The Ohio State Fair will be limited this year due to the pandemic, and will not be open to the public.
The Ohio State Fair announced on Facebook that this year’s event will be limited to livestock and educational competitions for exhibitors, their families and guests. All other events typical of the state fair will return next year.
“For the last several months, we have been weighing options for how to safely open the gates to the 2021 Ohio State Fair,” organizers said. “While we are hopeful that we will soon be on the other side of this pandemic, the reality is that cases of COVID-19 remain high, and we just don’t know how things will look in July.”
“In addition, the important safety protocols that have been put in place to protect Ohioans, like indoor seating capacities, may lead to attendance that is considerably lower than previous years,” said Ohio State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler. “The financial ramifications of hosting a typical Ohio State Fair with the same overhead costs, but far less revenue, could be devastating to our organization.”
The limited version of the fair will conclude with a modified Sale of Champions, the livestock auction featuring junior livestock exhibitors. The fair will also be stretched over a longer period of time, with an anticipated kickoff date of Monday, July 19.
The 2022 Ohio State Fair is slated for July 27 through Aug. 7.
Visit ohiostatefair.com/updates for more updates.