SCIOTO COUNTY— The Scioto County Fairground Board made a splash on social media in recent weeks with several announcements generating a buzz from community members.
The most recent announcement was that the Fair Board has made movements to begin selling admission, both single day and week passes, online, for the first time.
According to Secretary Treasurer Kenny McChesney, the group is in the final stages of launching that service and people can expect it in coming weeks. When asked about admission pricing varying for online purchasers, he confirmed the price would be slightly different for those who to take that route, but a determined price point had yet to be confirmed.
“We have a meeting on Monday to discuss the tickets. We’re only getting started in that process,” McChesney said. “I’d say we will have more information in two weeks.”
Another announcement made on social media was the confirmed entertainment lineup for the arena.
According to the post, “The 2024 Scioto County Fair Grandstand Entertainment Lineup is here, and it is sure to be an exciting one. Who is ready for a week of thrills, spills, and chills?”
The entertainment kicks off Monday, August 5, with Fast Traxx Motocross at 7 p.m. Tuesday continues with Autocross at 7 p.m. The weekend inches closer on Wednesday with the Ohio State Tractor Pullers at 7 p.m. The Buckeye Rodeo Company will entertain on Thursday, August 8 at 7 p.m. Fairgoers will welcome the weekend on Friday, August 9, with the Scioto County School Bus Derby at 7 p.m. The final act in the lineup will conclude a week of event on Saturday, August 10, with The Famous Scioto County Demolition Derby at 5 p.m.
McChesney has been on the board for around 20 years and has witnessed a lot of fair lineups. He says the lineup determination starts with a budget.
“We look at our budget and we take a pickax and chip away to see what we can offer,” McChesney said. “We’re trying to pick something the public would like to see and would participate in to get as many people out as we can for the event. When we pick an event, we’re hoping it pays for itself. We feel good about our lineup so far. There is something for all ages and families.”
McChesney said that he is confident in the determined lineup and looks forward to seeing people come out to the fairgrounds to witness the shows.
“The event lineup is rounded out,” McChesney claimed. “We think the demolition derby will be the biggie, as always, but I also think the bus derby will be just as big, if not bigger. The tractor pull is a class act. If you like tractor pulls, you can’t find better.”
McChesney says that, while there are no major musical acts taking center stage in the lineup, there will be many performances on the general fairgrounds that people often miss out on.
“Up on the grounds, there is entertainment every night,” McChesney said. “Local bands come up, and what have you. People are really and truly missing out by not coming out to watch these bands. I’ll tell you, in recent years, there just hasn’t been much interest in it, but there have been some great acts booked. People are really missing out. We also have wood carvers there every day in the fairground area to draw people to the fair to see the talent perform.”
McChesney said that there will, once again, be rides for families to enjoy, along with the typical fair fanfare. He encourages people to continue monitoring the Fairground social media page for announcements regarding online admission, new features and information, and other relevant postings.
The Scioto County Fair will run August 5-10.
Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.
