The 109th Florida State Fair kicked off in Tampa at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, February 7 with the flip of a switch from Gov. Rick Scott, lighting the midway and signaling the official start of the 12-day event. The theme of this year's fair is built around the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Ponce de León's arrival in Florida. "Florida Agriculture: 500 Years in the Making" focuses on the agriculture, livestock and more traditional aspects of the 109-year-old fair.
Richard Renner, playing the part of Pants to'Long (Ponce de Leon), asks Mason how many times he has been on the big slide. Renner's character reflects this year's theme, celebrating 500 years since Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida.

Lots of people go to the fair for the food. This year's offerings were no disappointment. However, unlike last year, when Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburgers were making their debut, nothing really outlandishly new was on the midway.

John Craver sinks his teeth into a strawberry eclair from the Alessi's Bakery concession inside the exhibition hall. The confection was a regular cream-filled eclair topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and a strawberry glaze. It was Craver's dessert after eating a turkey leg he got from the midway. He says he hopes his doctor does not see this picture.

This year's event features over 7,000 animals and over 100 carnival rides. Here are some more pictures from the inside.

This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2013.