By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Wood County Fair Board President Paul Perry didn’t grow up around 4-H, raising and showing animals, or even regularly attending the fair.
He’s gone from an occasional fairgoer to an absolute Wood County Fair fanatic who believes in the importance of the fair to the community. And he’s not afraid to say, “The Wood County Fair has something for everybody.”
Many people have the idea that the fair is only for farm kids and families, Perry said. There is so much more than cows, pigs, horses and sheep.
“If you like art, we have art. If you like flowers, we have flowers. And yes, we’ve got animals, but we also have entertainment, a carnival feel with rides and fun,” he said.
The Junior Fair Building, Fine Arts Building, and Home and Garden Building are all full of entries from all ages, all walks of life, and in categories that are not agriculture-specific.
“Our open class entry numbers are through the roof this year,” he said. From photography, artwork, collections and models to needlework, baked and canned goods, and floral arrangements, the entries display a full spectrum of interests for fairgoers to view.
Always a draw for fairgoers are the concessions and vendors from businesses and community organizations who participate because they know the value of being part of the fair. The concessions and commercial vendor spots are full, including some new food vendors coming in.
Perry and Laura Westgate, fair manager, reviewed all the Wood County Health Department reports on food trucks to make sure all food vendors were meeting the sanitary requirements, he said.
“This year, we’ve put a big push on cleaning up the grounds and making it more of that family feel,” Perry added.
The main entrance area has been reconfigured, and the ride company adjusted its layout “to make it more that family feel when you walk in,” Perry said. “We want everyone to feel welcome when they come to the fair.”
One of the changes this year was made in response to a concern voiced the last few years by the Bowling Green organization Not In Our Town. The group reported some members of the community did not feel safe or welcome at the fair because of vendors that openly displayed and sold controversial merchandise such as Confederate flags.
In 2023, the fair board affirmed a policy that vendors could not display that kind of merchandise. This year, they did not invite vendors that sell those items.
“It’s not that I’m against vendors coming in and selling shirts and stuff,” he said. They made the changes because “the people spoke to us about not feeling welcome, and we don’t want that at our fair,” Perry said. “I want our fair to be clean, fun and friendly environment to be in. We will work together to make that happen.”
The fair traditionally has been a place to meet up with friends, make new friends, see people that you haven’t seen in a long time. “The fair is all about reunions and building traditions and legacies that last a lifetime,” he said.
The $8 gate admission this year for those 10 years and up was reduced from $10 with the goal of trying to make it more affordable for families but still being able to cover costs for the fair expenses.
Difficulty with fair concerts
Perry loves concerts, but he admits Wood County has a hard time being able to consistently offer a musical concert for the fair.
“It costs at least $150,000 to do even a bare bones concert,” he said. “We’ve tried and tried over the years. I’m not saying that we won’t ever have a concert again, but northwest Ohio is pretty inundated with concerts. Between Huntington Center, Centennial Terrace, downtown, and the Toledo Rib-off, there’s concerts everywhere now.”
Some fairs have very successful concerts thanks to large corporate sponsors, but Wood County Fair sponsors support the fair in many other ways; there is no single corporate sponsor to host a concert.
Admittedly, Perry said last year’s Roots and Boots Tour concert by did not make the fair any money.
The cost for putting on a concert goes beyond paying the performers/group. There are often special requests by the artists (two pounds of red M&Ms), renting the sound and lighting equipment and other miscellaneous charges that add up. The year the Beach Boys were here, Perry said the fair had to rent all the musical instruments because the performers didn’t bring their own.
“I would love to see a concert here every year, but it’s just very difficult in the economic times and where it takes a gamble,” he said.
Wood County Fair Board’s solution is to change up the entertainment offerings, “so we’re not getting stagnant on just one thing,” he said.
This year, the grandstand entertainment includes KOI Drag Racing on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (free grandstand, $10 for pit party that starts at 3 p.m.), and a Monster Truck Show on Friday at 7 p.m. ($10 entrance fee with a pit party at 6 p.m.). The Demolition Derby ($5 grandstand and $10 pit pass), because of its popularity, is one of the few constants for the grandstand entertainment. This year, the derby holds the final fair night spot on Sunday, Aug. 3, but with an earlier time slot, starting at 5 p.m.
