GOhio! Adventures Around Columbus

Ice cream and conversation at Johnson's Real Ice Cream in Bexley!

The Ohio State Fair is one of the five best state fairs in the United States. It regularly features attendance counts of over one million visitors per year. Attendees come from each of Ohio's 88 counties and from all 50 states. Last year's fair saw visitors come from as far away as Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, and Korea. It also saw the beginning of a multiyear effort to invest $400 million in upgrades to the Fair.

Here is a map of the grounds.

Directions, Parking, Tickets, and Timing

Take exit 111 (17th Avenue) off of I-71. Turn west (toward the McDonald's).

Parking is $10 whether you pay in advance or on-site. It's generally not too bad getting in and out of the Fair. You generally get an excellent spot, too, early in the mornings. There are cops everywhere and they will let you know where to park.

Tickets are $12 at the gate or $8 in advance. You can also buy 3- and 12-day admission tickets in advance for $20 and $75, respectively. All advance tickets are available May 1 through July 22.

I've scheduled this meetup from 9 to 3, but you can obviously come late or leave early if you want. They will also stamp your hand for free same-day re-admission if you want.

Outside Items

From the FAQ:

• Bags

"Purses, backpacks, book bags, coolers, strollers, etc. are permitted, but are subject to search. Bag searches will also be conducted for guests entering concerts and events in the WCOL Celeste Center."

• Outside Food and Beverage

"You may bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages. Glass bottles and containers are not permitted on grounds."

I always bring a disposable plastic bottle of water with me and refill it on the grounds as I go.

Where We'll Meet

At no later than 9 a.m., I'll be standing by the giant cardinal just inside Cardinal Gate 1, then we'll wander down to Tracey's (see below). If you come late, Tracey's is where you'll find us (DM me or drop a note in the comments if you need help finding us after you arrive).

If you want to come later in the day, drop me a note and I'll help you navigate to us, or I'll just come find you.

What We'll Do

This will be sort of a soft itinerary, depending on the interests of the group. The following is based on last year's Fair schedule, and might need to be changed depending on this year's schedule. But the overall Fair schedule doesn't normally change that radically year-over-year.

• 9:00 a.m. - Tracey's

Tracey's is located at the northernmost part of the "WNCI Food Highway," just south of Brown Arena and at the northern corner of the Bricker Marketplace. They have a covered area with picnic tables where you can sit. They have one of the most varied food selections at the Fair. They serve breakfast in the mornings, including eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

I've never actually had anything from their breakfast menu before, but the stuff from their lunch menu is very good. Tracey's is overpriced, but all the food and drink at the Fair is very overpriced, no matter what you get or where you get it (though it usually does taste quite good!). If people end up just wanting to get coffee here, that's fine. But I think I'd like to try their breakfast options since, you know, that's on my bucket list. 😁

• 10:00 a.m. - Bricker Marketplace

Bricker Marketplace is the Fair's main flea market. It's a huge indoor shopping area with a food court at its center. I mostly just like to walk up and down the aisles and see what wares are being hawked.

However, Bricker is where the ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) booth is, and I always like to check and see if they have any maps that I want. You can also get free samples of all manner of things at the Marketplace.

• 10:45 a.m. - Cox Fine Arts

There are art displays here -- paintings, drawings, sculptures, and such. I always like going through here, and people usually like the displays here.

• 11:30 a.m. - American Ninja Warrior

This is in Kiddieland and it's new to the Fair for 2025. I've seen both the original Japanese Ninja Warrior and its American remake on TV before (the Japanese one was better, sorry! 😆), so I'm guessing that's what this is, but for kids. If it is, it's probably entertaining and worth checking out.

• 12:00 p.m. - Great Lakes Timber Show

The Natural Resources Park is next to Kiddieland, and I think it's the best area of the Fair. It's certainly a very popular area. The Timber Show, which I would assume would be back again this year, is popular. This area also includes youth fishing, a kayak pond, archery range, butterfly house, and aviary.

