GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Ahead of the fifth day of the Clay County Agricultural Fair, officials from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Department of Public Safety addressed a litany of challenges faced in the first four, including traffic back-ups, parking lot flooding, unruly guests and preventable health emergencies.
Some fairgoers told News4JAX they were waiting in traffic on State Road 16 for more than three hours as young members of the Sheriff’s Office’s Explorer’s program directed vehicles into their spots within the rain-soaked parking area.
Safety officials said the heat, coupled with the frustration of waiting so long, likely caused some visitors to become unruly.
“These are kids, people,” Sheriff’s Office chief of special operations Jeff Johnson said. “All they do is stand there and try to direct traffic in a professional manner. We have people throwing food at them, yelling at them. I promise that if we have to address that issue, that fair-goer will exit this fair quickly.”
The rainwater that had collected in the parking lot entrapped more than 100 vehicles which had to be manually pushed out, according to Johnson.
To optimize the entering and exiting of guests at the fairgrounds, the Sheriff’s Office is asking fairgoers to avoid entering the grounds from Springbank Road, which is intended to serve as an exit route for people leaving the grounds.
“If I can get one message out, it’s ‘don’t do that,’” Johnson said. “I promise we’re working on it, we’ll get you in here as fast and safely as we can.”
The health of visitors is also a high concern with the Department of Public Safety responding to between 60 to 80 medical calls on Sunday alone. The majority of those calls were heat-related, according to David Kuykendall, Battalion Chief with the Department of Public Safety.
“I beg everybody who comes to the fair these next few days, drink plenty of water,” Kuykendall said. “We live in Florida, bring your sunscreen, your little kids need sunscreen, make sure you bring that for them. Chapstick helps with you don’t get chapped lips, little things like that. Try to remember to bring that stuff. "
The Clay County Agricultural Fair closes on April 10, with the following daily hours of operation:
Monday, April 4
Fair: 4 to 11 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5
Fair: 4 to 11 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6
Fair: Noon to 11 p.m.
Thursday, April 7
Fair: 4 to 11 p.m.
Friday, April 8
Fair: 10 a.m. to midnight
Saturday, April 9
Fair: 10 a.m. to midnight
Sunday, April 10
Fair: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.