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Buckeye State families looking to squeeze in one more family outing before the start of school should consider a trip to Columbus for the Ohio State Fair.
The annual tradition began July 29 and ends Aug. 9. In between, there is plenty of food and fun in an event that has been growing since 1950.
There are, of course, the traditional competitions in categories ranging from beef or goats to the creative arts or horticulture/floriculture. There are rides, entertainment -- if hypnotists and magicians aren't your thing, perhaps you'll want to stay for Nelly, Sammy Kershaw or "Weird Al" Yankovic, among other big name acts.
And no one can miss the butter cow. Believe it or not, the butter cow-and-calf sculptures have been a fixture in Ohio since 1903. This year's theme is America 250, and therefore the calf is wearing a stars and stripes hat while the display also includes a butter bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, Ohio flag and America 250 sign.
If you are interested only in eating your way through the best food the fair has to offer, there are a host of new vendors featuring offerings ranging from a churro Korean corn dog to star-berry cobbler funnel cake. The list is enough to make day-trippers wish they'd taken the whole week off.
Sure, there is an app available now, and plenty has changed over the years, but the roots of the Ohio State Fair remain firmly planted in a celebration of The Heart of It All. Don't miss your chance to be part of it.