Public 'Should Not Be Tricked': Judge Bars Margate Carnival Operator From Using Broward County Fair Name

Following the judge’s order, the Margate event is now billing itself as the Fair at Margate. {PBIF YouTube}

By Kevin Deutsch

A Broward County judge issued an injunction this month barring a Margate carnival operator from using the name of the long-running, nonprofit Broward County Fair, court records show.

The Margate fair’s operator, Harlan Bast, used the name of the official Broward County Fair without the nonprofit fair’s permission, wrote Circuit Court Judge Michele Towbin Singer. Bast wanted the public to falsely believe the fairs were one and the same, the judge said.

The authentic county fair, which did not operate last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will run from Nov. 17 to Nov. 27 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach.

“Citizens of Broward County have the right to support Broward’s nonprofit fair association and attend its annual public fair free, and should not be tricked into attending the Bast Entities’ private, for-profit event in Margate,” Singer wrote in her injunction.

The judge’s cease and desist order was issued on Oct. 8 amid a lawsuit Bast filed against the county fair as part of the naming dispute.

Those who wish to attend the “Margate carnival…are free to do so, but they should not be tricked into believing that event is Broward County’s single annual public fair,” Singer wrote.

The official county fair, which features rides, community and children’s exhibits, and educational animal programs, among other attractions, operates with a permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is a not-for-profit event with a government-recognized public benefit.

Broward County Circuit Court Judge Michele Towbin Singer. {17th Judicial Court}

Following the judge’s order, the Margate event is now billing itself as the Fair at Margate. It is scheduled to run from Nov. 18 to Dec. 4.

Last year’s Margate fair brought confusion and controversy, according to the court order.

The county fair “received numerous complaints [about the Margate Fair] from media and PETA and members of the public who all apparently thought the fair [was the official county fair],” wrote Singer.

She also found that the county fair’s reputation was harmed by the Margate fair.

According to the animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a “Banana Derby” event at last year’s Margate fair was “a rodeo-like spectacle in which terrified capuchin monkeys [were] chained to dogs who race at high speeds.” PETA said the monkey event was held in apparent violation of local law.

The monkey shows were held on weekdays and weekends at the fairgrounds at 1000 N. State Rd. 7, including on Thanksgiving Day. The event drew crowds that saw the small primates riding atop dogs, to which the monkeys’ hands were bound.

Activists said they uncovered videos and photos of panicked-looking monkey “jockeys” biting and hitting the dogs and the dogs grimacing in pain.

This year’s Margate fair is again expected to feature live animals without the monkey event.

The Spring Break version of the Margate fair, held from March to April 2022, also had its share of controversy. It was shut down during one night of operation due to “chaos, disturbances, fights, and in the interest of public and officer safety” after a series of violent clashes between fairgoers, police records show.

Violence had been a problem at the Margate event before.

At the November 2021 fair, a 91-year-old woman, Meredeth Bartels, was wounded when a stray bullet fired from the fairgrounds struck her, according to court records.

Brandon Craig, 40, a carnival worker at the fair, allegedly fired two shots during a dispute with another carnival worker, wounding Bartels in the process, police said.

Margate Fair Promises 'No Animal Acts' After Last Year's Monkey Races, Vows to Improve Safety

Last year at the Margate fair featured a “Banana Derby” rodeo-like spectacle in which terrified capuchin monkeys were chained to dogs who raced at high speeds, according to PETA.

Craig, of Royal Palm Beach, was charged with attempted felony murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm, and battery, records show. He is awaiting trial.

A lawyer for Bast, the Margate fair operator, has said organizers plan to beef up security this year by hiring a private security company and not relying solely on the city’s police force.

He also said parking would be improved following complaints from residents.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.