8 new attractions and activities to experience at the Ohio State Fair
If you've ever longed to see the "Mona Lisa" re-created from multicolored, interlocking plastic bricks, or Rodin's "The Thinker" molded out of duct tape, the Ohio State Fair is where you might find those sorts of creations.
Brick and duct tape are two of several new divisions in the fair's creative arts competitions, joining numerous decidedly more traditional contests. Both offer two entrant categories — ages 11 to 17, and 18 and older — and can be seen daily in Kasich Hall B.
An assortment of attractions and activities will make their debut at the fair, which runs Wednesday through Aug. 6 at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave. Plenty of first-time performers are on deck, a ferocious fish makes a big splash, and fair organizers have joined forces with the Ohio History Connection to give visitors more bang for their bucks.
Here are eight opportunities for entertainment, education and enjoyment that are new to the fair this year.
1. Entertainment Alley
Located near the flea market (formerly known as the Antiques and Collectibles Pavilion), this area is geared primarily toward first-time fair performers offering several shows. Entertainers will include The Major League Circus Show (July 26-31), a tribute to baseball mixing acrobatics, juggling and circus stunts; The Farmers Daughter Show (July 26-31), with the homegrown humor of Molly Keczan as she performs farm-tastic gymnastics, rope tricks, her udderly amazing milk bottle walk and more; and The Barrel O' Fun Magic Show (Aug. 1-6), a laugh-a-minute presentation of prestidigitation by magicians Charles Chesterfield and Delilah Davenport.
2. The Reflector & Sparkle
Imagine a pair of human-shaped disco balls and you'll have a good idea of what The Reflector & Sparkle look like as they stroll the fairgrounds. With more than 6,000 mirrors between the two of their costumes, the duo captures a lot of attention, whether interacting with intrigued guests or dancing to the music at various events. They also have toured regularly with Vanilla Ice.
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3. Visit the Ohio History Center, Ohio Village
The fair's partnership with Ohio History Connection will give fairgoers the chance to visit the Ohio History Center and Ohio Village for free with an Ohio State Fair admission ticket. The Cardinal Gate entrance north of Main Street will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hop on the shuttle just outside of Kasich Hall to ride to the Center or Village from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Programs include screenings of "The Green Book: Guide to Freedom" at 2 p.m. each day. Viewers will learn about the history of the Green Book, an important guide for Black people living and traveling in the U.S. before the civil rights era.
Grab a daily schedule or download the Ohio State Fair app from the Apple Store or Google Play for a list of events at Ohio Village and Ohio History Connection.
4. The Strong & Amazing Show
Born in Ohio and raised on a dairy farm, Laura Jaye will debut her aerial stunt show at the fair. With more than 13 years of experience, she has honed her skills as a circus straps artist and dance trapezist, as well as in other areas.
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5. More free live music
Between the AARP Ohio Gazebo Stage and the Main Street Stage, there will be about 25 free musical performances, most of them by newcomers to the Ohio State Fair.
Numerous newbies hail from Columbus including the almost-70-member NACHO Street Band made up of Nationwide Children's Hospital staff, families and friends working to raise awareness and funds for the hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. Believing that music is medicine, the group will play the Main Street Stage at 2 p.m. July 30, offering a repertoire of classic and pop hits, New Orleans jazz, funk and even cartoon tunes.
Out-of-state entertainers will include Nashville up-and-comers Cole Ritter & The Night Owls, who will perform at 5 and 7:30 p.m. July 28 on the Main Street Stage. Some might recognize Ritter from Season 20 of "American Idol." In addition, he and his band won Belmont's University's “Country Showcase” in 2020.
Performance times and details about other live acts are at ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/free-live-music.
6. 'The Dunk'
The Natural Resources Park's newest resident will be on hand — or rather, on fin — for fairgoers to meet while visiting the Geological Walk Through Time exhibit. A life-size sculpture of Dunkleosteus terrelli — "the Dunk" for short — shows the powerful prehistoric predator that was named Ohio's state fossil fish in late 2020. The armored, large-jawed fish lived in the seas covering portions of Ohio during the late Devonian period, about 359 to 382 million years ago.
7. NASA's 'Journey to Tomorrow' traveling exhibit
Visitors can step inside a 53-foot trailer that's been transformed into a hands-on, interactive learning environment. They'll have the chance to explore at workstations and computer kiosks, learn about NASA's technology, test their knowledge about science, see a real-life moon rock brought to Earth by the Apollo 17 crew and participate in other activities.
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8. Lausche Youth Exploration Space passport program
The Lausche Youth Exploration Space presented by Intel isn't a new fair attraction, but what's inside certainly is. A passport program allows young space cadets to do fun activities as they move from booth to booth, collecting passport stamps along the way. Before leaving the building, they can turn in their passports to get a prize. The Youth Exploration Space will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., except on Aug. 6, when it will close at 6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 8 new things to do at the 2023 Ohio State Fair
