By Michael Huson, The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS – From gator on a stick to bacon-wrapped shrimp and beef kabobs, a feast of newly featured culinary creations will await visitors as the Ohio State Fair returns for its 163rd year Wednesday.
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Fair admission gates will swing open at 9 a.m., kicking off the 12-day event. Admission is $10 for fair-goers ages 13 to 59 and $8 for ages 5 to 12 and 60 or older. Admission for children younger than 5 is free.
Attendance to the fair, held through Aug. 7 at the Ohio Expo Center, has been on the rise for the past five years, with attendance last year reaching 982,305, something General Manager Virgil Strickler cites, in part, to the opportunity to always see something new and unexpected.
“There’s so many things that bring families back,” Strickler said. “It’s tradition. They say, ‘We have to go to the fair.’ Then, when their families grow up, they bring their kids.”
But all the fair’s traditions still leave room for experiments, as long as fair-goers leave some room for edibles.
New treats, such as jumbo-stuffed crab tater tots and gator sandwiches will be introduced to fair-goers this year. They’ll be served alongside several newly introduced bacon-bound treats, including Mickey Shanks’ bacon-wrapped, deep-fried Oreos.