A guide to the 2024 Ohio State Fair
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The Ohio State Fair Midway, in all its glory. Photo: Courtesy of the Ohio State Fair
The deep fryers are sizzlin' and the butter cow is mooin', which can only mean one thing: The 169th annual Ohio State Fair has arrived.
Driving the news: The fair opens this morning, with 12 full days of live entertainment, animal wrangling and food-truck munching.
Heads up: Organizers announced a new chaperone policy for young fairgoers.
- After 6pm, all children under 18 years old must be accompanied by someone 21 or older to enter the fairgrounds.
- An exception: Concert attendees under 18 can enter with a valid concert ticket and must leave the fairgrounds once the show ends, or meet up with their responsible adult.
What else is new in 2024:
🍟 Fresh eats. New Food Avenue is between the Main Street Stage and the Midway's north end. Debuts across the fair include:
- Six flavors of deviled eggs, ranging from espresso to dill pickle at Devilishly Good. (Read our review.)
- Bombz, deep-fried puff pastries filled with your choice of buffalo chicken, steak or cheeseburger, and cauliflower tacos at Fork'et Me Not.
- A cotton candy-flavored-cream puff at Schmidt's.
- The "World's Largest Gummy Bear," weighing a whopping five pounds, at Brosco.
🏗 A glimpse at the future. Central Park will feature an Expo 2050 Project Showcase with renderings of the planned fairgrounds overhaul.
🐄 Buttery athletes. This year's Butter Cow sculpture depicts track, gymnastics and cycling athletes in honor of the Olympic Games.
🎁 Inaugural contests for best gift wrapping, condiment flavors, Lego-making and mural designs.
- In total, 6,830 competitions will be judged.
What we're watching: Attendance eclipsed the million mark for the first time last year, with 1,006,228 total guests.
- Will Ohio set another record?
If you go: Admission gates are open 10am-9pm Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm Saturday and Sunday. Gates close Aug. 4 at 6pm.
- Rides and certain buildings have their own hours.
- Admission: $10 (ages 6-12 and 59+), $12 (ages 13-59) and free for kids under 6, veterans, military members and first responders.
Daily schedule … fair map … concerts.
More state fair tidbits
🚗 Parking is free in the main lot and bike racks are located at the Cardinal Gate, OHIO Gate and Gate 10 (17th Avenue).
👨👩👧👦 The fair is designed to be accessible to all.
- The Aira and Ohio State Fair mobile apps offer audio descriptions for people who are blind.
- ASL interpreters are available at various events and ticketed concerts.
- Lights and volume will be turned down for a "sensory-friendly morning" between 10am-1pm July 25, and a designated quiet room is located in Central Park.
🤑 Snag cheap food on Thursdays with $3 options at dozens of vendors.
- Monday is Family Discount Day, with deals on admission and ride wristbands.
😎 Take a break from the crowds and heat at shady Natural Resources Park.
🥾 Keep an eye out for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that is harmless to humans but destroys crops, plants and trees.
- "If you see any during your visit, please stomp on them," fair organizers request.
