I didn\u2019t grow up in Southwest Florida, so I don\u2019t have childhood fair photos of myself covered in dirt or holding a ribbon from a goat I helped raise. But somehow, the Southwest Florida Ag Expo still feels like a tradition I look forward to every single year. It\u2019s one of those things that officially makes the year feel complete for me.<\/p>\n
For me, going to the fair has turned into a routine. I go with Marija, we walk through the gates, and without saying a word we both already know where we\u2019re headed first. Not the rides. Not the games. Cheese curds. Always cheese curds. That is stop number one. You don\u2019t browse first. And you don\u2019t \u201cloop back.\u201d You eat the cheese curds immediately and build your day around that decision.<\/p>\n
Once that mission is accomplished, we usually head toward the animals \u2014 and this is where Marija really shines. She will spend way too much time talking to them. And when I say talking, I mean full-on, one-sided conversations. She\u2019s asking goats how their day is going. Or she’s complimenting cows like they picked out their outfits themselves. She\u2019s emotionally connecting with pigs that have absolutely no idea what\u2019s happening. Meanwhile, I\u2019m standing there holding snacks, waiting patiently, watching her bond with animals who are just hoping someone drops food.<\/p>\n
But honestly, that\u2019s one of my favorite parts. There\u2019s something really cool about slowing down and seeing the agricultural side of the Expo. You see kids proudly standing next to animals they\u2019ve raised. Also families explaining where food actually comes from. You feel the roots of Southwest Florida all around you.<\/p>\n
Southwest Florida Ag Expo Exhibit:<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why I love that Lee County Parks & Recreation is asking people to share their favorite fair and Ag Expo memories as part of this year\u2019s theme, \u201cRoots \u2018n\u2019 Rides: A Celebration of Tradition.\u201d They want the community to dig through old photo albums or scroll through their phones and submit photos that show agriculture, family fun, and community pride.<\/p>\n
Even if you didn\u2019t grow up here like me, you\u2019ve probably got at least one photo that fits. A first fair trip. A favorite ride. A kid meeting an animal. Or someone holding food that\u2019s probably not good for them but absolutely worth it.<\/p>\n
And for me, there\u2019s one thing I could never leave the fair without doing: getting my daughter some completely strange flavor of cotton candy. I\u2019m talking flavors that shouldn\u2019t exist. Bright blue. Neon pink. Something called \u201cunicorn\u201d or \u201cgalaxy.\u201d I don\u2019t question it. I just accept that this is part of the experience.<\/p>\n
Selected photos will be featured on social media and inside the Expo Hall during the 2026 Southwest Florida Ag Expo, happening February 26 through March 8 at Mike Greenwell Regional Park in North Fort Myers. That\u2019s pretty cool \u2014 your memory becoming part of the fair itself.<\/p>\n