Carnival & Fair News

What's old is new again proved to be a winning formula for the 73rd birthday of the largest youth fair in America. The Miami Youth Fair, aka the Miami Dade County Fair Youth Fair, saw a significant attendance uptick, enthusiastic spending and expanded programming, bolstered by an innovative marketing campaign celebrating the bedrock fair experience: nostalgia.

Retro Rewind was the theme selected to center the event's 2025 marketing campaign, a compellingly clever phrasing that invoked the appeal of old-fashioned values and time-tested family fun. “We wanted to offer a theme that resonated with the community, while we could also implement it throughout the fair, especially with our entertainment and promotional materials,” said Eddie Cora, President of The Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition. “The theme transcended generations and was well-liked.”

The fair's advertised budget was decreased from 2024, although it should be noted that due to last year's presidential election the budget was increased to meet the inflated advertising costs – so both the media rates and the budget settled back to non-election year levels. However the trend towards digital advertising continued into this year, taking away from older media. The 2025 media buy was: Digital - 39.8 percent; Radio - 28.3 percent; TV - 11 percent; Cable - 6.9 percent; OOH - 14 percent.

Social media proved essential in promotions. In addition to improving social media content with better video and other posts, the fair has partnered with a wider range of social media influencers. “We continued to use a successful strategy of a combination of reels and static posts, while also working closely with dozens of influencers,” said Cora, who noted that the most effective social media promotion of 2025 were “Ticket giveaways through numerous influencers.”

Turnout & Spending

The marketing strategy and its nostalgia provoking theme struck a chord with fairgoers. Turnout reached 541,082, a healthy uptick over last year's 512,437. Weather – save for two rainy days – Cora describes as “beautiful… 2025 was an excellent year, with all aspects of The Youth Fair up from 2024. It was a great vibe this year, with fairgoers enjoying the Retro Rewind theme.”

Fairgoers were spending freely. Inflation seemed not to dampen enthusiasm and there seemed no tightening of the purse strings. “Consumer confidence was high and spent more this year, with sales higher than last year,” he said. “The attitudes have remained positive and supportive of the event and organization. The entertainment venues, such as the circus, ice show, pig races, and other shows were extremely well attended.”

He added, “Our expectations were exceeded. We had a wonderful fair with all around much higher numbers than last year.”

Floridian turnout was also higher perhaps due to an established track record of heightened security. A violent skirmish among teen-aged fairgoers in 2023 closed the midway and fair down on a weekend, resulting in a beefed up security measures, including more security personnel onsite, 140 security cameras situated throughout the ground, and stricter policies regarding unattended minors.

The new security system worked last year and returned this year with identical results. “There were no incidents this year,” he said. “The security measures with our own security team and Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office were thorough and well-planned. The unaccompanied minor policy implemented in 2024 continues to be effective.”

Digital Ticketing

The NAME (North American Midway Entertainment) midway featured 88 rides, according to Cora, noting that “revenue was up.”

In addition, “NAME had 8 game stands and 6 food stands at this year's fair, keeping the midway buzzing with action,” said Lynda Franc, Corporate Marketing Director. “Working with the Miami team was, as always, a great experience. It's a busy stretch, but they're right there with us every step of the way, helping to create unforgettable moments for guests.”

Retro Rewind may have highlighted the nostalgia for fairs; the largest midway provider in North America was profoundly looking into modernizing midway transactions this year. The Miami event is the first date of NAME's season and it took the opportunity to introduce digital ticketing at the youth fair. “We kicked off the season in style at the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair — and what a way to start!” said Franc. “This year was a big milestone for us, as NAME rolled out digital ticketing in Miami for the first time. It went off without a hitch. Guests loved how smooth and easy it made everything, and the fair team was thrilled with how well the transition went.”



Technically it's not an entirely cashless system since as Franc points out: It's different from a "cashless midway" - we still accept cash, even through these machines. We call the new system our "ticket kiosks". The system that we're using to execute the experience is through FunTagg. You will be seeing our ticket kiosk at just about every event NAME hosts moving forward.”

NAME test-marketed the system last year, making sure it's ready for this high-profile start of another fair season. “Last year, we had them at events with 4 out of 5 of our units, and this year was the launch for the final unit in Miami. We had successfully used the system at events like the Indiana State Fair and the South Carolina State Fair, so we were confident we would have a positive experience in Miami and it turns out that's exactly how it played out!”

The midway provider also commended the second year of Cora's new comprehensive security system that for two years running vanquished the disruptive teen problem plaguing the Miami Youth Fair post-lockdown. “We're seeing a real positive shift on the midway,” she said. “Stronger security measures have been in place at fairs in recent years, and it's paying off. Miami saw a noticeable increase in family attendance this year, which really says a lot about the welcoming, safe atmosphere that's being created.”

The fair was also the debut of two new key rides for NAME – “The Downdraft by Battech and the Monkey Maze by Owen/Semcor — and both were instant hits with the crowd. Of course, our fan-favorites were as popular as ever, with the Sky Ride (operated by NAME), the beautiful Super Wheel built by Ronald Bussink, and the always-thrilling Euroslide leading the way.”



She added, “All in all, it was an incredible kickoff to the season — and we're looking forward to making even more memories in the months ahead!”

184,000 Turkey Legs

The fair showcased 134 food concessions who in addition to fair cuisine staples, served 30 new foods, many reimagining old favorites: Café Colada Funnel Cake, Peanut Butter Overload Funnel Cake, Dubai Chocolate Strawberry, Delhi Curry Chicken Tacos, Pistachio Churros, Chicharrones in a Cone, Elote Corn Dog, Miami Vice Ice Cream Cone, Deep Fried Corn and so many others. Top sellers were the turkey legs – 184,000 sold — and corn on the cob – 125,000 sold.



In other words, while new twists on fair food got the promotional glory, taste buds definitely fell victim to Retro Rewind. “As always, the turkey legs, roasted corn and elephant ears and funnel cakes were the most popular,” Cora admitted.

When it comes to the role of fairs in popular culture, nostalgia appeals to consumers across the board. Every year, it's a new fair but filled beloved familiarity. The Miami Dade County Youth Fair had a successful 2025 edition by tapping into this sentiment through marketing, programming and community relations. “The Youth Fair continues to offer all the traditions that have been loved by generations, while also appealing to newer generations,” said Cora. “This was especially true this year, thanks to our Retro Rewind theme, which appealed to all ages with bright creative artwork and through the use of music in our shows,  a daily parade and promotional elements.”