Free & Cheap: Enjoy the state fair without breaking the bank

How do the Free & Cheapers go to the Florida State Fair? The same way we approach most things in life, with an eye on the bottom line. We're there to have the most fun for the least amount of money.

Discount admission days:

If you can manage it, try to go during the least popular times and days. The crowds will be thinner, the lines shorter and the prices cheaper.

College student night, Thursday – purchase a $20 all-you-can-ride wristband, get free fair admission with student I.D.

Student days, Friday and Feb. 20 – Hillsborough County students are given a free admission ticket for Friday; Pasco, Polk and Manatee students get one for Feb. 20. All other students get discounts at the gate on those days: $6 for students ages 12 through 12th grade and $5 for ages 6 to 11.

National Salute to Veterans Day, Feb. 20 – free admission for everyone, not just vets, after 4 p.m.

$5 after 5 p.m. – Adult admission is discounted in the evening on Thursday, Feb. 13, 14, 15 and 16.

4H and FFA days, Saturday and Feb 18 – Free fair admission with member I.D. or club jacket.

Senior days, Feb. 14, 15 and 16 – save on gate admission, only $8 for seniors 55 and older. Advance tickets can be purchased for $6.

Discount rides:

Midway power hour, Saturday and Feb. 18 – from 10 to 11 a.m. most midway rides are only one ticket. Rides are normally in the four to five ticket range.

Pepsi Armband days, Friday and Feb. 20 – pay only $25 for all-you-can-ride armbands, saving $5, when you present an empty Diet Mountain Dew can at the gate. Keep in mind, this is only a good deal if you plan to stay for several hours and are with a small group of people. Armbands are a total waste of money if your friends cannot agree on going on all the most extreme rides and want to waste time people watching and/or lawnmower race spectating (see below).

Eat for free:

Don't spend all your hard-earned cash on food. Park yourself up front for any of the cooking demonstrations in the Expo Hall and you'll be sure to score some chow.

Speaking of the Expo Hall, walk down every row until you find the ones that have dishes of hard candy or other free samples. Sure, you might get the hard sell on a water softener system, but you can handle that.

Another place for free eats is in the Florida agricultural area. There is usually free orange juice or samples of other goodies grown in the Sunshine State. They have been known to offer a free craft project where you take a radish seed and make a necklace of it. Take the radish home and plant it for future salads.

Be on the lookout for giveaways that manufacturers are trying to create some buzz with. This usually takes place in the parking lot. Past goodies have been Jell-O pudding cups, yogurt, granola bars and chocolate milk. Do not let anyone in your group refuse the sample on the grounds that they don't like the item. You might want a second helping.

There are cold water fountains near the restrooms at the permanent buildings such as the Expo Hall or Sweetbay Entertainment Hall. It's better for you than $4 lemonade, anyways.

Free entertainment:

It goes without saying that people watching is a big league sport at the state fair. People from all over are attracted to the … uhhh, charms the fest has to offer.

Other freebies include the exotic petting zoo, lawnmower races, lumberjack show, Elvis impersonators, circus acts, Florida Armed Forces Museum, racing pigs, bluegrass music, cheerleading competition, Spanish Lyric theater, community dance demonstrations, dog tricks, '70s music and Xtreme Sports. You should get a daily lineup and map at the gate or you can check online at <a href=>Floridastatefair.com</a>.

Do not waste money on:

Do not waste your hard earned dollars on seeing the "freak shows." The pony is never as tiny as they say it is. It will not fit in a teacup, unless it is one of those Magic Kingdom teacups. You will be disappointed when you emerge from the tent. Plus, it's not nice to stare. We have heard that the "tiniest woman in the world" just sits there and texts on her phone the entire time, anyway.

Games where you think you are going to win a high value prize are not your friend. We're highly suspicious of any booths that offer a $100 American Express gift card for shooting all the cans in the stack. If you must play a game, play for prizes in which you know exactly what you are getting: a giant stuffed banana with Jamaican dreadlocks.

You can sometimes satisfy your urge to play a game in the Expo Hall. Vendors seem to be fond of the big spinning wheel to give away a pencil that they planned to hand you anyways. Water conservation agencies also employ this method. Prizes are often wildflower seed packets.

Do not bring home a pet. For some reason, state fairs seem to be the main venue for purchasing unusual exotic pets. You went there for cotton candy, not a sugar glider; do not get sucked into their cuteness.