CELINA, Ohio (WLIO) — The 2026 Mercer County Fair is officially underway.
The fair opened Thursday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and runs through Aug. 19. Fairgoers can enjoy carnival rides, games, 4-H projects, animals and food vendors. This year also brings several new additions, including the "Field of Flags," featuring 250 American flags dedicated to veterans and active-duty service members.
The new Grand Event Center was also unveiled Thursday. Fair officials say the project has been years in the making, with the goal of creating a space that can host a variety of events.
Fairgoers can enjoy carnival rides, games, 4-H projects, animals and food vendors.
This year, the building is housing horses, beef cattle and the Champion Showcase.
"Right now, we are fully funded. The Market Hall and the shell of this building, we've got roughly $8 million in those two facilities. We designed it so we could have anything from livestock to trade shows to tractor pulls. It's whatever we can dream up, whatever the community says they have a need for, we're going to do our best to put it in here and make it happen," said Cara Muhlenkamp, executive director of the Mercer County Fair.
Country singer Jake Owen is also set to headline at the grandstand Friday night.
For a full schedule of events, tickets and more information, click here.
