The Ohio State Fair runs July 29 to Aug. 9 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, and it’s one of the easier day trips you can pull off with kids in tow. Eleven days, free parking, and enough to do that you won’t run out of things before the kids do.
Family-Friendly Attractions
- Kiddieland: Built for younger fairgoers, Kiddieland has nearly 30 rides, including mini-coasters, a kiddie carousel, a petting zoo, and a 65-foot Ferris wheel.
- Natural Resources Park: This free 8-acre park, maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, has fishing for kids, kayaking, archery, a butterfly house, native wildlife displays, and a geological walkway. The outdoor amphitheater hosts free music and a lumberjack show throughout the day. Stop by the accessible playground and check out The Dunk, Ohio’s official State Fossil Fish.
- Lausche Youth Exploration Space: This year’s theme is space, with a focus on aerospace and aviation. You’ll find 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, OSU Physics, COSI exhibits, and a Rocket and Space Zone alongside the Tiny Town play area and a family fun area with giant board games and a library reading nook. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Tiny Town: Inside the Youth Exploration Space, Tiny Town has playhouses, Cozy Coupes, and play gas pumps. A solid spot to let small kids run while you sit for a minute.
- The Barnyard: Free petting zoo and pig races. Check the daily schedule for showtimes.
- Ohio Agriculture Center: Brand new this year, this hands-on exhibit lets kids battle weeds with drones, simulate driving a combine, and learn where food comes from. The Taste of Ohio Cafe inside serves fresh pork, beef, poultry, dairy, lamb, and more from real Ohio farmers. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Ohio Showcase Building: Also new in 2026, this building features a 360-degree film on Ohio’s history, four immersive exhibit sections, a life-size replica Wright Flyer, and a food hall with local chefs and Ohio favorites. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Department of Children & Youth Kid’s Passport: Pick up a passport at any participating state agency booth, collect stamps as you go, and submit the completed passport for a chance to win a prize.
Arts and Education
- Youth Arts Exhibition: Ohio kids ages 5 to 18 show work spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. Worth a walk-through.
- Creative Arts Competitions: Sewing, fashion, jewelry, needlework, cooking, and baking competitions are open to watch or enter.
- Monster Mural: Kids add to a giant Fair mural each day.
Special Days and Discounts
A few days are worth planning around:
- Opening Day (Wednesday, July 29): Live broadcasts at the Gazebo Stage with ABC6 and FOX28 anchors. Stop by the Pepsi tent at the Cardinal Gate between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Sensory Friendly Morning (Thursday, July 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.): Lights and volume are dialed down across the fair in partnership with OCALI. Rides run without flashing lights or music, quiet rooms are available, and sensory guides are posted. Full fair hours otherwise apply.
- WOSU Kids Day (Thursday, July 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.): PBS KIDS characters in Central Park with activity stations and photo ops.
- $3 Thursdays (July 30 and Aug. 6): Vendors offer a select menu item at $3. Good way to try fair food without committing to a $15 funnel cake.
- Veterans & Military Day (Sunday, Aug. 2): Free admission for veterans and active military with appropriate ID, any day of the fair.
- NBC4 Family Discount Day (Monday, Aug. 3): Adults pay the kids’ admission price of $10, and kids 12 and under get in free all day. Discounted ride-all-day wristbands available until 5 p.m.
- Senior Day (Tuesday, Aug. 4): Free admission for guests 60 and up.
- College Student Day (Thursday, Aug. 6): $10 admission with a valid student ID.
- Telhio and Ronald McDonald House Charities Day (Friday, Aug. 7): Bring a wish list item (canned chicken, tuna, or vegetables; pasta; salad dressing; BBQ sauce; or paper towels) to a booth outside the admission gates before 6 p.m. and receive a buy-one-get-one-free admission voucher.
Entertainment Highlights
The paid concert series at the WCOL Celeste Center includes tickets with fair admission when purchased in advance. Family-friendly options this year:
- Be Like Blippi Tour (Thursday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m.): If you have a preschooler, you already know.
- “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour with special guest Puddles Pity Party (Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m.): Works for just about every age.
- All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir: Free performances throughout the fair. Check the daily schedule at ohiostatefair.com for times.
The full concert lineup also includes Styx with Don Felder (July 29), Alison Krauss & Union Station (Aug. 1), for KING + COUNTRY (Aug. 3), Nelly (Aug. 4), Bailey Zimmerman (Aug. 7), and Gin Blossoms/Blues Traveler (Aug. 8). Tickets at ticketmaster.com/ohiostatefair.
Planning Your Visit
- Dates: July 29 to Aug. 9, 2026
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., except Sunday, Aug. 9, when admission gates close at 6 p.m. Admission gates open daily at 7 a.m., but most vendors and buildings don’t open until 10 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends.
- Admission: Adults (ages 13-59), $13 at the gate. Youth (ages 6-12), $10. Seniors (60 and up), $10. Children 5 and under, free. Veterans, active military, and first responders with ID, free. Advance tickets are $9 per day through July 28, or $24 for a three-day pass. Buy at ohiostatefair.com.
- Rides: Ride-all-day wristbands are $38 at the gate or $33 in advance through July 28.
- Parking: $10 per vehicle. Free park-and-ride shuttles are available from nearby lots each day of the fair.
- Address: Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds, 717 East 17th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43211. Phone: 888-646-3976.
- Accommodations: Hotel discounts and RV camping information are available on the fair’s website.
