The Ohio State Fair is a Fairly Good Time
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
The Ohio State Fair is the perfect combination of tradition, trends, education, and entertainment. Keeping roots in its 1850 agricultural beginnings, the 2022 junior and open livestock shows attracted 25,000 total entries, and the fair reached record-breaking heights for its 2022 Sale of Champions.
Agricultural Achievements
Consisting of Youth Reserve Program prize-winning livestock, the Sale of Champions auction provides premiums to outstanding marketing exhibitors, FFA, 4-H, and other winning youth exhibitors while funding the program’s scholarships. The 2022 sale was one for the books, as the grand champion steer named Cruiser nearly doubled the previous sale record in that category when S&S Volvo bought Cruiser for $225,000.
See more: Best in Show at Ohio Fairs
“It broke every single record, with a full auction total of $676,500,” says Alicia Shoults, assistant general manager of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair. “The previous record was $85,000 in 2011. This sale shattered that record by $140,000.”
Botkins High School 4-H’er Ryleigh Egbert, Cruiser’s owner and showman, gets $22,000, which will be set aside for her college tuition. The remaining $203,000 goes to the Youth Reserve Program.
Egbert knew Cruiser was a winner and dedicated their achievement to her grandfather’s memory.
“My grandpa knew winning the Ohio State Fair was my dream,” she says. “I told him before he passed that Cruiser was something special. So all the times I didn’t want to go to the barn, I thought about what my grandpa would want me to do.”
Over in the poultry barn, Zane Ortman won 2022 Champion and Reserve Champion Breeding Turkey. The Ohio State University student and graduate of New Lexington High School began showing livestock in 2013. His 2022 fair experience netted him a $1,000 Governor’s Scholarship in addition to his fair prizes and memories.
“It’s an excellent opportunity for anyone new or experienced,” Ortman says. “This year, I walked away with about $600 pocket money but more memories than I can count.”
Fun for All
In addition to livestock shows and sales, agricultural offerings at the fair include traditional agriculture displays like crops, flowers, and hay but find new and different exhibits like Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Land and Living. Fairgoers can experience the hands-on exhibit to learn more about agriculture, science, technology, and where their food comes from. The fair also partnered with commodity groups to create Little Farmers, a hands-on ag education area offering farm simulations for children.
“More exhibits like these can complement one another and lead to fairgoers exploring the barns and learning the impact of Ohio’s largest industry,” Shoults says.
Little Farmers joins the list of recurring traditions for the 2023 Fair, which is slated for July 26 to Aug. 6, 2023.
“Many fairgoers’ favorite traditions are free, and planners intend to expand comfort and accessibility,” says fair general manager Virgil Strickler.
Quality, safety, and family-friendly fun remain constant goals.
“We aim to create an event that honors agricultural heritage, provides entertainment, and celebrates our great state of Ohio,” Strickler says.
See more: Ohio State Fair Butter Cow Promotes Dairy Industry
Since 1903, one tradition that accomplishes all that is the American Dairy Association Mideast cow, calf, and surprise-themed butter sculpture.
A more recent tradition is the Fair’s Butters D. Cow free-range mascot, who makes an appearance at some scheduled events like the parade and opening ceremony, but otherwise roams the fairgrounds for photo opportunities to delight children and adults alike.
For more information, visit the Fair’s website at ohiostatefair.com.
