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.
• 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 60+), $12 (ages 13-59) and free for kids under 6, veterans, military members and first responders.

Daily schedule … fair map … concerts.

🚗 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.

Tom Stalf, former president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, pleaded guilty yesterday to 15 felonies for his role in its financial scandal.

Why it matters: The unexpected plea deal ahead of his Aug. 6 trial date includes an agreement to pay nearly $315,600 in restitution, in addition to $400,000 already paid on his behalf in 2021.

Catch up quick: Stalf and three other former officials were indicted in September for the alleged theft of nearly $2.3 million from the zoo over a decade.

• CFO Greg Bell, marketing director Pete Fingerhut and purchasing director Tracy Murnane have all pleaded guilty to theft and charges related to fraud.
• Sentencing for the four former officials is scheduled over the next few months.

The latest: Bell's son, Grant, was indicted last week on a theft charge. He has not yet appeared in court.

• The Ohio attorney general's office said Grant Bell is the case's "fifth and final defendant."

As Indianapolis makes its case to secure a Major League Soccer expansion team, our colleague Arika Herron attended last weekend's MLS Soccer Celebration in the Arena District to see what all the fuss is about.

• She asked fans of all ages why they enjoy having the Crew in town:

👪 "It's a community," says Lindsay Chaney, who brought her 5-year-old daughter Cameron to the celebration. "There's not as much of a bandwagon."

• Chaney and her husband have been die-hard Crew fans for more than 15 years, even using their honeymoon to catch an away game.

💯 "Everything," said 12-year-old London, an avid fan and soccer player.

🤗 "It brings people together," said London's dad, Eric Smith.

• The pair visited from Dayton for the kickoff and the MLS All-Star Concert featuring Marshmello.

⚽ "It's a better environment than other major sports," said Mark Spring, whose whole family was decked out in yellow Crew jerseys. "It's still a big crowd, but it's a good group."

🏆 "They're really good," said Liam, 11.

In yesterday's newsletter, we asked readers to locate this Central Ohio mural depicting a tin-can phone conversation.

The answer: Alissa snapped these photos while visiting the Creekside District in Gahanna, also known as the Herb Capital of Ohio.

• Lots of you got it right — well done.

Catch up quick: Gahanna and the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County helped create the mural in 2018.

• It highlights "our desire for companionship and communication across generations" and "the importance of overall health and wellness, including mental health," according to a plaque.

👏 Congrats to reader Patti H., today's swag winner.

Fun fact: Reader Leah H. helped create the mural and shared this photo with us. Small world!