LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The 175th Allen County Fair may be over, but the work isn’t done at the fairgrounds.
Crews were out early Sunday morning, tearing down and cleaning up after one of the biggest fairs in the state. Fair officials said they were pleased with how the milestone celebration came together. While this year’s fair is now a memory, preparations are already underway for the 176th Allen County Fair.
“We actually started working on the 176th fair back in January of 2025. It's crazy because we work so hard for a nine-day event, and nobody truly realizes that. They think the fair comes around in August and just all comes together. No, it's an incredible team. It's a village that we have out here that makes this place come to life, and we're working really hard on trying to create an even better experience for all fairgoers next year," said Troy Elwer, Allen County Fairgrounds promotions and operations manager.
The fair board and staff are now making a quick turnaround as they prepare for the fairgrounds’ second-biggest event of the year: Max's Trader Days and Water Dog Races.
“It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the place flips over into Max's event, and that's really thanks to our maintenance staff and staff in general, and our volunteers that put in a lot of extra time and effort behind the scenes that people don't see away from their families, et cetera. But it is. It is a really neat event. It is our largest event of the year, aside from the fair,” Elwer added.
Max’s Trader Days begins Friday, Aug. 29, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 31.
