Picture-perfect weather contributed to the shattering of attendance records at the 2013 Ohio State Fair, which topped last year’s attendance by 63,518.

During the 12-day event that ended on Sunday, 903,824 people mobbed the fairgrounds. That handily beat the prior record of 850,218 in 2004, the first year that the fair ran for 12 days instead of 17.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/public/2013/08/05/state-fair-attendance-record.html

The weather for the entire run of the fair was absolutely perfect. Jenn and I took the kids on the first Sunday, when...

On July 28, the fair’s first Sunday, 115,288 people showed up, a single-day record that smashed the prior mark of 110,234 set in 2006.

It was busy, but manageable.

A 12 day fair? My goodness.

Can't wait for the Canfield Fair.

A 12 day fair? My goodness.

Can't wait for the Canfield Fair.

Shoot, it wasn't all that long ago that the Ohio State fair ran 17 days.

A few years ago, the Indiana State fair expanded to 17 days from 12. That format runs through next year, after which it will be reevaluted. Our fair began Aug 2 and runs through the 17th. Come out to Indy to experience the year of Popcorn!! (various vendors will be giving out bags of microwave popcorn in various flavors to fair guests).

Come out to Indy to experience the year of Popcorn!! (various vendors will be giving out bags of microwave popcorn in various flavors to fair guests).

Now that's my kind of fair.

A few years ago, the Indiana State fair expanded to 17 days from 12. That format runs through next year, after which it will be reevaluted. Our fair began Aug 2 and runs through the 17th. Come out to Indy to experience the year of Popcorn!! (various vendors will be giving out bags of microwave popcorn in various flavors to fair guests).

In DC, from the 2d to the 17th is 16 days.

They must count differently in Indiana.

My bad Terpy! Our fair ends on the 18th! While I havent had the pleasure to meet you in person (but we have chatted offline), rest assured that we Hoosiers do things a bit differently than most states (cough cough alcohol sales on sundays cough cough)

I love state fairs. DC doesn't have one. We do have a circus, but it's out of session at present.

I have to say the Ind. State Fair has done wonders the last few years to make the event more family-friendly. The accident on the grandstand stage forced their hand. They are renovating the 75 year old coliseum to make it a state of the art arena inside and are busy rehabbing and building new fair structures. Add to the fact that given its relative compactness (it is landlocked on all sides by homes and commercial buildings) and one can see just about everything within the span of a half day or so. Their new Midway concessionaire is North American Midway Entertainment, who seem to have safe-looking rides and have even erected a mini midway on the other side of the fairground featiuring nothing but kids rides and games.