Columbus Confession:  I have not been to the Ohio State Fair in at least 25 years.   Something about the crowds, the questionable food and the heat have kept me away.  However, I bit the bullet and spent a few hours at the fairgrounds this afternoon and I have to admit I had a lot of fun.  What’s more, my little man had a great time, too.

The fair runs through August 8, so there is plenty of time to get out there and enjoy this annual summer event.  Now that I’ve been won over by the fair, I think everyone should attend.  Go, not so much for the rides, but for the displays.  Ohio, being a Midwestern state, has such an interesting agricultural story to tell and the Fair is an important part of that.  We saw a calf auction, a display of chicks emerging from eggs, row after row of prize winning poultry, heirloom tomatoes, and a corn rock-climbing wall.  It was all bizarre and fabulous and that was before we even got to the cow made out of butter.

If you go:

• Check the schedule for special events throughout the day.  There are some strange and fascinating activities and shows planned.
• Buy your tickets in advance at Kroger.  It will save you $4 each on adult tickets.
• Make a one treat per person rule.  In this land of  gluttony, it could seem perfectly reasonable to follow a fried Twinkie with an ice cream sundae chaser.  It’s not.