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Your ultimate guide to the Stark County Fair: Night Ranger, mullet contest, food vendors

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Your ultimate guide to the Stark County Fair: Night Ranger, mullet contest, food vendors

CANTON − The Stark County Fair has ’80s rock, pizza in a cone, a new Ferris wheel and a mullet contest.

Blending old standards like tractor pulls, livestock, Italian sausage sandwiches and baked good auctions, the fair is also marking its 175th year with special merchandise and coins.

“There’s family traditions,” said Jill Sterling, entertainment chairwoman of the fair. “It’s kind of a generational thing on both ends of the fairgrounds. That’s where families come together. The livestock end and the commercial end.”

And you’ll have plenty of time to take it all in, with the fair running Tuesday through Sept. 2.

Here are five things you should know about the 2024 Stark County Fair:

1. Night Ranger and Scotty McCreery are performing

The Stark County Fair is again featuring long-established musical acts.

Last year’s Styx concert was a smashing success. The classic rock band played before a large crowd and put on an arena-worthy spectacle.

This year’s one-two punch of music will be Night Ranger on Wednesday and country music artist Scotty McCreery on Thursday.

‘Sister Christian’ and other hits: 2024 Stark County Fair to feature Night Ranger and Scotty McCreery

Night Ranger was an MTV favorite in the 1980s with hit songs like “Sister Christian” and “When You Close Your Eyes.” Other charting songs include “Sentimental Street” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.”

McCreery rose to fame after winning the televised singing competition “American Idol” in 2011 and breaking through in the country music genre. Also in 2011, he released the platinum-selling album “Clear as Day,” which reached No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 albums chart.

“I think it’s great that we have two concerts to give a variety of music close within the city for everybody,” Sterling said. “We try to keep the tickets reasonably priced.”

Tickets can be purchased at https://starkcountyfair.com/. Tickets cost $30 to $40 for Night Ranger and $30 to $50 for McCreery.

Both concerts will be at 8 p.m. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets also can be purchased at the event.

2. New food vendors featured at the 2024 Stark County Fair

Food is as much a part of the fair as the 4-H animals and grandstand acts.

Tasty eats typically include funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreo cookies, fried veggies, corn dogs, steak on a stick, French fries, gyros, mashed potato bowls, homemade, oven-baked Stromboli, fresh-roasted nuts, apple dumplings, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy, ice cream, caramel corn, candy apples, and fried Twinkies.

Returning local and area classics include the Wayne County-based Lerch’s Donuts, burgers from George’s Lounge and fish sandwiches from Tim’s Tavern.

In recent years, oddball food fare has included a deep-fried hot dog wrapped in a dill pickle and dipped in corn dog batter.

New this year will be a handful of vendors, including East Coast Konz, featuring pizza served cone style.

“That’s the one we’re excited about,” Sterling said. “It’s totally different. I mean a pizza in a cone, it just sounds neat.”

Other new food vendors are A-Town burgers of Alliance, JD’s Gourmet Hot Dogs of Massillon, and one serving Latin street corn.

Returning are milkshakes made by Junior Fair Board members in the flavors of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and peanut butter. Sterling said she’s heard there could be a new cotton candy flavor this year.

3. New Ferris wheel coming to the Stark County Fair

Kissel Amusement Co., the longtime ride provider for the Stark County Fair, will have an assortment of rides on the midway. But the company also is bringing a new and bigger Ferris wheel-style ride called the “Expo Wheel,” Sterling said.

The Expo Wheel reaches a height of 75 feet.

Kissel provides rides to many fairs in Ohio and Kentucky, including the Musik Express, Zumur, Ali Baba, a fun slide and merry-go-round. Rides for younger children include cars and a coaster.

Rides are open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and noon to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Rides are open noon to 7 p.m. Monday.

Tickets can be purchased for $2 individually or in books of 10 for $20 and books of 20 for $30. Ride wristbands are also sold. For information, go to https://starkcountyfair.com/tickets-and-info.

4. When are the tractor pull and demolition derby at the Stark County Fair?

The tractor pull is sanctioned by the National Tractor Pullers Association, drawing participants from across the country.

Categories include the Grand National Pro Stock and other classes.

The truck and tractor pull is 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $12. Pit passes are $12 (fair admission is not included.)

The DerbyDog Demolition Derby will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $14 (fair admission is not included). There’s also a Demolition Derby on Sept. 2 starting at 4:30 p.m. with gates opening an hour earlier.

Tickets cost $14 on Sunday and $12 on Sept. 2.

In addition to the Demolition Derby, which includes multiple categories, there’s also a Power Wheels derby for kids.

Tickets can be purchased at https://starkcountyfair.com/entertainment and at the event.

5. Stark County Fair features mullet contest

There’s a new contest this year — best mullet.

Yep, that wasn’t a misprint. The fair will hold a contest at the pavilion in honor of the both beloved and maligned hairstyle known as the mullet — long in the back and typically short on the sides, with varying lengths on top.

Peaking in the ’80s, the hairstyle also continued into the early ’90s, with celebrities like country music heartthrob Billy Ray Cyrus sporting a mighty mullet during his “Achy Breaky Heart” heyday.

The event starts around 1 p.m. Sunday. The fair has asked participants to pre-register.

The contest is all in good fun, and includes both adults and kids, Sterling said. Judging criteria includes attitude, personality and wardrobe.

“So far, in my entries, I’ve had the youngest being 2 years old,” she said. “One of the things on the registration form is ‘What makes your mullet special?'”

Best of the rest at the Stark County Fair

Here are three other fair highlights:

  • Merchandise marking the fair’s 175th anniversary can be purchased online or at the fair. T-shirts, hats and coins are available. “We’re having some special retro coins because that’s the big thing now,” Sterling said.
  • The Stark County Band Show will be Tuesday, with 11 bands performing. Canton South begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by McKinley, Minerva, Tuslaw and Louisville high schools. Fairless begins at 7:30 p.m., followed by East Canton, Alliance, Sandy Valley, Marlington and Northwest high schools.
  • Harness racing also returns with wagering. “We encourage everyone to come to the fair and enjoy that feeling of being at the track,” Sterling said. “It’s really amazing to see how many people enjoy betting and watching horses.”

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com.

On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and on Instagram at ed_balint

If you go

What: Stark County Fair

When: Tuesday through Sept. 2. Gates open at 8 a.m. daily. Fair closes at 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and at 6 p.m. Sept. 2.

Where: 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton

Cost: Tickets cost $8 on Wednesday through Sunday. Children age 5 and under are free every day of the fair when accompanied by an adult. Tickets cost $5 on Monday and $6 Tuesday. Friday is kid’s day; tickets cost $2 for ages 6 to 17. Military veterans and first responders are admitted free on Monday.

Parking: Parking is free at the fairgrounds. Parking lots are at the Seventh Street and Wertz Avenue NW and Fourth Street and Wertz entrances. Courtesy shuttles run daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from the parking areas to the fair gates and other select areas.

More details: https://starkcountyfair.com

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