Fight at South Florida Fair leads to 4 arrested, nearly 60 kicked out
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A fight broke out over the weekend at the South Florida Fair where four people were arrested and almost 60 people were kicked out of the fair. Now, South Florida Fair is considering tightening rules even further to protect fairgoers.
The South Florida Fair is an annual tradition for Palm Beach County and for residents like Connie Abston, something to look forward to.
"The food, the Expo Center, the shopping, you know it's not there's always something new and different and interesting to see," said Abston.
Resident Deanna Andrews loves going to the fair. She and her boyfriend were making a day of it Tuesday.
"We're here to enjoy a little time together when we have some time away from work. It's $2 Tuesday, so I'm saving some money too," she said. "Hey, can't say no to all the fried food. Oh my gosh, we have Oreos on the list, we have corn dogs on the list, and we have a burger with a doughnut bun. We're going to be indulging in fries with some pork butt too."
Fair President and CEO, Vickie Chouris says fairgoers' safety is a top priority.
“We don't do what we do all we do, all year long to work to put together a fair event without wanting it to be safe for our families. Safety is our number one priority," said Chouris.
See also: Mother claimed she took daughter after abuse allegations surfaced: Police
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, they received a tip that groups were assembling up to fight at the fair, and based on that intel, officers were positioned accordingly. Deputies say they arrested four teens who were actually attempting to fight them while they were trying to break up the fight.
"I haven’t had any problems personally. I know, generally speaking, if things happen it's usually later in the evening and you know, I don't do late," said Abston.
Last year, the South Florida Fair Implemented a policy requiring those under 18 to be accompanied by an adult on Fridays and Saturdays.
Chouris says the fair will look into strengthening its policies.
”We're looking at that terminology to see if there's a way that we can make that even stronger– where it's not just maybe an adult– who maybe there's you know-- there's another age limit on that as well. Anything that we can do to improve the experience for everybody and make it a better place than a safe or safe place we're going to do," said Chouris.
Despite the fight that broke out this past weekend, fairgoers say they feel protected knowing deputies are around to respond.
“We think about our safety when we walk into any public space and we love that they have a security here and the sheriff's office is here and everybody's really friendly and it doesn't feel like there's a safety concern," said Andrews.
See also: FBI releases photos from bank robbery in Fort Lauderdale
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says if they do come across an issue, or receive a tip, they will place more deputies at the fair.
Chouris says if someone is concerned about heading out, she suggests not coming on a weekend.
“Come early in the day or during the week when people come into fair they're having they're getting the same experience that they would if they come on Saturday or Sunday," she said.
