Jacksonville Fair moves to the Westside: What to know before you go.

The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is turning a new page — and heading to a new address.

After 70 years Downtown, the fair has moved to Jacksonville’s Westside, where it has more space, more rides and a fresh start, according to fair officials.

“After being Downtown for 70 years, we are spreading our wings to a larger property,” said Bill Olson, president and CEO of the Greater Jacksonville Fair Association. “As our theme this year says, here we grow.”

What’s new at the fairgrounds

The new location features roughly 6,000 parking spaces and four separate entrance and exit points — including a newly constructed road called Fairfield Way, which connects POW-MIA Boulevard and Normandy Boulevard. A new barn adjacent to the Equestrian Center will house the fair’s agricultural programming, including cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens.

Opening day is Thursday, with gates opening at 5 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that day. Advance tickets and discounted passes are available online through midnight the night before opening day at JacksonvilleFair.com.

Bigger midway, new rides

Andy Degler, owner of Degler Attractions and the fair’s midway and carnival operator, said the expanded footprint allowed his team to significantly upgrade the midway experience.

“We have a lot more space than we’ve had before,” Degler said. “It’s allowed us to put more equipment in, more rides, more attractions this year than we had previously.”

That includes five rides making their Jacksonville Fair debut this year, as well as two roller coasters. One of the most notable changes is the complete separation of Kiddie Land from the main midway — giving younger children their own space while keeping it close for families.

All midways are fully paved, and the layout includes additional ticketing plazas, more restroom access and expanded seating areas with shade structures throughout.

“I’m a father myself. I have a son who’s 7 and one who’s 16,” Degler said. “So they like to go different ways when they show up at places. So we took that into account in terms of how we were laying things out.”

Safety inspections underway

The Florida Department of Agriculture has been on-site conducting ride inspections in the days leading up to opening.

“No ride at the fair will open until it passes their inspections,” Degler said.

Florida also requires a safety inspector to be on the grounds at all times while the fair is open.

Degler noted that the new location gave his team roughly three weeks to set up — a significant advantage over the old Downtown site, where crews had to wait for the Florida-Georgia football game to conclude before setup could begin.

Accessibility a priority

Degler says one standout feature of the new grounds is its accessibility. He says the cable management infrastructure was intentionally designed to eliminate wire crossings across walkways — removing a common obstacle for families with strollers, wheelchair users and those using mobility scooters.

“The midways are very clean, very open, very accessible and very user-friendly,” he said. “I would say that’s very unique in terms of fairground design.”

The fair is running almost entirely off city power, which Degler described as unusual in the carnival industry and a key factor in enabling the cable-free walkways.

Security and traffic plans

Lieutenant Mike von Eiff of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said traffic officers will be stationed at every entrance and exit point, and additional officers will be on-site throughout the fair’s run.

“We feel very confident in the plan that we’ve established,” he said.

Three primary traffic access points include the intersections of Fairfield Way and POW-MIA Boulevard, Fairfield Way and Normandy Boulevard, and the main entrance to the Equestrian Center off Normandy Boulevard. Rideshare drop-off and pickup is available behind the fairgrounds, accessible via Fairfield Drive, with signs directing riders from the parking area.

A lost-and-found command center — staffed jointly by the Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department — will serve as a central meeting point for families. A uniformed officer will be present at the command center at all times.

Olson added that the fairground’s open design also serves a security purpose.

“It’s very intentional the way that we designed the midway loops — everything’s open, so you can have line of sight, security can have line of sight,” Olson said. “Whereas the old fairground, if you remember, for your urban downtown, it was like a maze going through streets.”

Full directions, parking information and ticket details are available at JacksonvilleFair.com.