TAMPA, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Board Chairman and Supervisor Daisy Morales, Governor Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Attorney General Ashley Moody, CFO Jimmy Patronis and other top officials descended on Tampa early Thursday morning to kick off the 2019 Florida State Fair.

Governor Ron DeSantis, along with Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, and local military and first responder heroes kicked off the 2019 Florida State Fair with its annual “Flip the Switch” media event. The fair will run from February 7 through February 18.

The annual Florida State Fair also showcased public and private sector leaders in the agricultural industry.

Thousands of Floridians were on hand to witness the kickoff and first full day of the 2019 Florida State Fair at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa Thursday, February 7, 2019. (Florida National News photo)

“We are incredibly excited to bring you the 2019 Florida State Fair. The entertainment, food, agriculture and music are sure to bring smiles to the faces of everyone this year,” said Cheryl Flood, Executive Director at the Florida State Fair Authority.

“Fairs across the state are celebrations of Florida’s rich agricultural heritage,” stated Daisy Morales, Chair of the Orange Soil & Water Conservation District. Agriculture is a major contributor to Florida’s economy, with an impact of $50 billion.

Morales will attend Ron DeSantis’s Governor’s Day Luncheon and speak on a recent grant proposal at an agriculture event held by the Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation District.

In 1975, state lawmakers designated Tampa as the official Florida State Fair destination. Parking is free for the fair.

For more information on tickets and hours, visit the Florida State Fair website.