![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/32abe653eed05e74c76bfe6ec3ab9871.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nFor 12 days every February, the employees of the Florida State Fair Authority arrive at work to the sound of screams.<\/p>\n
Delighted fairgoers shriek from the rides, a sound that carries almost as far as the decadent smell of frying oil.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a big job managing 337 acres filled with food stalls, eccentric performers, fun houses, Ferris wheels, livestock and neon-flashing games, all of which make Tampa their temporary home for less than two weeks. The fairgrounds serve as a place of ritual for many families who return every year. They also become dense neighborhoods of recreational vehicles, as the workers who follow the fair circuit nestle into the parking lots for exhausted nights of sleep after long days.<\/p>\n
The Florida State Fair Authority was named one of the Top Workplaces in the Tampa Bay Times\u2019 2026 survey of employees across the region, which the Times conducts through a partnership with software company Energage. The fair authority is quasi-governmental because the fairgrounds are state property, though it does not receive taxpayer dollars to operate, its leaders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding because we work to provide fun for people,\u201d said Cheryl Flood, the authority\u2019s chief executive officer, who was appointed by the Florida commissioner of agriculture in 2016. \u201cThat\u2019s what life\u2019s about, is enjoying and making memories with people you love.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A particular point of pride for the Florida State Fair is its food. That\u2019s because it\u2019s the first of the state fairs nationwide, so Tampa gets to debut each year\u2019s new, zany creations by the traveling vendors.<\/p>\n
Flood (favorite fair food: soft pretzels) said other fair managers flock to Florida to check out the trends for the year. But her favorite part is driving a golf cart late at night to help visitors find their cars, when she gets to hear about how they enjoyed their time.<\/p>\n
Peyton Moritz (favorite fair food: deep-fried Oreos) handles the fair\u2019s social media presence as a marketing engagement specialist. On the last day of the fair this February, she aimed her camera at a stack of apple fries topped with a mountain of ice cream, perched next to a blue Jolly Rancher-flavored slushy. She sampled both after the pictures were done.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e06469dab94ec5261bceb30ae87ea298.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Moritz has personal experience in the family rituals shaped around the fair: She first started attending as a kid in 2002, when her mom began working as a ticket-taker. Now they both get to work together.<\/p>\n
\u201cHandling our social media accounts, we get messages all the time about traditions,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople talk about how it\u2019s a tradition for their family. They share photos of them bringing their little kids, and now they\u2019re bringing their grandkids. It\u2019s fun to hear their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcos Hernandez (favorite fair food: steak sundae) is the inventory supervisor, which means he makes sure the fairgrounds are fully stocked with everything from umbrellas to signage. One day, his job entailed dashing to Publix to buy emergency cookies for an eating contest after the sponsor dropped out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s awesome is there\u2019s not a dull moment,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cPeople will pop in and say (they) need a part I haven\u2019t seen before in my life. There\u2019s always a little curveball that keeps it interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ca203e7084b5aae4d8485a577e17f179.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
As a newer employee, this year was his first fair. He was shocked at the quantities of supplies required: About 10,000 zip ties. More than 4,000 rolls of toilet paper.<\/p>\n
But he\u2019s rarely stressed because of the positive workplace atmosphere, Hernandez said, where teamwork is the focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody takes their jobs very seriously, but we\u2019re relaxed in the sense where we know what we\u2019ve got to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
James Stephens (favorite fair food: sirloin tips) is an event services supervisor, which means his job revolves around facilities \u2014 keeping them clean, but also transforming the fairgrounds for different events.<\/p>\n
Many of the Florida State Fair Authority\u2019s employees work year-round, kept busy outside of fair season by a constantly rotating schedule of events on the property.<\/p>\n
As soon as the fair was taken down, staff started setting up for a gun show and a reptile convention. Horse shows followed, plus a festival called Dream Asia that attracted tens of thousands of people to sample different Asian cuisines, belt out karaoke and dress up like anime characters.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3bdbd827ce823b3ced0ce636f6006435.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Stephens said it fills him with pride to set up for a major event with his small team and then see people have a great time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to see it go from something empty to something amazing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n
Florida State Fair Authority<\/p>\n
Location: Tampa<\/p>\n
Employees: 100<\/p>\n