2026 Ohio State Fair

Ohio's State Bird watches over the Cardinal Gate at the Fair

I went down to the Ohio State Fair on Saturday for the first time in about twenty-five or thirty years.

It's pretty different now from the last time I visited. The fairgrounds used to have a layout very similar to the Lorain County Fair. It had a big track in the middle and a grandstand for visitors to watch the concerts and attractions, with the whole thing surrounded by food vendors and buildings for the livestock. But I had forgotten that the track and grandstand were removed back in the 1990s. So it all looks very different.  The now-expanded Midway with all the rides practically rivals Cedar Point. And that's where all the biggest crowds were congregated. 

Back when I was a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band in 1976, I knew the fairgrounds like the back of my hand. But now, with all the new, huge, buildings built in the last few decades – one for concerts, one with an incredible variety of sit-down restaurants, one that's like a mini IX Center, I had a hard time even finding the Rhodes Center, where I stayed during my time at the Fair. It's still the home of the All-Ohio State Fair Band. And it looks the same as it did in 1976. 

I was able to catch part of a concert by the current Band. They played their concert in the Rhodes Center auditorium rather than an outdoor venue such as the Natural Resource area or the Rhodes Center lawn. I never saw them 'ballyhoo' around the Fair either. But it was just as well, because it was hot.

For lunch, it was a Brady tradition to head over to the Schmidt's outdoor restaurant for a brat. Our family visited the main restaurant in German Village many times over the years, so we always hit the Fair outlet too. My bratwurst was excellent of course. It was so big I couldn't even fit it all in the photo!

Another Brady tradition was to go see the Butter Cow, in the Dairy Building. In the old days, you just had to know it was in there – there was no sign outside. But that's not the case now.

And just as before, it's virtually impossible to take a photo of the buttery bovine without some reflection from the many windows showing up in the picture. But I like the top-hatted calf; that's some well-dressed veal.

I saw as much of the Fair as I could. The Bricker Building had information booths and exhibits from all the government agencies. In the ODOT booth, I was surprised to see a display of vintage die-cut highways signs from the old days. They looked like the real thing to me. The numbers are actual highways in Ohio.

But for me, the high point of my visit to the Fair was yet another Brady tradition: going to see Smokey Bear in the Natural Resources Park. I hadn't yet seen the new animatronic version that was installed in 2015. It replaced the Smokey that had been there since 1959 (the year I was born).

Smokey looked great. He's animatronic, but curiously didn't move his arms while I was there – just his muzzle when he talked. I was a little disappointed that no attempt was made by whoever was doing his voice to mimic the gruff, low, familiar sound of the real Smokey that we all remember from TV and radio commercials. The Ohio State Fair Smokey just sounded like a young, glib car salesman. Kids seemed to stay away from him out of fear.

What was neat, though, was that behind Smokey was a historic 60-foot steel lookout fire tower that was originally built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pike County. It was moved to the fairgrounds in 2016. It used to be slightly taller but was shortened when moved and reassembled.

Soon, it was time to go, and I bid farewell to the Ohio State Fair – probably for good. It was interesting going back after so long but I felt a little wistful. The Fair I remember is long gone, but the current one is arguably better now – bigger, with more rides, more air-conditioned buildings and more family-friendly activities.

But my consolation is that Lorain County Fair time – my favorite time of year – is almost here. And I can't wait.

1966 Ohio State Fair Ad

This weekend is the final weekend of the 2026 Ohio State Fair, so if you're pondering a visit, then this is your last chance. As you can see from the logo for the 1966 Ohio State Fair above, it used to run right into September.

Speaking of the 1966 edition of the Ohio State Fair, here are a few ads showing the entertainment headliners. Just like the 1976 Fair, it has an impressive lineup, including Bob Hope, Perry Como, Art Linkletter, the King Family, Jimmy Dean, Herman's Hermits, the Lovin' Spoonful, and Miss USA-World.

August 11, 1966

August 18, 1966

August 23, 1966

And here's the whole page showing the August 23rd ad. Hey, the big screen Batman movie was in local theaters at that time!

