COLUMBUS — The 165th Ohio State Fair opens Wednesday, July 25 and will be offering new and old attractions, exhibits, competitions, fair food and more.
The Fair’s Opening Ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place at 9 a.m. at the Cardinal Gate. Governor John Kasich and Ohio State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler will be welcoming fairgoers and kicking off the 12-day event with music, performances and entertainment.
Opening Day admission is just $3 until 3 p.m.
Fair trails
It’s the Year of the Trails in Ohio and to celebrate the Ohio State Fair has created four self-guided tours of the most popular places and events of the fair. From butter sculptures to pig races, we’ve got a trail for everyone.
For fairgoers feeling overwhelmed by all the fair has to offer, be sure to try out one of these tours. An interactive map as well as information about each stop can be found at www.ohiostatefair.com.
Clydesdales
Make your way to the Cardinal Plaza to visit the Budweiser Clydesdales from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. every day.
Stunt show
Head over to the South end of the Mountain Dew Midway at 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to witness the Nerveless Nocks All American Stunt &Thrill Show. Generations of daredevils thrill audiences with unbelievable feats: climbing hand-over-hand to the top of sway poles, exchanging from pole to pole and free falling, headfirst, back to the ground; taking a motorcycle for a spin in the giant 17-foot steel Globe of Fear; and performing stunts on the revolving Wheel of Steel aerial pendulum.
Animal shows
The Ranch Pleasure and Western Pleasure horse and pony show will kick off the day at 8 a.m. in the JD Equipment Taft Coliseum.
In the Brown Sheep Arena, the market lamb show will also take place at 8 a.m. Then, at 8:30 a.m. the open beef cattle show will take place in the Voinovich Livestock & Trade Center presented by Ohio Soybean Council. The swine shows will commence at 10 a.m. in the O’Neill Swine Building also presented by the Ohio Soybean Council.
Entertainment
The 2018 Ohio State Fair Concert Series will be opening with The Beach Boys at 7 p.m. and admission is $30. Tickets are still available and include fair admission when purchased in advance.
The entertainment lineup also includes (tickets required):
• Reba McEntire, 7 p.m. July 26.
• TLC and En Vogue 7 p.m. July 27
• The Commodores, 7 p.m. July 28
• Trevor Noah, 7:30 p.m. July 29
• Casting Crowns, 7 p.m. July 30
• Kidz Bop Live 2018, 6:30 p.m. July 31
• Brothers Osborne, 7 p.m. Aug. 1
• Jeff Dunham, 7 p.m. Aug. 2
• Lee Brice, 7 p.m. Aug. 3
• Cheap Trick and Styx, 7 p.m. Aug. 4
Free shows
Ruvane from Reynoldsburg, Ohio will be performing a free modern acoustic concert at noon and 2 p.m. on the Gazebo Stage. At the Main Street Stage, Kayla Woodson will perform a variety of country rock tunes during her free performances at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Also for free will be:
• All-Ohio State Fair Band and Youth Choir concert, 1 p.m. July 29
•The Rat Pack Is Back 12:30 p.m. July 31
•Sale of Champions Livestock Auction, 2 p.m. Aug. 5
There will be plenty of new strolling performers at the fair this year including Allez-OOPS, T. Texas Terry, Plant Guy and more.
For a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.ohiostatefair.com/osf/downloadbooks/marketing/2018/july25.pdf.
For more information, call 1-888-OHO-EXPO or 1-614-644-FAIR. On the Web, visit ohiostatefair.com .
