173rd Wayne County Fair set for Sept. 10-15
The 173rd Wayne County Fair will officially open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, with a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Event Center. Rides run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Monday is Kids Day as Wayne County School students get the day off and a free ticket to the fair.
All the main attractions are back for the 173rd Wayne County Fair — rides, grandstand entertainment, concessions, animal exhibits, tractor pulls, a rodeo and a demolition derby — and a new one is making an appearance in the way of Disney princesses.
“But that’s not what makes the fair,” fair secretary Matt Martin said. “Our community makes the fair. That’s why our fair is special.”
Adults and youth in the community will account for 7,075 senior fair entries, 2,599 junior fair animals, 271 FFA shop projects and 562 still Family and Consumer Sciences and Cloverbud projects that will be displayed during the fair’s six-day run Sept. 10-15.
“We give the community a platform to showcase their best,” Martin said, “whether it’s their animals, produce, artwork,” or any of the departments where entries are made, along with commercial vendors.
Since the pandemic, fair entries — that once reached almost 12,000 in 2009 — and attendance have dropped but are slowly rebounding, according to Martin.
“Some people just haven’t been ready to re-engage in the fair,” he said.
The fair will officially open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, with a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Event Center. Rides run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Monday is Kids Day as Wayne County school students get the day off and a free ticket to the fair. The county’s high school bands will perform in the grandstand starting at 9 a.m.
Kids Day will extend to Tuesday, Martin said, because some students have that day off as well.
Rides open at 10 a.m. Monday and noon on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Stroller Day, only Kiddie Rides will open at 10 a.m. All rides will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Presale wristbands and passes for rides can be purchased at www.batesbros.com. Wristbands and tickets will also be on sale at the fair.
“If a family plans to ride a lot,” Martin said, the wristband “is a significant savings.”
For the young and young at heart, Disney princesses Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel and Moana will be in front of the Event Center from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, and Wednesday, Sept. 14. Each day, two of the princesses will take pictures with the children and sing songs with them, Martin said.
Military veterans get free admittance to the fair Tuesday, and Martin hopes to have a military vehicle display in place for that day as well as the rest of the fair on the north side of the fairgrounds near the car dealership displays. Anyone interested in providing a vehicle for the display should contact the fair office at 330-262-8001.
Veterans also will be honored Thursday with the presentation of Quilts of Valor as part of the Honoring Our Patriots’ Service program in the coliseum.
Senior citizens, age 65 and older, get free admittance on Wednesday.
Programs covering topics from gardening to grilling and health and wellness along with demonstrations on pottery and quilting are among free daily programs in the Grange Rotunda Monday through Thursday. The programs are hosted by OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences.
Grandstand entertainment kicks off Saturday, Sept. 10, with the Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association truck/tractor/semi pull at 7 p.m.
Draft and pony hitch classes will be in front of the grandstand starting at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, and the country band Lonestar will perform in front of the grandstand at 8 p.m.
Last year, the Christian band Crowder drew an audience that packed the grandstand, and Martin said the fair “is trying to replicate that again this year” with a performance by Christian artist Zach Williams at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12.
Country music singer Sara Evans is the grandstand entertainment at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13.
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Harness Racing with pari-mutuel wagering starts at noon. Mutton Busting is at 6 p.m. followed by the Buckeye Rodeo in front of the grandstand at 7 p.m.
Northern Ohio Outlaws and Cowboy Mounted Shooters will be in front of the grandstand from 12-2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, followed by the demolition derby at 7 p.m. to wrap up the fair.