SALEM, Ohio — If you made a visit to the Ohio State Fair over a half a century ago, you’re invited to join a club. The Fifty Year Club of the Ohio State Fair will hold its 83rd annual celebration during the state fair in late July.
There is no membership fee or annual dues. The only requirement is that you attended the fair 50 years ago or longer.
“We don’t go into detail to confirm and check on things,” said Barb Prince, a longtime member of the club. “It’s pretty loose that way, by design. They didn’t want a lot of paperwork for everybody to have to track. So, even if you were brought here as a child and haven’t come since — that’s good enough for us.”
In her role as the Ohio State Fair Liaison Representative for the Fifty Year Club, Prince is responsible for all the activities that go into creating and hosting the annual event, which includes set up, working with grounds and making sure the event’s speaker and award winner have what they need.
Prince is a mainstay at the state fair. “This is my 56th Fair and I’ve had the active role as the fair liaison for at least 20 years,” she said.
Jill Nolan, President of the Fifty Year Club of the Ohio State Fair, isn’t quite sure how the club started, however, she’s well-versed in its intention.
“They wanted an opportunity for people who had been to the fair 50 years ago and longer to come together for a little bit of fellowship,” she said. “A lot of those individuals, if they were showing livestock or in one of the project areas would know each other.”
“We try to encourage people to bring their families and spend the day … at the fair and participate in the fair as well,” Nolan added.
Meeting
The club’s executive committee meets several times a year to set an agenda for the annual gathering at the state fair. Since the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair is undergoing multiple changes in the next few years, stemming from Gov. Mike DeWine’s Expo 2050 Master Plan, Nolan and the executive committee invited Alicia Shoults, assistant general manager at Ohio Expo Center & State Fair, to speak at the annual meeting.
The title of Shoults’ presentation is “New Footprint of the Ohio State Fair.”
“We thought it would be nice to have Alicia come and talk about what’s happening at the fair because many of us probably aren’t going to be around in 2050,” Nolan said. “They’ve taken down quite a few buildings already and there’s plans on putting up some new things and she’s going to chat a bit about what the plan is over the next few years.”
Giant Step
The club also honors an individual with the Giant Step Award, which is presented to someone who’s made a significant contribution to the Ohio State Fair. The award was initially presented in 1977 to inaugural recipient Ohio Gov. James Rhodes. This year’s recipient is DeWine.
“He has always supported the state and local county fairs across Ohio,” Nolan said. “His children were in 4-H and participated at fairs and now he’s a grandparent enjoying grandchildren at the fair, and we thought it was very appropriate to give the Giant Step Award to Governor Dewine.”
Service
The club uses contributions and donations for special projects on the state fairgrounds, including trees, plants, flower beds and support for the Ohio State Band and Choir.
“Ever since I’ve been involved with the Fifty Year Club they’ve always had a focus of like a project to assist with something on with the fair,” Prince said.
During the fair, the Fifty Year Club also has a display chronicling the Ohio State Fair’s growth from its beginning to the current day, allowing fairgoers to see how the event has changed over time.
Growing numbers
Sometimes the group’s name lends itself to confusion and the group wants to clarify membership criteria.
“I’ll tell you the biggest challenge,” Prince said. “People don’t understand when we say Fifty Year Club, they automatically think, ‘Oh, I had to attend the fair 50 years.’”
To inform and engage new members, Nolan and her committee are staging an aggressive media campaign to return to pre-COVID attendance numbers. The annual event averaged between 100-120 people before COVID. Since then they average closer to 90 people.
“We’re hoping we draw a good crowd,” Nolan said. “I’m hoping 100 to 150 people will come.”
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Who/What: 2024 Ohio State Fair Fifty Year Club annual meeting
When/where: July 29 at the Rhodes Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. The program begins at 10 a.m.
Why: Social time to renew friendships and build new ones with people who enjoy the fair, view historical displays of past fairs, listen to short concerts by the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir and Band, take part in an informative and brief business meeting, which includes the presentation of the Giant Step Award. There will also be refreshments and door prizes.
How: Order tickets online: www.ohiostatefair.com/p/about-us/traditions/50-year-club
Call Barb Prince at 614-644-4052 or email her at B.Prince@expo.ohio.gov
Tickets should be requested by July 12. Walk-ins are also welcome.
