The 2026 Ohio State Fair is taking place from July 29 to Aug. 9, and will feature all of your favorites including the SkyGlider, concerts and deep fried food.
Speaking of food, the brand new Ohio Agriculture Center will open for this year's fair.
Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, spoke with WOSU's Stu Osbourne to reveal details about the new building.
Stu Osborne: This building actually combines two long-time buildings into one space, is that right?
Brian Baldridge: It absolutely does. The Taste of Ohio Cafe and the Agriculture and Horticulture buildings. It's bringing everything into one building, telling the agricultural story here in Ohio.
Stu Osborne: What kinds of features will this new building have? I mean, I remember going to the fair and the Taste of Ohio. They just have the live cooking demonstrations and things like that. Can Fargo's expect that too?
Brian Baldridge: We've got pork, poultry, beef, lamb out there. And, of course, those savory sweets or those deviled eggs. So, that's kind of The Taste Of Ohio, and then you shift over to the Ohio Proud Showcase is where the Ohio Department of Agriculture, we're kind of telling our story, everything we do to support agriculture. And then we've got cooking demonstrations in our area that our commodity friends and partners are out there cooking up things.
And I've got to give a shout out. WOSU's Kate's Quick Bites are going to be out there on July 30 at 4 p.m. showcasing strawberry coffee cake.
Then you go into the back space [featuring] 100,000 square feet to tell the Ohio agricultural story, where we've been, where we are now and where we're going in the future. And it's interactive for all ages.
Stu Osborne: There are a lot of extra amenities, so it kind of makes this building marketable, not just during that time during the fair. What kinds of things can people come and do other times of the year?
Brian Baldridge: I'm fortunate to set on, with some great colleagues, on the expo commission board and we've got a great executive director, Adam Heffron. There's about 250 days of different events throughout the year, whether it's Quarter Horse Congress, Goodguys Car Show, all kinds of different [events].
There's dairy shows, cattle shows, all these great events. So, I encourage people to think about the state fair and make sure you come out to the state fair, but also go on that website for the Ohio Expo Commission and see all the great events that all of us here in central Ohio can go enjoy right there at the fairgrounds.
Stu Osborne: What are some of the features of this other building? I think I read that there are basketball courts and a lot of athletic-type things like that.
Brian Baldridge: Sixteen basketball courts can be in this new Ohio Agricultural Center. So, it is truly a multi-use facility. Barrett-Jackson just had their big car auction. That building, the agricultural building was not open at that event, but it will be next year when they come. It's just going to be used for those different events. So it's a great addition to the Expo Center.
Stu Osborne: I do have to ask, what is your favorite part of the building?
Brian Baldridge: Well, you know, I've got to lean in on the Ohio Department of Agriculture telling the Ohio Department of Agricultural story and what we do to support a great industry. We support our commodity partners, we support the industry and those farmers and producers all across our state.
I want everybody to stop by the Ohio showcase, you know that section, the Ohio Proud showcase area, so we can tell the ag story. But I love the food, you know, I'm a deviled egg guy, so I might I get in trouble with my commodity partners, but I like those deviled eggs.
Stu Osborne: I know we've kind of revealed what some of the new flavors are this year. Have you had a chance to sample any of those yet?
Brian Baldridge: I have not. I don't even get any secrets to what it's gonna be. And that could be on the deviled eggs, or it could be on the butter cow sculpture in the dairy building. I've tried to get a little insight, nothing. So, I'm excited like everybody else is to see what those things are.
The 2026 Ohio State Fair runs July 29 through Aug. 9 at the Ohio Expo Center.
