Fair board names 'Heart of Bradford' 2026 theme; discusses vendors, sponsorships and finances

Bradford County’s fair board on Nov. 1 adopted “Heart of Bradford: Strengthening our roots to grow the future” as the theme for the 2026 fair and spent the meeting laying groundwork for marketing, vendor spaces and financial oversight.

The board voted on two names proposed by the fair subcommittee and with no recorded opposition selected the "Heart of Bradford" option. Harley Hutchinson, the county’s new fairgrounds manager, gave her first-week update and described outreach to county departments, community groups and vendors as she prepares for the 2026 event.

"I started last Monday as your fairgrounds manager. It has been a very busy but exciting first week," Hutchinson said, listing meetings with public works, the fire chief, the sheriff’s office, county commissioners, Keystone Heights and the Stark Rotary. She said she plans to apply for a Tourist Development Council marketing grant ahead of the board’s November meeting and will report back once the TDC decides.

Hutchinson said Dreamland Amusements, the midway vendor, "agreed to match our advertising dollars up to 10,000," and will provide promotional material the board can use in advertising and on social media. She also reported work with the county manager’s office to organize fair finances and contact with the Florida Department of Revenue to resolve a past sales-tax issue.

Board members emphasized that the fair should offer more than livestock shows and discussed contests and community performances, including an egg contest, a mullet hair contest and a pallet decorating competition. The subcommittee is compiling a shared calendar of events and seeking applications from entertainers and community groups.

The board discussed vendor space layout and pricing. Members said they found an old binder with prior vendor layouts, will measure spaces, and plan to present a suggested price sheet and a map of prime spots for board approval. Several members warned the board to be cautious about taking business away from the Midway contractor while negotiations with that vendor are ongoing.

On finance and oversight, a board member requested regular financial reports at each meeting so the board remains aware of receipts, donations and sponsorships; Hutchinson said she is working on setting up accounts to track fair and equestrian funds separately.

The board also discussed compliance steps Hutchinson is pursuing, including permit work with the Florida Department of Agriculture (a reference in the meeting transcript to "6 1 6" was made in the context of getting permits and documentation in order). Hutchinson said she will visit Clay County Fairgrounds to observe operations and meet with Tasha Hyder to learn best practices for scheduling and vendor management.

The board directed the fair subcommittee to finalize the theme and calendar, continue outreach for sponsorships and reconcile vendor responsibilities with the Midway contractor; formal negotiations and final pricing decisions will be addressed after meetings with Dreamland Amusements and once a vendor-space layout is presented to the board.