TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The second busiest Saturday on record, and new leadership at the fair board seems to have eased some tensions between the fair association and Leon County Commissioners.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Bill Proctor said an investigation<\/a> into a $28,000 watch given to the former fair director is closed, and both he and fair officials touted a successful 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a great fair,\u201d said Miranda Muir, the fairgrounds executive director. \u201cWe have a great team, we have a great community, and overall we had a safe, fun, fair, and I couldn\u2019t be more proud of everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Proctor said the fairgrounds had a \u201crobust\u201d 10-day stretch. According to fair officials, some 110,000 people visited the fair over those 10 days. Plus, they said in the Southeast region, fairs had more than three billion dollars in economic impact.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2025 fair was a robust 10-day activity that provided traditional fun and enjoyment for our community,\u201d he said. \u201cI am supportive of fair activities and traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n Still, there is no substantive update for significant changes<\/a> to the fairgrounds that a joint city-county board wants to make. Muir said Blueprint staff had not reached out recently about amending the fairgrounds lease, which would be a key step before a $30 million makeover.<\/p>\n Previously, tensions arose because the fair association did not seek the $30 million investment, and despite a majority vote from local elected commissioners, the lease would need to be changed before any construction.<\/p>\n Commissioner Proctor sponsored a motion last month to have the fair association present a sort of report card to the county commission, something Muir said the fair is open to.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd again, we\u2019re happy to have long, great conversations with our community leaders,\u201d Muir said. \u201cWe want to advance both the community and the fair. And so we\u2019re happy to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n In his statement, Proctor also mentioned expanding the grounds.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are positive talks and hopes of enlarging the service capacity of this over 100-acre property,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWe at the County, Blueprint and Fair Association have positive thoughts about the future possibilities of this Jewel of a property.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioner Brian Welch, who previously called the decision<\/a> to gift the watch \u201cinappropriate and utterly confounding,\u201d declined to comment at this time. Instead, he referred WCTV to Commission Chair Christian Caban, who has yet to comment.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n