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Food, Fun and Flicks! to bring local community together in midst of COVID-19

Safety measures will be enforced as fair association offers three days of entertainment, food

By Don Coble don@opcfla.com
Posted 9/23/20

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – This weekend’s Food, Fun and Flicks! at the Clay County Fairgrounds will be more like a neighborhood street party, complete with fried dough and an assortment of meat on a …

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Food, Fun and Flicks! to bring local community together in midst of COVID-19

Safety measures will be enforced as fair association offers three days of entertainment, food


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – This weekend’s Food, Fun and Flicks! at the Clay County Fairgrounds will be more like a neighborhood street party, complete with fried dough and an assortment of meat on a stick.

The get together will start Friday, Sept. 25, and through Sunday. It won’t replace the annual spring county fair, but it’s a chance for the fair association to open its doors to the local community who’ve been stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This won’t be like the fair,” said association general manager Tasha Hyder. “This is something new. This is for our residents, our food vendors, who’ve been hurt by the pandemic. This is a chance to give everyone something to do, something to have some fun.”

Unlike the Clay County Agriculture Fair in April, there won’t be any livestock exhibits or massive midway. The only ride is a Ferris Wheel, but there are three days of concerts and drive-in movies, as well as most of the food vendors who set up shop during the county fair.

Concerts start at 11 a.m. on all three days. All of the bands are local, Hyder said.

“We purposely brought in local bands because we wanted to help them,” she said. “So many of them lost gigs to the pandemic. This is our way to bring the community together.”

Tickets must be purchased online in advance. The cost is $10 a car for concerts, $30 a car for the movies or $35 for both. Residents also have a $10 a car option to visit food vendors after 7 p.m. The cost of concessions is not included.

“We decided to charge by the car, not the person,” Hyder said. “Times have been tough.”

To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, benches and chairs have been removed from the fairgrounds. Visitors, however, are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Spaces will be designated at the concert and movie venues to ensure proper distancing, and masks are required when you buy food or use the restroom.

Proceeds from the event will benefit local food banks, Hyder said.

This year’s Clay County Fair was canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Plans are essentially complete for next year’s show that scheduled to open on April 1.

“We’re gearing up for next year’s fair,” Hyder said. “While this isn’t the fair, it’s a way to show our appreciation to the community.”