The first full Ohio State Fair since 2019 saw fewer visitors than at that event three years ago, but it set records in two important areas.
This year's fair had 886,473 people in attendance, that's a 5% decrease from the last full fair in 2019, when 934,925 attended. But Virgil Strickler, fair general manager, said in a statement that, over the fair’s 12-day run, concession revenue set a record, and that the Sale of Champions brought in an all-time high of more than $676,000.
“Fairs are very weather dependent, and with a few days of rain, it is not surprising that we saw smaller crowds those days. On days with good weather, we saw higher attendance than 2019,” Strickler said in the statement.
Fair attendance has been over 812,000 since 2010, hitting a record in 2015:
- 2019: 934,925
- 2018: 908,306
- 2017: 801,031
- 2016: 921,214
- 2015: 982,305
- 2014: 916,724
- 2013: 903,824
- 2012: 840,306
- 2011: 833,304
- 2010: 812,237
Nearly 54,000 people bought tickets for the 10 concerts offered during the fair. And the fair reports it got visitors from all 50 states and Canada.
Security was increased because, this year, attendees could be armed under the state’s new permitless concealed carry law, but no incidents were reported.
The fair ended on August 7.
The 2020 fair was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year’s fair was limited to just exhibitors.