• 1:00 p.m. - Lunch

I'm tacitly assuming that by this point in the day, people might want to grab a burger or a hot dog or something. There are food places all over the Fair, but for this I think we'd be better off heading back to the "WNCI Food Highway" in the relative center of the grounds, and either get something there, or maybe inside Bricker. We'll find a better food selection here than elsewhere.

• 1:30 p.m. - Various Exhibits

Here I would suggest we go through the Rhodes Center, the Lausche Youth Exploration Space, and Kasich Hall to take in many of the various exhibits. Lausche also has a booth that sells Girl Scout cookies if you're interested.

By the time we go through these, it will likely be close to 3, and you might be tired from all the walking if you're not used to it. This route will also have us finishing up next to the main Fair entrance where you will likely have come in.

Other Things We Might Do

For me personally, spending copious amounts of time wandering the Ohio State Fair is not terribly difficult. I've walked to the end of the Fair and back multiple times in the same visit, but this is a lot of walking and I don't want to necessarily subject people to this; hence the soft itinerary I've chosen above (it involves just one trip to the end of the Fair and back).

But there are lots of other things to do and see at the Fair, and I likely could easily be persuaded to do and see them if there's interest. So, here are some of what I see as good potential other options (though feel free to look at the Fair's schedule and see if you find any others of your own!).

• Entertainment Alley

Here you will find one-person shows like "The Major League Sports Show" and "The Farmer's Daughter." These tend to involve juggling or acrobatics of some description. They generally run at the top of every hour, starting at noon.

• The Nerveless Nocks, Lady Houdini, or some other "death-defying" act

These typically start at 1:30 and run once every two hours in the afternoon. They're not bad.

• Main Street Stage / Gazebo Stage

These stages are at opposite ends of the "WNCI Food Highway." They'll have shows like live music, magic, hypnosis, juggling, and the like. I usually end up seeing most of the shows, almost by accident, during my annual trips to the Fair. If there's music at the Gazebo, though, it can be a little loud if the performer is using a big amp. But otherwise the shows are generally entertaining, if not spectacular.

Last year, they had a four-piece brass band (trombone, trumpet, tuba, and percussionist) that played old TV theme songs and some 80s hits. I can't remember this band's name, but they walked around the Fair playing as the went, and they also did a concert at the Main Street Stage. If they're there again, I would strongly recommend we see them. These guys were awesome!

• The Midway

I'm not a big rides person, though I often enjoy watching others ride rides. I doubt we will go here though unless there's group interest, but if there is, GOhio! can certainly accommodate you! 😎

• The Dairy Building

Here you can buy ice cream and milkshakes. They're badly overpriced, but they are really good!

• The Dog House

Adjacent to the "WNCI Food Highway," there are comedy dog shows here every hour starting at noon. The shows are generally popular.

• Taft Coliseum

An indoor (not air-conditioned) arena where they have "rodeo-type" shows. Can be entertaining.

• The Petting Zoo & Pig Races

These used to be in Kiddieland, but have been moved for 2025 to "The Barnyard," next to the Gazebo Stage and the Celeste Center. They're both free and generally popular. You can also buy food to give to the animals at the Zoo.

• Central Park

Sometimes I like to just sit here, people-watch, and listen to the sounds of the Fair. There are typically several beer vendors right next to Central Park if you want to relax and nurse a beverage while you do so, and the Dairy Building is also very close by.

Conclusion

I love, love love love the Ohio State Fair. Come on out and see it! 😄

Coffee and conversation at The Roosevelt Coffeehouse, located at Olentangy River Brewing.

They will also have a Venezuelan food truck that always gets good reviews.

We will meet next to the restrooms at the Big Meadows Picnic Area. They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates 40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W (near the playground and the zip line).

We'll hike about 5 miles at Highbanks Metro Park on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to Olentangy River Brewing for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday food truck is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews).

The actual address of the brewery is 303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035. If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon.

How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:

If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park).

Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.