cracker Cattle and Cracker Horses descended from stock introduced by Spaniards in the 1500s, and listen to audio segments that feature dozens of Florida cowboys, cowgirls and ranchers who inform and entertain you on topics ranging from cow dogs and Cracker cow whips to cowboy funerals and hilarious poetry based on ranch work experiences.

The Power of Steam

The Bruce M. Robbins, Jr Antique Steam Engine Pavilion has been a permanent exhibit at the Florida State Fair since 1985. It features an extensive collection of stationary steam engines, pumps, and accessories illustrating the history, operation, and use of stationary steam engines and their impact upon industry in Florida in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

A steam engine is an engine that uses the expansion of steam to produce power. Water, heated and confined in a boiler, builds up pressure as it expands. The pressurized steam is allowed to expand into the chambers of the engine, moving the parts and resulting in mechanical work. The steam engine was one of the most important elements of the Industrial Revolution, contributing to advancements in transportation, mining, building, manufacturing, and agriculture.