Fairs
Every summer, Ohio hosts 94 county and independent fairs, including the Ohio State Fair. In addition to setting and approving the dates for the independent and county fairs, the department is responsible for helping to assure the safety of fair amusement rides, monitoring livestock shows to help assure honest competition and coordinating animal health efforts with local veterinarians.
Ohio Fairs Map
Click on the interactive map below to view fair details.
Ohio Fairs Schedule
Ohioans can start planning visits to all of their favorite fairs across the state. The Paulding County Fair will kick off the 2023 fair season on June 12, and the season will wrap up on October 14 with the Fairfield County Fair. For a complete schedule, click here.
Fair Redbook
The Fair Redbook details laws and rules that pertain to the activities of county and independent agricultural societies and the Ohio Exposition Commission. Click here to download the Redbook.
Livestock Show Forms & Regulations
Prior to the start of each livestock exhibition, each Fair must submit three forms to the Division of Animal Health. These forms are the Fair Vet Approval Form, the Notification of Designated Records Official, and the Optional Rule Notification form. Links to the documents can be found below.
These forms should be sent to Cindy Bodie, Division of Animal Health by either mail, email or fax. Please include the name of your Fair in the title of any correspondence you send to ODA.
Contact Information:|
e-mail: cindy.bodie@agri.ohio.gov
Fax: 614-728-6310
Required Forms and Deadlines:
|
Form |
Deadline |
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20 days prior to start of exhibition |
|
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20 days prior to start of exhibition |
|
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30 days prior to start of exhibition |
Ohio Livestock Tampering Exhibition Rules
Livestock Health Exhibition Rules
Swine & Poultry Disease Info
Minimizing Influenza Transmission during Exhibitions Checklist
Agricultural Society Annual Forms
Each agricultural society is required to submit documentation to the Ohio Department of Agriculture on a variety of subjects. In 2022, ODA reduced the number of forms required to simply and streamline the process for all fairs. Links to these documents can be found below:
|
Forms |
Deadline |
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10 Days after Election |
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November 1, 2022 |
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November 1, 2022 |
|
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November 1, 2022 |
|
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January 13, 2023 |
To view the September 2022 Office Hours video regarding materials due on November 1st, please click here.
To view the October 2022 Office Hours video regarding the Annual Financial Report due on January 13, 2023, please click here.
These forms should be sent to ODA via email at agrfairs@agri.ohio.gov. If you have any questions regarding any of these forms please contact the Office of Fairs so that we can assist.
Annual Financial Report:
Many of the changes made in 2022 have been made to the Annual Financial Report. This year the report incorporates the Contact Sheet, Junior Fair Affidavit, and the Junior Fair report into the main report. Additionally, ODA has removed several requirements from the report including: a copy of the voided membership and season tickets, a notary stamp for newspaper/website certification, and duplicate copies of the junior fair report. To better assist fairs in completing this document, ODA has complied resources from the Ohio Fair Managers Association below:
OFMA Chart of Accounts Workshop (video): https://youtu.be/G8HJx2o838c
Chart of Accounts Table: https://ohiofairs.org/convention_docs/2021Feb16_Workshop_Chartofaccounts.pdf
Contact Information:
e-mail: agrfairs@agri.ohio.gov
phone: 614.728.2620
Capital Projects
Ohio Agricultural Society Capital Improvement Projects: Guidance Document
The Ohio Department of Agriculture administers and monitors capital funds awarded to county and independent agricultural societies. This document provides guidance on how county and independent agricultural societies can receive their awarded funds, how these funds may be spent, and how to complete required reporting.
Contract and Disbursement of Funds
County and Independent Agricultural Societies must enter into an agreement with ODA governing the use of these funds. ODA’s Office of Chief Legal Counsel will email the agricultural society a contract to execute and return to ODA. Once received, ODA will finalize the contract and return a copy to the agricultural society.
ODA will begin processing payment to the agricultural society upon finalization of the contract. Please verify with Ohio Shared Services that your banking information is up to date. You can do so by contacting the customer service line at 877.644.6771. Incorrect banking information may result in a significant delay in receipt of funds.
Project Build Out – Allowable Capital Expenditures
Once funds have been received by the agricultural society, the project build out may begin. As indicated in the contract, capital funds must be spent according to specific guidelines set out by the Office of Budget and Management. You can find those guidelines here: OBM Capital Expenditure Guidelines. Any funds spent on non-capital expenditures must be rectified by either identifying a non-reported capital expenditure or by returning those funds to ODA.
Reporting
Each fair is required to complete final reporting at the completion of the project, however, ODA will check in with each agricultural society on a quarterly basis until the project is complete. To finalize the project, each agricultural society must:
1. Complete a Project Close Out Report within thirty days of completing your project. The Project Close Out Report can be found by visiting ODA’s Fairs Webpage here.
2. Submit a report from your accounting system or a copy of your ledger which shows how all of the funds were spent.
3. Submit a photograph of your completed project or a copy of the final invoice from the primary contractor to document project completion.
House Bill 687 Guidance
Certain Agricultural Societies worked with their legislators during the 134th General Assembly to receive capital funding in House Bill 687. The Ohio Department of Agriculture does not play a role in the awarding of these funds, but only works to facilitate the disbursement and monitor reporting of projects.
HB 687 Project List
To view the text of the bill, click here. The project list can be found on pages 107-108.
Office Hours Recording
The Office of Fairs held two office hour sessions in June to discuss disbursement details and reporting requirements, as well as to provide an opportunity for questions. You can view a recording of one of those sessions here.
The Office of Fairs held an office hour session in October to discuss contract details and bonding requirements, as well as to provide an opportunity for questions. You can view a recording of one that session here.
Prevailing Wage Resources
The Ohio Department of Commerce – Division of Industrial Compliance provided us with some guidance on Prevailing Wage in response to some questions we had received.
Prevailing Wage Code Sections:
Further Reading
Prevailing Wage - Complete Guide
Prevailing Wage - Instructions for Preparing CPR
Questions
Should any questions arise during the project, please contact the Office of Fairs at fairs@agri.ohio.gov or by phone at (614) 728-2620.