Photos courtesy of the Ohio State Fair
Our State Fair is a great State Fair. Don't miss it, don't even be late!
The 163rd Ohio State Fair will kick off July 27 at the Ohio State Fair and Expo Center and run through Aug. 7. The fair attracted a total of 982,305 fair goers over the 17 days last year alone.
Popular attractions will return, including pony rides, parades and, of course, the famous butter sculptures. New attractions for this year include the Artic Olympics High Dive Show and the Sea Lion Splash.
Throughout the event, the WCOL Celeste Center will play host to a large range of acts. Pop acts Charlie Puth, DNCE and Rachel Platton are scheduled to perform, as well as country classics Kenny Rogers and The Oak Ridge Brothers. Comedian Jeff Dunham will also perform.
The Ohio State Fair has plenty of rides to offer along its Mountain Dew Midway, including some classics such as the Ferris wheel, adorned with over 7,500 LED lights. The half-mile long Sky Glider has 98 cars offering a bird's eye view of the grounds. The Giant Slide has a fixture at the fair since 1969. It is 45 feet tall, 144 feet long and riders can reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour.
Even with all these attractions, we all know some people just go to the fair for the food. Fairgoers can enjoy old favorites, including 32 different types of food on a stick. New this year are bacon-wrapped deep-fried Oreos at Mickey Shanks and chicken and waffles at Marshall Family Farm.
Admission gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. each day, with commercial buildings closing at 9 p.m. and rides staying open until 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for youth and seniors. Parking is $5 per vehicle.
Hannah Herner is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
