WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Friday was the opening day of the South Florida Fair for the second time.
Constance Lovett and her husband, Desmond, said the fair for them is relaxing. She said it helps with face masks now optional.
"I came in with my mask," she said. "I was told at the entrance, 'You don't have to wear your mask.' I was like, OK, I'm for it."
Rides are up and running, there's good food and games are being played.
"We got the executive order that Gov. (Ron) DeSantis said people in Florida did not need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors. We said we were going to go with that," Vicki Chouris, CEO and president of the South Florida Fair, said.
In January, the South Florida Fair put on a mini-fair because of the pandemic. It was forced to scale back ride and vendor selections. To help minimize the risk of COVID-19, masks were required.
Not everyone is going without masks this time. Kenneth De Jesus said he's going to wear his mask.
"There's a choice and if they choose not to wear a mask, that's them, and I would like it if they respected my choice," he said.
Staff, vendors and fair volunteers are also wearing facial coverings.
While masks are optional for visitors, so is getting vaccinated. The Health Care District of Palm Beach County is on-site for the next four days for those who want to be inoculated.
This full-scale fair is actually operating on 60% of its budget.
Lovett said it's all good.
"Just coming out today is kind of like, sigh, can breathe a little bit," she said.
