DAYTON, Ohio — There's nothing like a day at the county fair with its sights, the smells and the food.

For 172 years, the Montgomery County Fair in Dayton has been a place for families to celebrate a favorite pastime.

What You Need To Know

  • The Montgomery County Fair has been running for 172 years

  • Several years ago, the fair moved from south of downtown Dayton to Jefferson Township

  • Visitors can expect all the fun a fair can bring, plus time-honored traditions

Tim Colston is the Vice President of the Montgomery County Agricultural Society.

“We’ve got a lot of free parking out here for everybody,” Colston said as he gave a tour.

He’s been a director for about six years, but his love for fairs goes way back.

“Back in my day, I was showing horses, so that was kind of a special thing for us,” he said.

Colston has seen a lot.

A few years ago, he watched the fair move from the old grounds south of downtown Dayton, out to the new location in Jefferson Township.

There are plenty of familiar fair experiences, but don’t expect it to get old.

“We try to change things up and do things a little different every year. So it’s not like you’re going to come back every year and see the same exact thing,” Colston said.

Petting zoos at county fairs have become a kind of staple, but it’s been a long time since Kim Osting has been here.

Osting and her family own Jungle Island Zoo near Lima.

They’ve been in business for 40 years and travel to different county fairs.

They haven’t been to the Montgomery Fair since the 90s.

“It’s nice to be back. It’s a beautiful fairground. We go to a lot of fairs and this is one of the nicest ones I’ve seen,” she said.

By coming to the fair, Osting can share her love for animals and give an up-close look that many people wouldn’t get to experience otherwise.

“I love seeing the kids’ faces. They love animals and adults too. Adults come in saying ‘Can we feed too?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah!’ As many kids as adults come in and feed and enjoy it, a lot of grandparents,” said Osting.

About 28,000 people will make their way to the fair during the week.

“Actually, we’re growing every year. I think as people discover the new grounds, they’re encouraged to come back because it is so nice and clean and open in a beautiful location,” said Colston.

For Colston, while certainly a lot has changed over the years, you can always find the basics at the fair with a few modern twists here and there.

“Personally, for me, it’s the kids. You’ll see these 4H’ers and FFA kids, their projects, all the work that they do and it’s a family sort of thing. It makes you feel good about our future when you know you have kids that are out here doing this kind of hard work and showing off some of the things that they’ve accomplished,” he said.

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