Florida State Fair brings holographic show of Florida's farming history to life

TAMPA, Fla. - As exciting as the midway can be, the heart of the Florida State Fair comes from down on the farm. Agriculture is a huge part of the fair.

This year at the Ag Hall of Fame at the fair, things are taking a technological turn. They built a hologram theater for "Time Travel Through Florida Agriculture."

When the curtain rises, a man seems to be standing on the stage, but it’s a holographic projection of an actor, Mike Norton. In several costumes and numerous accents, with the help of video and photo images, Norton whisks visitors though a history of Florida farming, from Native Americans to the present day. 

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"From Spain came sugar cane, citrus fruits and cattle," said his character dressed as a Spanish Explorer.

"We call that edutainment," smiled Norton. "So ,they get the facts, but they’re having a good time while they get the facts."

How do they do it? 

"Smoke and mirrors and magic," laughed Steve Kyler of DCE Productions, the local company who put it all together. 

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Kyler goes on to explain that making a hologram isn’t as hard as it might appear. 

"It’s not computer generated. A lot of it is about lighting," he said.

Farmers are projecting a future in technology, and planting seeds for the next generation.

"Agriculture has become so technological and specialized that we need knowledgeable young people who are college educated that can take guys like me to the next step," said Dale McClellan, a dairy farmer and president of the Florida State Fair Foundation.

The holographic show "Time Travel Through Florida Agriculture" is free with fair admission.