The Margate Fair {courtesy SFDF Aerial Imagery}
The Fair at Margate will not take place in November/December this year.
At the September 23 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board voted against approving a temporary use agreement between the CRA and Hildebrand Amusement Rides to hold the fair, a large event on vacant land at the corner of State Road 7 and Margate Boulevard.
The event included about 50 traditional fair rides, such as Ferris Wheels and the Cyclone; food like funnel cakes and cotton candy; and shows.
While it attracted thousands of families, it also brought problems, including large groups of rowdy teenagers who engaged in disorderly conduct. Groups of young people were known to use social media to plan disorderly “teen takeovers” at the fair, according to Commissioner Arlene Schwartz, who voted to end the relationship.
Donna Fellows, a Margate resident, spoke against the fair and said it has done nothing but cause problems for the city and law enforcement and brought teenagers who were difficult to control.
A group of residents spoke out, and all said the fair was not a good thing for Margate.
Harlan Bast, the fair operator, said the event was positive and gave local families a place to go and have fun. Bast and his attorney said he would be willing to work with the city to address complaints.
Finally, when Bast realized most of the board did not support the fair, he walked out, but his attorney kept asking board members to focus on the fair’s benefits and work with Hildebrand.
Schwartz said she believes the fair was creating too many problems for the city. Commissioner Joanne Simone said she was strongly opposed to the fair and that it was not good for Margate.
Police Chief Michael Palma said his officers did not want to work details at the fair and agreed there were many problems there.
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