January 2013 Brings Trains, Gems and Antiques to the Volusia County Fair & Expo Center

Though the holidays have come and gone, the family-fun events planned at The Volusia County Fair & Expo Center continue in January 2013, as the Fairgrounds host the Golden Spike Rail Show, Tomoka Gem & Mineral Sale, Antique Show and Senior Expo in the New Year.

The two-day Golden Spike Rail Show & Sale, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, Jan. 5 – 6, will showcase hundreds of model trains and railroad antiques in the Tommy Lawrence Arena. Popular train models include Lionel, American Flyer, LGBM, Marklin and many more.  Admission to the show and sale is $8; children 12 and under are admitted free. Visit www.gserr.com for $1-off admission coupon, or for more information, contact Alan Altman at (813) 949-7197.

 The annual Tomoka Gem & Mineral Show & Sale returns at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12. The show, “Fossils and Gems of the Southeast United States,” will be in Tommy Lawrence Arena from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13. Admission is $4.

The Antique Show & Sale will take place on Friday through Sunday, Jan. 25 – 27, at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. Adult admission is $6 on Friday, and $4 Saturday and Sunday, while children are admitted free. Event times are from 1 –5 p.m. Friday, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday. Contact Jim Antone or Donna Poor at (904) 755-2586 for more show details.

Funding out a busy month at the Volusia County Fairgrounds is the Senior Expo, Wednesday, Jan. 30. From 10 a.m.  – 2 p.m., the public is invited to meet local business representatives and learn about companies’ products and services available in our community. Giveaways, health screenings, entertainment and more are part of the free admission.

Volusia County Fair & Youth Show reports second-highest attendance since opening in 1923

The numbers are in, and Volusia County Fair & Youth Show officials are reporting records for the annual event conducted by the nonprofit Volusia County Fair Association.

With a gate of 185,500, the 2012 fair, which was Nov. 1-11 at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, experienced its second best attendance since opening in 1923. Deggeller Attractions, the carnival provider for The Fair, saw a record year on the midway, with gross revenue increasing 6 percent over 2011. Additionally, Livestock sales totaled $167,000 (a 1.8 percent increase over 2011), plus Fair officials report an increase in the number of livestock exhibits and competitive exhibits over 2011 as well.

Additional highlights range from the concert offerings to admission discounts. The Tommy Lawrence Arena saw a full house crowd for Tracy Lawrence on November 3, and the annual food drive in which patrons exchange two canned goods for half-price gate admission collected more than 8,500 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank, bringing the four-year total to more than 12 tons.