ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014\u00a0You can put your nose up and almost smell the cotton candy and fried foods from the Central Florida Fairgrounds. For well more than a century, this fair is evolving, while staying true to its roots.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0The Central Florida Fair has been a tradition for 114 years. It would have been 116, but \u2013 (Trivia Alert!) \u2013 World War II happened and the original fairgrounds in downtown Orlando were needed for military purposes.<\/p>\n
2. Fast forward to 2026 and there are a bunch of brand new offerings. One is the Otter Adventure, run by a family that has been in animal education for 45 years. This includes Layne Woody, who\u2019s running the show with his brother. He say they are the only traveling otter show\/display in the U.S. \u201cThey are also one of the hardest animals I\u2019ve ever worked with in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Speaking of animals, have you ever seen a Zedonk? It\u2019s just as it sounds \u2013 a donkey with zebra \u201cleggings.\u201d He\u2019s a hybrid and is greeting guests at the Turnaround Livestock & Petting Zoo attraction, a farm located just outside of Ocala. Laina Varona is first generation owner. \u201cI was a 4H kid, so animals \u2013 all I\u2019ve ever wanted to do my whole life.<\/p>\n