I love the fair. It is one of my favorite outdoor events. The food. The people. The animals. Everything! Something about the fair in the summer just feels right. The two just go perfectly together. We are lucky to have a few fairs in close proximity to us. This week, we have The Franklin County Fair located in Hilliard. It isn’t a huge fair, but, I think it is just perfect for the kiddos. A kids tent, rides, baby animals, not a ton of walking and so much more! Here are the details on the fair + a few of our pictures from our visit today!
| Dates |
July 16 – July 23
| Hours |
Gates open at 9:00 a.m.
Rides open at 12:00 p.m.
Gates close at 10:00 p.m. on Weekdays
Gates close at 11:00 p.m. on Weekend
| Admission |
Daily Gate Admission $6.00 (under 2 years of age , free)
Season Pass $20.00 (good any and all days)
| Upcoming Days |
Wednesday July 20 – Safety Services
Thursday July 21 – Military Appreciation
Friday July 22 – City Slickers
Saturday July 23 – Celebration of Food
| Location |
The Franklin County Fairgrounds
5043 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard , Ohio
| Parking |
Parking is ALWAYS FREE! They have a few surrounding parking lots.
| Kids Tent |
| Zerbini Family Circus |
Disclosure: I am not a fan of the circus. I don’t agree with the way the animals are treated. Not saying this circus doesn’t take impeccable care of their animals, I’m just not a fan of the concept. We only stayed for this part of the show, so, I can not comment on how it is or what happens. However, the kiddos did love this part!
| Animals |
| Rides & Games |
You can do the rides two different ways. You can buy an unlimited ride wrist band for $15 or purchase tickets for $1 each. The kid rides were 3 tickets each and the adults were 4 tickets each. They had 8-10 different rides for the smaller kiddos.
| Historical Village |
Each day, they offer self-guided tours of Historical Village with docents inside the buildings from Noon – 8:00. We walked over before noon, but, it worked out perfectly. There was a great deal of shade + picnic tables. We still enjoyed looking at the outside of the buildings. Bonus: If you’re into the Pokemon thing, I saw a few kids running around searching for one in the area.
| Tips |
- They have TONS of bathrooms throughout the fair grounds. You won’t be far from one and they aren’t porta potties. They are real bathrooms.
- If you head back to the police area, you can get an identification card for your kiddos for free. It has their picture, weight, height, etc. on it.
- The rides do not open until noon, neither does the food, the kids tent or the historic village. If you plan on going early, remember that their won’t be much to do until then!
- If you just want to see the animals or walk around, then I do suggest going early. Their wasn’t a crowd until closer to noon. We were able to run free through the fairgrounds, which was nice.
- Get the fries. They’re the B E S T.
- If you’re feeling H O T, which we were, head back to the animals. They have H U G E fans you can quickly cool off in front of.
- If you want water or pop, get one from the 4-H trailer, located right outside the main animal barn. They are only $1 and it supports a good cause!
- BRING CASH. I am not sure where you can use your cards, except for a few of the pop-up shops in one of the buildings. They have a few ATM’s. Be prepared to pay a $3.50 fee!
HAVE FUN!!!
