Are you ready for some Fairtastic fun?

The Ohio State Fair is only one month away, which means that in four short weeks fairgoers will enjoy hundreds of competitions and contests, delicious food, thrilling rides and more. With so much to see and do, it can be tricky for visitors to fit their activities into one day.

We’ve created a quick run-down of this year’s Fair happenings to help you plan your visit.

Admission

Take advantage of Fair discounts by planning ahead of time! Advance-sale tickets can be purchased at Kroger stores, AAA and Ticketmaster locations for $6. Additionally, remember to look into our Special Days. These daily promotions allow fairgoers to save money on gate admission nearly any day of the Fair!

Free Entertainment

Exciting magicians, acrobats, celebrity impersonators and more perform for free everyday at the Fair. A list of performers can be found here.Performance times, as well as other Fair events, are listed on the daily schedules.

Other ongoing fun includes the free petting zoo and sand sculpture in Kiddieland, the butter cow in the Dairy Barn and the Sea Lion Splash presented by The CW in Kiddieland.

Free Music

Free concerts are held at the Fair daily in a wide variety of genres, so there is something for everyone! You can find a list of performers and the time of their shows on the Ohio State Fair website.

Also, remember to check the daily schedules for the performance times and locations of the All-Ohio State Fair Band and All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir.

Food

Make sure to download the Ohio State Fair Food Finder mobile app for your iPhone or Android phone so you can locate your favorite Fair foods! The app also includes daily schedules for the Fair, a map of the grounds and a “Park & Pin” tool that allows users to pinpoint their parking location on the map to help locate their car at the end of their visit. Learn more about how to get the app here.

In addition to your Fair food favorites, these new items are making their debut at the 2013 Ohio State Fair:

• Apple Uglies - A twist on the classic deep-fried apple pie, lightly glazed and as ugly as can be!
• Banana Puddin’ Funnel Cake - A French vanilla funnel cake loaded with homemade banana pudding, crushed Nilla wafers, whipped cream and marshmallows.
• Giant Deep-Fried Gummy Bear - A five inch cherry gummy bear on a stick, deep-fried in vanilla or chocolate batter.
• Make Your Own Pixie Sticks - Mix your own flavors to create your own unique flavor of this classic candy.

Concerts

Tickets for WCOL Celeste Center concerts are on sale now. The performers are as listed below:

·        Jeff Dunham

·        Ladies' Night Out Tour featuring Eric Benét, K'Jon and Noel Gourdin

·        Martina McBride with special guest Angie Johnson

·        Will Downing / Lalah Hathaway

·        Styx / REO Speedwagon

·        Justin Moore with special guest The Farm

·        Austin Mahone with special guest Jake Miller

·        Carly Rae Jepsen

·        Steve Miller Band

·        The Oak Ridge Boys / Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers / Crystal Gayle

·        Hillsong Live

The following shows are also in the WCOL Celeste Center, but are free and do not require a ticket:

·        Buckeye Sports Fest

Meet and mingle with Ohio State athletes and coaches, get discounts on upcoming Buckeye sporting events and try out some of the Buckeye interactive activities.

July 27 | 11 am - 1 pm

·        All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir

July 28 | 1 pm

·        A Salute to America presented by the All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir

July 30 | 1 pm

·        Sale of Champions Livestock Auction

Aug. 4 | 2 pm

For more help planning your Fair visit, check out the Guest Services section of our website, which includes parking and accessibility information. A list of nearby lodging can also be found on our website.

How do you plan for your visit to the Ohio StateFair each year? What will first-time fairgoers not want to miss? Leave us a comment!