Thu 9/3-Mon 9/7
I actually learned this week that the Great Geauga County Fair, which takes place over the Labor Day weekend, is not the only county fair in Ohio to official use the word “great” in its name. So does Darke County in west central Ohio along the Indiana border, although it has half the population of Geauga County so I guess Geauga wins! In addition, the GREAT Geauga County fair is the state’s oldest continuous county fair, founded in 1823. Darke County’s started 30 years later.
So what do you get from such a big fair (and it is big) as the one at the Burton Fairgrounds Geauga County? It’s a little shorter than most county fairs, which typically run 6-7 days. But they packed a lot into five says including two — yes, TWO — demolition derbies, one to kick things off on Thursday, the other on Saturday. Other major grandstand events include Sunday truck and tractor pulls and the High Steel Rodeo on Monday.
Among other things there are nearly two dozen rides, barns full of animals, so much fair food we couldn’t make up our minds and went out for Indian food afterward. The are numerous strolling attractions such as Alford E. Gator and his Tiny Swamp House and the B&B Magic Show. The Natural Resources Area, open each day from 11am-7pm, will feature youth fishing and archery, talks by the National Wildlife Turkey Association and Holden Arboretum foresters, cooking demonstrations, and talks on Native Plants and Rain Gardens, monarch butterflies, and maple syrup, among other things. At the Heritage Village, you can see demonstrations of glass blowing, blacksmithing, basket making and more.
If you want to find a full schedule and get your tickets in advance (advisable for the demolition derbies) go HERE.