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No Traditional Ohio State Fair Again This Year

Cardinal holds Buckeye sign at Ohio State Fair
Jo Ingles
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Cardinal holds a Buckeye sign at a previous year's Ohio State Fair. The Ohio Expositions Commission has decided not to have the full-scale version of the fair again this summer because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

If you've had a hankering for the deep-fried doughnut hamburger you weren't able to get on the Ohio State Fair midway last year, you will have to wait a little longer.

The Ohio Expositions Commission says members are concerned about public health and don’t know what the COVID-19 situation will look like in late July.

"I wish we had a crystal ball but we don't," said General Manager Virgil Strickler.

The commission says the uncertainties make it impossible to plan that sort of a large-scale entertainment event.

butter cow and Brutus at Ohio State Fair
Jo Ingles
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Sculptures made of butter, including The Ohio State University's athletics mascot Brutus Buckeye and this cow, will have to wait to be showcased at another Ohio State Fair in the future.

The board says it’s especially challenging when you consider added safety protocols like reduced indoor seating capacities. The board felt holding a fair with high overhead costs and lower revenue could be devastating.

But while the rides, midway, and shows won’t take place, 4H students and other agricultural groups will be able to exhibit their products and compete for prizes. The full fair is expected to return next summer.
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles
Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.