Friday, August 7, 1998
COLUMBUS -- When it comes to the Ohio State Fair, there's always one big attraction: food.
Elephant ears. Italian sausages. Fried cheese-on-a-stick. Sure, they'll be on this year's menu. There just won't be as much of them. Instead, more picnic tables and grassy areas will greet visitors to the fair, which opens its 17-day run today.
It's all part of an attempt to attract more families while offering more interactive exhibits for young people.
People want to feel safe and comfortable at the fair, just like they do at an amusement park, General Manager Richard Frenette said.
"We have to show them that same type of atmosphere," he said. Vendors have noticed.
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IF YOU GO
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 When: Today through Aug. 23.
Cost: Gate admission for people 13-59 is $6; senior citizens and children 5-12, $5. Parking is $4. Wristbands for unlimited midway rides are $13 Monday through Friday and $15 Saturday and Sunday.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Midway rides are open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and until midnight Friday and Saturday.
Directions: Interstate 71 north through downtown Columbus and exit at 11th Avenue or 17th Avenue. Turn left at exits.
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Wes Meeks of Sarasota, Fla., who hopes to sell about 4,000 bags of cotton candy from his stand, spends seven months out of the year on the road at fairs and festivals.
"It looks better," he said. "The grounds look nice."
During the 1980s, the fair packed in huge crowds and stuffed the grounds with vendors. The fair claimed it was the world's largest in terms of visitors and exhibitors. Years later, it was discovered attendance figures were fudged.
More than 900,000 visitors are expected this year. Fair officials say they hope a smaller, friendlier fair will help them compete with the state's other attractions.
New this year: a show that lets the audience milk a goat and ride a miniature horse, hands-on science exhibits, a show that features an 80-foot dive into a pool and a junior sprint car race.