There's also an ad for Hanna House, subject of a few posts back here. (It was formerly known as Fior's Spaghetti House).

****

So what was the Miss USA World pageant? It wasn't the same as Miss USA (written about extensively here through my posts about Jackie Mayer and Laurel Lea Schaefer). According to Grokipedia, " Miss USA World 1966 was a national beauty pageant organized in 1966 as part of a series of contests aimed at selecting an American representative for the international Miss World competition, amid ongoing legal disputes over similar naming conventions with established pageants like Miss USA. 

"The event, held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio, crowned 19-year-old Denice Estelle Blair of Layton, Utah, as the winner; she had previously held the title of Miss Utah and defeated entrants from 46 states.  

"The pageant, the fifth edition under the Miss USA World banner, was sponsored by figures including comedian Bob Hope and featured state preliminaries across the country, reflecting the era's growing popularity of televised beauty contests despite trademark conflicts. 

"The Miss USA World 1966 pageant took place on Saturday, August 27, 1966, at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio. This venue, part of the ongoing 67th Ohio State Fair, drew an estimated audience of 32,000 spectators to the evening event, held in a spacious fairground arena suitable for large-scale presentations including swimsuit and evening gown segments."

So the appearance of Miss USA World at the 1966 Ohio State Fair made sense: the pageant actually took place at the Fair, and Old Ski Nose himself – Bob Hope, who was appearing at the Fair – was a sponsor of it.

Frostie Root Beer is her favorite?
She's my kind of gal!

1976 Ohio State Fair Program

My opportunity to be a member of the 1976 All Ohio State Fair Band remains one of the great, unforgettable experiences of my life. 

That's me, almost in the dead center of the band

Performing with such a large group of excellent high school musicians, and being able to be at the State Fair for several weeks was a big thrill. It's something I think about every year when the State Fair opens. I can hardly believe it was 50 years ago, during the nation's bicentennial year.

I did miss the summer band camp of the Admiral King Marching Band, and the photo taken for the football program. But it was worth it.

Anyway, a few years ago I picked up a copy of the 1976 Ohio State Fair program on eBay, and the memories came flooding back. It's interesting to flip through it and get a little taste of the Fair that year. Check out the incredible lineup of entertainers, including Johnny Cash, The Osmonds, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Tanya Tucker, Lynn Anderson, Neil Sedaka, John Davidson, Pat Boone, Mac Davis, The 5th Dimension, Telly Savalas, KC & The Sunshine Band, and Dan Fleenor's Hurricane Hell Drivers – wow!

Since Borden was a sponsor of the Ohio State Fair, and was headquartered in Columbus at that time, the program was full of company ads. Here's a great one with our favorite dairy cow Elsie, as well as her husband Elmer (of Elmer's Glue fame) and their calf, Beauregard.

Much of the program consisted of pages with the Fair schedule. Here are two of them. Band members used these to decide what to do with our free time (what little there was of it). It was fun going to the various pavilions where live TV shows were being broadcast from the Fair, including TV icons Flippo the Clown (from Columbus) and Bob Braun (from Cincinnati).

I've written before how sad all of the band members were during our last performance on the grounds of Rhodes Center, our home during the Fair. Kids were crying and choking back tears; we just didn't want it to end. (One reason I didn't want it to end was that I had a crush on the trombone player sitting next to me; I wonder where she is today?)

Anyway, while the rest of the band members were packing up to go home, those of us who were in the 1976 All Ohio State Fair Stage Band (including me) got to stay a little longer, pretty much until the end of the Fair. It was odd without all the other band members there, but it was still fun. 

Here's our group shot, which I haven't posted before. I still remember the names of the two of the other trombone players.

****

Be sure to visit my original All Ohio State Fair Band post where I go into more detail about my experience as a band member. I also write about 'meeting' Colonel Sanders, and seeing Bob Hope and Red Skelton up close.

