Ohio State Fair attendance highest in 7 years

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio State Fair officials say attendance was up 2.5 percent from last year, despite heat advisories and heavy rain on two of the evenings.

Fair organizers say in a news release that more than 833,000 people went through the gates over the 12-day run of the fair, which ended Sunday. The attendance was the highest since 2004.

The fair says this year’s visitor numbers were bolstered by a couple of big concerts and the reintroduction of nightly fireworks.

Next year’s fair is scheduled for July 25-Aug. 5 at the fairgrounds in Columbus.