Twelve days of fair gates open on two clocks. The 2027 Florida State Fair runs February 4 through February 15 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 US Highway 301 North. Five days open at 11 a.m. Seven open at 10 a.m. All twelve close at 9 p.m.
The grid, day by day
February 4 opens at 11 a.m. February 5, 6 and 7 open at 10 a.m. February 8, 9, 10 and 11 open at 11 a.m. February 12, 13, 14 and 15 open at 10 a.m.
The arithmetic gives five ten-hour days and seven eleven-hour days. The run holds 127 hours of gate time.
The event page keeps the cost field at ticket information coming this fall. The 2027 ticket store sells admission: $11.75 for an adult, $7.50 for a child aged 6 to 11 and $10.75 for a senior, each valid one day, with ages 5 and under free and convenience fees included.
Which gate carries your day
Gate 1 sits on US Highway 301 and serves Expo Hall and the Entertainment Hall. Gate 2 sits on MLK Jr Blvd and serves Cracker Country and the Florida Center. Gate 3 sits on MLK Jr Blvd and serves TECO Arena and the Special Events Center. Gate 4 sits on Orient Road and serves the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center.
Parking bought online before February 4 costs $8 per vehicle. Once the fair begins, online parking costs $10 and the gate price runs $15.
A guest who arrives at 10 a.m. on one of the seven early days and leaves at 9 p.m. spends eleven hours on the grounds.
Scooters and wheelchairs at four gates
Rentals run at Gates 1, 2, 3 and 4. An electric scooter costs $75. A wheelchair costs $30. A wagon and a single stroller cost $20 each and a double stroller $25. Guests may bring their own equipment.
HomeTown Mobility takes reservations at htmia.com or on 1-712-938-2029, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A phone reservation carries a $10 processing fee and needs 24 hours of notice. A driver's licence or a state ID is required for every rental. A cancellation 48 hours ahead returns the money less a $5 fee per unit. The operator holds a limited number of units for walk-up customers.
Four o'clock governs the under-18 gate
The 2027 ticket store sets the youth rule for all twelve days. A guest 17 or younger enters after 4:00 p.m. with an admission-paying parent or guardian aged 21 or older who carries valid ID. One adult supervises four guests aged 17 or younger, and a larger group needs one extra adult for each four.
The chaperone stays on the grounds. An adult who drops minors at the gate breaks the policy. Staff take a misbehaving minor to Gate 4.
The Fairgrounds FAQ prints 5:00 p.m. and attaches that hour to the 2026 Fair. The 2026 policy paper prints the same 5 p.m. Buy against the 2027 clock on the store and ask the box office to confirm on (813) 621-7821.
A desk 0.2 miles from the gate
The Fairgrounds Trip Planning page lists the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa Fairgrounds Casino at 0.2 miles and describes the property as directly across the street. The same entry lists a business center, free wireless internet, a pool and a fitness center.
Day-use inventory for this market sits on Dayuse. The Tampa page carried 14 priced cards on 22 October 2026 and prints no city average. hotelSlots states on its home page that Florida restricts day-use bookings under state travel laws, and its directory carries no Florida page.
Two cards name the fairgrounds. Quality Inn & Suites Tampa near Fairgrounds and Casino lists $65 plus a $6 booking fee against an $88 nightly comparison, with windows of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Clarion Pointe Tampa-Brandon Near Fairgrounds and Casino lists $65 plus $6 against $96, with windows of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
One card in the Tampa set reaches the 9 p.m. close: Four Points by Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore lists $105 plus a $7 booking fee against $180 nightly, with windows of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The card sits in Westshore.
A work base for the long stretch
An 11 a.m. gate suits a morning call. A guest books a room from 10 a.m., takes the calls before the gate and walks to Gate 1 with the laptop stowed. A 10 a.m. gate moves the same plan an hour earlier.
The Fairgrounds runs event camping for its own and area events and names the annual Florida State Fair as the exception. The Trip Planning page routes fair visitors to the hotel partners and to a livestock camping booking for exhibitors.
Figures for a booking: gates at 11 a.m. on February 4 and on February 8 through 11, gates at 10 a.m. on the other seven days, a 9 p.m. close every day, $75 for a scooter and $30 for a wheelchair at all four gates, the 4 p.m. chaperone rule on the 2027 store, and a hotel the Fairgrounds places 0.2 miles from the gate.
