Ohio State Fair

The Ohio State Fair has been a favorite family tradition since 1850! Up until COVID-19 struck in 2019, the Fair had been held every year except during World War II when it was canceled between 1942 and 1945 for the fairgrounds to be rented by the U.S. War Department to be used to repair aircraft and to store equipment. 

The fair has certainly evolved over the years and has adopted special traditions that still exist today. The early fairs focused entirely on agriculture, but the entertainment was included shortly after. The Ohio State Fair was the first fair in the nation with electric lights when electricity lit the Fair in 1896. The Butter Cow, still a popular attraction today, was introduced in 1903.

Visitors to the fair today will enjoy a variety of activities and exhibits including interactive educational activities, sporting competitions, a fine arts show, free entertainment stages, a free petting zoo, helicopter rides, a farm animal delivery room, roving performers, agricultural competitions, more than 70 fun rides, horse shows, an 8-acre natural resources park with free kiddie fishing and much more! You can also indulge in all your favorite Fair goodies, from any of the nearly 200 food vendors.

Today, the Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the country hosting nearly 1 million people annually at the end of July through early August. The Ohio State Fair Concert Series has brought in acts such as Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, and Styx/Cheap Trick.