Miami County Fair returns August 14-20

The Miami County Fair will run from Friday, Aug. 14 through Thursday, Aug, 20, and with a special concert and extra activities planned throughout the week, organizers say this year’s fair is expected to be even bigger and better than usual.

“There’s quite a bit going on this year,” Miami County Fair Office Assistant Patty Gostomsky said. “It’s similar to other years, but bigger.”

“The theme for this year’s fair is Cultivating Community and Harvesting Memories,” she said. “We will have a lot of different things in it this year; we’ve got a lot of different displays out, and there’s more equipment this year.”

The fair will open on Friday, Aug. 14, and special events will kick-off that night with the annual Livestock Scramble, followed by tractor pulls on Saturday, Aug. 15. Special events will continue on Sunday with a cornhole tournament and Wiener Dog and Corgi races, and a special concert in the grandstands featuring country artists Emily Ann Roberts and Ian Harrison.

A finalist on NBC’s “The Voice,” Roberts has since amassed more than a million streams and has also performed with a long list of country music stars. The concert’s opening act will be Delaware, Ohio native Ian Harrison, a solo artist known for blending country, folk and alternative influences.

Tractor pulls will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday Worship & Gospelfest will be held on Sunday, Aug. 16. Monday, Aug. 17 will be Kids Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring special activities including face painting, crafts, bounce houses, educational programs, safety vehicles, a straw maze, and a bike giveaway.

“Monday is Kids’ Day; they have all kinds of activities,” Gostomsky said. “We have tractor pulls on Saturday night at the grandstands, then we have Sunday worship and Gospelfest in the entertainment tent on Sunday, all day.”

Harness races will be held on Monday, Aug. 17 and Tuesday, Aug. 18, and a Veterans’ Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19. KOI Drag Racing will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and the fair will close with a Demolition Derby and fireworks show on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Rides will be provided by Jessup Rides, Gostomsky said, and will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14. From Saturday, Aug. 15 through Monday, Aug. 17, rides will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., they shut down the rides for a little bit,” Gostomsky said.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20, rides are open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“It’s tickets-only from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. is a wristband,” she said.

Merchandise and food vendors will also be available, serving a wide variety of festival fare.

“There’s around 50 vendors,” Gostomsky said. “It’s quite a variety.”