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The midway begins to take shape as carnival rides are assembled at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds ahead of its opening day Sunday. The Auglaize County Fair will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
WAPAKONETA - The 174th Auglaize County Fair is rolling out the theme of "Freedom, Family, Red, White and Fair" to coincide with the America 250 celebration occurring nationwide this summer.
The fair kicks off Sunday and runs through Aug. 8 at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds in Wapakoneta, which will be decked out in red, white and blue via American flags, themed displays, illuminated buildings and special decorations.
"The Auglaize County Fair has always been about bringing our community together," fairgrounds manager Kieran Fetter said in a statement. "This fair celebrates our agricultural roots, our youth, our traditions, and the people who make Auglaize County such a special place to call home. We're excited to welcome everyone back for another incredible year."
Furthermore, a fresh fair staff is renewing a long-standing commitment to being "The Family Fair."
A colorful "America 250" mural welcomes visitors to the Auglaize County Fairgrounds. The Auglaize County Fair will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
"We are all new staff with less than a year in here, and we take the mission and the value statement of 'Home of the Family Fair' to heart here, which is basically now getting the fair back to a place of community and connection, not just with your friends or the businesses that support it, but with your family while you're here," assistant fairgrounds manager Jessica Grice told The Daily Standard. "So that's something that is close to me and the manager's heart as well as the new office admin and treasurer."
The 2026 Auglaize County Fair gets underway Sunday with a slew of events, including a rodeo courtesy of Rough E Rodeo Productions.
"They will be showing up with bull riding and some classic rodeo events," Grice said. "It was a highly requested item by several people. Again, we take the input that we received from last year's fair and the attendees very seriously, and there was a very big voting pool for seeing a rodeo back here again."
The big draw at the grandstand on Monday, Aug. 3, is the annual cheerleading competition.
"We're excited about (it)," Grice said. "We had quite a bit of entries last year for the cheerleading competition. Unfortunately, we got rained out with that event last year, so we're praying for much better weather because there was a lot of cheerleading attendees that really, really were excited about that event."
A worker secures signage along the fences of the grandstands. The Auglaize County Fair will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
Harness racing is slated for Aug. 4-5 while the demolition derby will command center stage on Thursday, Aug. 6.
"Thursday is our traditional dem derby, one of our biggest, packed nights," Grice said. "People really love that event to the point where they are trying to save seats in the grand stand."
The penultimate night of the fair will feature Tug-A-Truck competition - "good old-fashioned men and big trucks pulling at each other," as Grice described the event.
The fair closes on Saturday, Aug. 8, with a country concert headlined by Craig Morgan, who is known for hits such as "That's What I Love About Sunday," "International Harvester" and "Redneck Yacht Club." Morgan will be supported by special guest Colby Lee Swift.
Concert gates open at 5:30 p.m. and attendees are asked to be in their seats by 7 p.m. "for a very special announcement that will close the chapter on the 174th Auglaize County Fair and officially kick off preparations for the fair's historic 175th Anniversary."
In the news release, fair officials describe the announcement as a major milestone in the history of the Auglaize County Fair, one that celebrates the heritage of both Wapakoneta and Auglaize County while looking toward the future.
"This is something we've been working on for a long time," fair officials said. "It's a moment we're incredibly proud of, and it's something you'll only be able to experience by being in the grandstands. We truly believe it's going to be a special night for our community."
The Auglaize County Fair continues to build momentum after two highly successful concerts from Conner Smith (2024) and Montgomery Gentry featuring Eddie Montgomery (2025).
Both shows reportedly filled the grandstands, created electric atmospheres and drew outstanding feedback from attendees.
Fair officials have also secured several other entertainment acts throughout the week, including Bruno Blaszak's Royal Bengal Tigers. A third-generation animal trainer who has been caring for and working with Sumatran, Siberian, and Bengal tigers his entire life, Blaszak introduces crowds to his spectacular family of Bengal tigers, according to his website.
"We have some really good new midway acts that we are reaching for like the Bengal tiger show with Bruno," Grice said. "They will be real life-size Bengal tigers."
Preparations continue for the Auglaize County Fair which will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
Also booked for the midway this year are Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean Aerial Highwire Thrill Show, Gizmo the Robot, Tactical Force Mobile Laser Tag, The One Man Band Marc Dobson, Bear Hollow Wood Carving and Agri-Golf mini golf - all included with fair admission.
"We've got a talking, very witty Gizmo the Robot," Grice said. "He is a wandering act, and he will be all over the fairgrounds at different times of the day."
The Youth Zone will feature inflatables, obstacle courses, yard games, arcade games and interactive activities.
"One of the key highlights for us during the fair is a heavy focus on the youth, and we've created several different areas of our fairgrounds for them to have an opportunity to just be kids," Grice said. "One of the things that we're doing is an unplug-and-play zone, and it is just this environment for tactical laser tag, heavy competition, pull-up bars … obstacle courses and different things for them to get involved in, to keep themselves active during fair."
A carnival ride named "Typhoon" stands ready as final preparations are made. The Auglaize County Fair will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
A variety of vendors, delicious food options and midway games and thrilling rides courtesy of Big O Amusements also await fairgoers.
"We have a very unique lineup of food vendors," Grice emphasized. "We were definitely very particular about making sure that there was a variety and that we give fairgoers a plethora of options when it came to food vendors this year."
Food vendors line the midway Friday as preparations continue for the Auglaize County Fair. The Auglaize County Fair will run from Aug. 2-8 in Wapakoneta.
According to a fair news release, the gospel tent has undergone one of its biggest transformations in years with an expanded lineup of worship experiences and Christian entertainment.
"We're incredibly excited about what the Gospel Tent has become this year," Grice said in the release. "Our hope is that it becomes a place where people can worship together, find encouragement, and experience something meaningful during fair week."
The heart of the fair, however, remains the Junior Fair program, Fetter stressed in the release.
"Our youth are truly what makes this fair special," Fetter said. "These kids have dedicated countless hours caring for their animals and completing projects throughout the year. Fair week is their opportunity to shine, and we encourage everyone to visit the barns, meet the exhibitors, and support all of the hard work they've put in."
