It's fair time! The 176th Ashtabula County Fair starts Tuesday
Aug. 6—JEFFERSON — Six days of fair fun, food, contests and shows start Tuesday at the Ashtabula County fairgrounds.
It's the 176th Ashtabula County Fair and organizers promise it will be packed with more shows, food, music, exhibits, animals and contests than ever before.
Back by popular demand is the Friday night country music concert. Tyler Farr will delight concert goers with his hits, "Redneck Crazy," "Suffer in Peace," and "A Guy Walks into a Bar," which placed at No. 1 on the country charts in 2015. Tickets are $20 for grandstand seating and $25 for standing room only on the track in front of the stage.
On Thursday night, Ted Riser, the celebrated Ohio-based singer, musician, and songwriter who boasts a unique blend of Southern rock, country, and blues will perform for free. Riser is famous for his rollicking, frolicking, fun music video, "Don't leave your beer in the sun."
While the fair offers the agricultural community a chance to showcase its best animals, goods and talents, there also will be two demolition derbies, two days of harness racing, as well as modified tractor and truck pulls, a motorcycle circus and lots of carnival rides and games of chance, courtesy of Lisko Amusements.
Fair-goers will find a new cement floor and stalls in the steer/feeder/sheep barn, a new pole barn by the race horse barns and new landscaping in front of the Expo Building.
After successfully adding a second day of harness racing four years ago, the fair board decided to go with it again.
"Every year, we have more and more people come out for the races, said Sue Stockwell, fair board member and race secretary. "We'll have harness racing Thursday and Friday, post time 11:30 a.m., along with pari-mutuel wagering."
Other fair attractions will include a frog jump, a 4-H fashion show, contests for children, horse shows, barnyard Olympics, a historical log cabin and hundreds of 4-H animal projects — horses, miniature horses, rabbits, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, pigs, steers, dairy cows and more.
A market livestock sale will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in front of the grandstands where hundreds of bidders are expected to buy the market animal projects.
Free shows this year include Max Power — a 9-feet tall robotic entertainer, a tiger encounter, a comedy and magic show, as well as a variety of balloon creations for kids of all ages — all happening three times daily.
The Barnard Entertainment Pavilion Stage on the back midway will play host to local bands on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Members of the Ashtabula County Holstein Club will serve the club's signature milkshakes, ice cream and cheese sandwiches.
Members of the Plymouth Grange will offer burgers, hot dogs and pie, while the Jefferson Grange will serve up its famous roast beef, gravy and mashed potatoes dinners, plus hamburgers, fish sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade pies and more. Both granges will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Fresh made lemonade, doughnuts, steak on a stick, French Fries, pizza, peanuts, popcorn, candy apples, waffles, barbecue chicken, hamburgers and lots more will be on sale from vendors.
Regular admission is $10, children ages 4 and younger get in free every day. Rides by Lisko Amusements are free with the daily $10 admission ticket. Live pony rides cost extra.
With any passes or special admissions, a wristband is needed to ride the rides and are $7.
The rides will be open 1-5 p.m. and 6-11 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6-11 p.m. Wednesday; 1-5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Sunday.
Senior citizens, ages 62 and older, get in for $1 on Friday.
Veterans get in free on Thursday with proper identification.
On Family Day (Wednesday) children ages 14 and younger get in free all day, but must buy an all-day ride pass for $7 to ride any rides.
For more information, visit ashtabulafair.com or call 440-576-7626.