1961 Ohio State Fair with Huck, Yogi & Charlie Weaver

I was thinking the other day how it might be nice to go to the Ohio State Fair this year. It's been quite a while since I've been to one. Then I discovered that the Fair is already in progress, running from July 24 to August 4th. So the first weekend of it has already come and gone.

I'm still used to the Fair running much later in the summer. I was down at the 1976 Ohio State Fair for the entire run, first as a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band, and then for a few additional days playing in the All-Ohio State Fair Stage Band. During that whole time I stayed with the other high school musicians in the barracks at the Rhodes Center (originally called the Youth Center).

Being in the All-Ohio State Fair Band was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of my life. (I wrote about it back here and here.) So I'm a little sentimental about the Fair.

Anyway, back in 1961, the headliner at the Ohio State Fair was none other than comedian Cliff Arquette, better known as his alter-ego Charlie Weaver. 

In later years, he was one of the stars of the TV game show Hollywood Squares. But in 1961, he was known for his regular appearances on the Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar.

Also riding high in popularity in 1961 were Hanna-Barbera's cartoon stars Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear, who also appeared at the Ohio State Fair that year. Each was the star of his own TV show at that time. I'm curious as to what kind of show they put on. It was probably something like this appearance in April 1961 in Los Angeles. 

(Gee, I would have thought Yogi was taller than Huck. He looks about as big as Boo Boo.)

The article (below) which appeared in the Journal on August 22, 1961, describes the upcoming Ohio State Fair.

What's nice that year is the Journal honored the area high school musicians that were heading down to the Fair for the All-Ohio Boys Band. 

As you can see, the Band used to consist of all boys. The first year I applied (1975) was the first year that girls were in the Band – and I didn't make it that year. Thank goodness I did during my last year of eligibility.

As I noted in my two posts about my time as a member of the Band, it was the first time away from home for me and many of the other high school musicians. At first we were all a little homesick. But by the time of our last concert on the lawn of the Rhodes Center, kids were bawling that it was all over.

Ohio State Fair Ad – August 24, 1951

The iconic Ohio Gate entrance to the Ohio State Fair (1966 - 2002)

We should be pretty happy that the Lorain County Fair was back this year. For the second year in a row, there was no Ohio State Fair for the general public to enjoy. (It was cancelled last year, and limited this year to livestock and educational contests, all because of the pandemic.)

I haven’t been down to the Ohio State Fair for about five years or so. I hope to make it down to Columbus next year, when the Fair is scheduled for July 27 – August 7, 2022. For one thing, I still haven’t seen the new Smokey Bear over at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources area. 

Anyway, here’s a vintage ad for the Ohio State Fair. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on August 24, 1951 – 70 years ago this month.

As you can see in the 1951 ad, back then the Fair ran from August 24 through the 31st, which is pretty late compared to now.

An article in the Journal on August 23 noted that the 1951 Fair was expected to draw a record crowd of 500,000 people. It would be the first time that the Fair ran for eight days.

The article noted, “A galaxy of exhibits, events, contests, shows and demonstrations are promised to farmer and city dweller alike. Horace Heidt and his “Youth Opportunity Television program” will be featured nightly from August 25.

“Two new breeds of beef cattle will be seen for the first time at the fair and 29 classes of galloways will compete for $911 in prizes.

“The State Department of Natural Resources will have a four-tent exhibit, featuring a beautiful lake, a fast water stream, a 10-foot waterfall completely surrounded by a 90-tree forest of all Ohio trees. Visitors will pass thru the forest to view the exhibit. A simulated natural channel will form the stream thru which 84,000 gallons of water an hour will be pumped. Another tent will show an extensive wildlife display of mounted animals, birds and fish native to Ohio.”

****

You can visit my other posts about the Ohio State Fair (and my time as a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band) by clicking here.

Ohio State Fair Ad – Aug. 21, 1968

Although the last few days on this blog have focused on the Lorain County Fair, here’s an ad for the Ohio State Fair. It ran in the Lorain Journal on August 21, 1968.

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.

****

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.