Miami-Dade County Youth Fair

Now in its 74th year, the Youth Fair (formally known as The Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition) is as much a rite of passage as it is an event — Florida's largest carnival, drawing over half a million visitors across its three-plus weeks at the fairgrounds near Westchester. The formula is timeless: 80 rides, 150-plus food stands, carnival games, livestock shows, and tens of thousands of student exhibits showcasing academic and agricultural achievement. This year's theme is "Wild About the Fair," and new additions include a safari encounter. Live entertainment runs every weekend with free tribute acts — Queen, Earth Wind & Fire, Aerosmith and the Rat Pack among them — and the Foodie Awards bring a panel of local judges together to crown the best new fair foods of the season. Admission is $15; kids five and under and seniors 65 and older get in free every day, and parking is always free.