INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — When the Indian River County Firefighters’ Fair kicks off Friday at 5 p.m., it will feature among all the familiar attractions a 600-square-foot interactive gaming experience for the young and the young at heart.The inside exhibit is free with the $5 admission to the fair and will culminate in a Guitar Hero conest March 20 at 3 p.m. and a bowling tournament for seniors 55 and older on March 21, the final day of the fair.
While the interactive gaming experience is sure to catch a lot of the buzz during the 10-day run of the fair, there will also be favorites like the firefighters show (twice daily during the week and three times a day on the weekends), demoltion derbies, Little Mr. and Miss Firefighter Pageant, live music, a magic act, and, of course, plenty of rides, attractions and food.Fair General Manager Toby Turner, who has worked the event every year since its inception, is hoping for a better showing than last year when receipts and crowds were down from the usual 50,000 to about 36,500. “I just don’t know what to expect,” Turner said. “Some fairs have shown a 3 to 4 percent increase this year, but others have been down. Because it is an outside event there is always the chance of rain, but we spread it out over two weekends to try to make up for that.”Turner said organizers are doing all they can to keep costs down, including free parking and maintaining the $5 entrance fee.Rain is in the forecast for Friday, but the weather should cooperate through the weekend and the early part of next week.The fair will also be sharing common space Friday evening when a women’s professional exhibition soccer match takes place at Hobart Soccer Complex between the Washington Freedom and the Chicago Red Star.For more information about the fair visit http://www.firefightersfair.org.