GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Nicholas Hardwick sat in solitude in the middle of the busy food midway last Saturday while hundreds of visitors passed at the Clay County Agricultural Fair.

The Tilt-A-Whirl was whirling just a few feet away but without the normal screeches of excited riders and loud music. Fair-goers, some stuffing fair food or gulping large cups of fresh-squeezed lemonade, were excited to start their day of rides and visiting exhibits.

And yet, Hardwick, and others with non-visible disabilities, were able to find the necessary emotional seclusion that allowed them to enjoy the fair.

“It’s awesome. It’s amazing,” his mother, Kim Hardwick, said. “He probably wouldn’t have come to the fair when he was younger. He definitely needed a place like this to go get away from the noise, the lights, the sounds.”

Nicholas has autism. Saturday’s Sunflower Hours provided several sensory tents and made disability lanyards and stickers available.

The Sunflower Project is a globally-recognized symbol for non-visibility disabilities that can be physical, mental or neurological such as autism, Asperger syndrome and cognitive impairments.

During Sunflower Hours, fair sounds and music were be lowered and noise-isolating headphones were available. The fair also provided trained volunteers and sign language interpreters.

The purple tents were positioned in the middle of high-traffic areas. Those who needed to escape the hustle were able to step inside to avoid the bustle.

“He can come in and decompress,” Kim Hardwick said.

Fair officials didn’t count the number of residents who were able to take advantage of the three-hour session, but many parents took advantage of the program to get more information.

“This just made everything else happening this week worth it,” said fair executive director Tasha Hyder. “My heart is just full.”