The 2026 Ohio State Fair is officially in the books, and Ohioans showed up hungry, thirsty and ready to ride.
The fair welcomed 1,025,190 visitors during its run, setting a new all-time attendance record. That’s up 5.8% from 2025 and tops the previous record of 1,006,228 set in 2023.
Fairgoers also set records with their wallets.
Concession sales topped $9.2 million, a 12.6% jump from last year, while rides and games on the Midway brought in more than $3.3 million, up 8.4%.
And then there’s the food.
According to the State Fair, visitors purchased 93,677 lemonades, 62,116 orders of fries and 46,631 foods on a stick. Nearly 30,000 corn dogs were eaten, along with 18,940 funnel cakes, 9,949 cream puffs and 9,273 turkey legs.
One number that may deserve its own blue ribbon: 36,747 deviled eggs.
Beyond the food, approximately 80,000 people rode the SkyGlider, while another 26,000 took a spin on the new Ohio Children’s Carousel. Nearly 100,000 people visited the new imAGine Ag exhibit.
The fair also drew exhibitors or participants from all 88 Ohio counties, while ticket buyers came from all 50 states and 23 countries.
If you’re already thinking about next summer, the 2027 Ohio State Fair runs July 28 – Aug. 8.
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