Northeast Florida Fair delays opening day until Friday as rains hamper setup

The Northeast Florida Fair will open Friday instead of Thursday because persistent rain has slowed setup and left the grounds too wet, fair officials said.The fair in Callahan is now scheduled to run Oct. 9-18. The gates will open at 5 p.m. Friday at the fairgrounds on U.S. 1.Thursday’s entertainment and programming are canceled and will not be rescheduled. Other acts will follow their regular schedules starting Friday. Gate specials scheduled for Friday and later will also remain on their original dates.Food vendors must still arrive Thursday at their previously scheduled times for mandatory state inspections. Livestock load-in will continue as planned, officials said.With more rain expected in Northeast Florida, some people have asked whether the fair could be moved to the following week. Officials said that isn’t possible.“The permit issued for the Northeast Florida Fair is valid October 8 through October 18 only. Because of that, postponing or rescheduling the entire Fair for anoth