I was surprised to see that the State Fair’s schedule that year was much different than it is now. As you can see, it began on Thursday, August 22 and ran through Labor Day that year – more of an end-of-summer event.
But what really amazed me was the eye-popping roster of celebrities that was to entertain at the Fair back then – all for free.
There was something for everyone of all ages and tastes.
For comedy, there was Johnny Carson, George Kirby, the Smothers Brothers with Pat Paulsen, Allen and Rossi, and Ohio’s own Bob Hope. Hope made regular appearances at the Ohio State Fair for years; I saw his show up close as a member of the 1976 All-Ohio State Fair Band.
Musically, there were a variety of acts, including Ed Ames, the Bee Gees, Roger Miller, James Brown, trumpeter Al Hirt, John Davidson and the Golddiggers.
I’m sure many red-blooded American males remember the Golddiggers, which was a singing and dancing troupe of showgirls that had their own summer variety TV show. It was a summer replacement series (remember those?) for The Dean Martin Show.
And if watching Hollywood types perform was not your bag, there was still more to see: Harness Racing, the Hurricane Hell Drivers, the 7UP Balloon Race and the Buckeye “100” Auto Race.
All in all, a very impressive lineup.
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In case you’re curious (as I was) who appeared at the 2018 Ohio State Fair, here are a few of the entertainers: the Beach Boys, Reba McEntire, TLC, En Vogue, the Commodores, Trevor Noah, Brothers Osborne, Jeff Dunham, Lee Brice, STYX, and Cheap Trick. All of these acts required an admission price from anywhere from $25 to $45, to as much as $65.
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