Additional grandstand entertainment includes harness racing on Sunday at noon and Monday at 5 p.m., the opening evening events on Sunday starting at 5:45 p.m., cheerleading competition on Wednesday at 6 p.m., The Scramble at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and the fair tractor and truck pull on Saturday at 6 p.m. (free grandstand, and $10 pit pass).
Let Your Abilities Shine Day on July 31
One of Perry’s favorite days of the week is Thursday, when the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities sponsors Let Your Abilities Shine Day.
Now in its second year, Let Your Abilities Shine from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., offers individuals served by any county board of developmental disabilities a unique opportunity to enjoy the fair in a way that is welcoming, accessible, and fun. This event includes a variety of inclusive and sensory-friendly activities designed to engage and celebrate all participants.
The activities end with the third annual Ring of Dreams Livestock Show, which provides individuals with developmental disabilities an opportunity to show an animal during the fair with the help of a junior fair mentor.
This year’s show starts at 5 p.m. in the Pavilion Show Arena.
Fair partnership with tractor pullers
The Wood County Agricultural Society is thrilled to announce the much-anticipated ribbon cutting and opening ceremony for the annual Wood County Fair, scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 27.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the grandstands after the Post Everlasting ceremony at 5:45 p.m. and the Firefighters’ Years of Service recognition at 6:30 p.m.
The evening events mark the official opening of the fair.
“We are excited to kick off the Wood County Fair and invite everyone to join us in celebrating our community,” Perry said.
The significance of the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting captures the spirit of the fair.
Local dignitaries, community leaders, and fair participants will be present to celebrate this special occasion. The Northwestern Ohio Tractor Pullers Association, promoters of the National Tractor Pulling Championships, will join the fair board to unveil the new Winner’s Circle in front of the grandstand. The Junior Fair Parade and crowning of the Junior Fair King and Queen will follow.
Family fun on the grounds
Many of the activities and events during the fair were planned with a focus to encourage families to visit the fair, said Fair Board Director Jessica Nagel.
The Shark and Stingray Encounter returns to the fair with the addition of a sea lion act. The shows will start on Wednesday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 3, in the area just south of the grandstand. There will also be a petting zoo.
The Chainsaw Carvers and Axe Throwing (for 10-year-olds and older) will have daily times as well.
On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2, from noon to 8 p.m., there will be an interactive Lego exhibit in the Fine Arts Building. There will be giant Legos and regular-sized Legos for visitors to build and create with. There will also be a photo station and a throne made of Legos, Nagel said.
Story time and craft activites are also planned in the Fine Arts Building at 2 p.m. Monday, July 28, through Friday, Aug. 1.
Sheriff Stretch will have shows in the Free Tent, but he will also be traveling the fairgrounds making balloon creations. The Ovation Circus of hula hoop’ers, stilt walkers and living statues is also slated to be on the grounds at various times during the fair.
Community supports the fair
The Wood County Fair recognizes the community support over the years has been phenomenal, according to Perry.
“We do our best to take every donation and gift in kind and make sure you’re recognized for that donation,” he said. Many of the donors share their support for the youth involved in junior fair activities in the barns and other buildings.
Perry also champions the junior fair members who put in blood, sweat, and maybe a few tears behind the scenes to make sure all the details are handled before animals arrive on the grounds and before the public arrives to enjoy the fair.
“I like to say, this is the Super Bowl for many of those kids,” he said. “Many of them don’t play sports or get involved in other activities because they’re dedicated to their animals and their livestock, which is phenomenal.”
Many of the youth are doing good things at the fair, in 4-H, FFA and beyond, he added.
Fair schedule online
The Wood County Fair posts the daily fair schedule on its Facebook account. The BG Independent News will also post a daily schedule on the website and Facebook page. For more information about the fair and other fairgrounds events, visit the Wood County Fair website at woodcounty-fair.com or the fair’s social media.
