Kids Day is underway at the Erie County Fair in Sandusky, with free admission to the fairgrounds and a full slate of youth-focused activities packed into Wednesday, including a morning pedal pull, a police-run child ID card table, and an evening livestock scramble that now includes pigs for the first time. The action runs at the fairgrounds at 3110 Columbus Avenue, part of the fair's six-day run through Saturday.
According to a Perkins Township Police Department post, officers will staff a table in Building 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, making free child ID cards that include important identifying information for emergency use. The department is encouraging parents to keep the cards on hand in case of an emergency, per the same post. The outreach fits into a broader pattern for the department, which has previously used its Facebook page as a crowdsourced tip line for public safety efforts, including tips that led to a quick arrest in a $1 million Kroger arson case back in October 2020, as detailed in Hoodline's recent coverage of the department's identification requests.
Morning Judging And A Pedal Pull Kick Off The Day
Building 1 hosts pedal pull registration at 9 a.m., with the Pioneer Power Association hosting the Kids Pedal Pull itself at 10 a.m., according to the fair's Facebook post. Kids Day activities in Building 1 run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the post notes. Elsewhere on the grounds, the show barn hosts jr. fair swine judging and the horse arena hosts horse judging, both starting at 9 a.m., per the fair's schedule.
The show barn calendar continues into the afternoon with market Boer goat judging at 3:30 p.m. and sheep judging at 5 p.m., followed immediately by peewee sheep showmanship, according to the post. Over in Building 20, Cloverbud sharing sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon and again from 3 to 4 p.m. The OSU 4-H Mobile Design Lab runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Rides, Games And A New Twist On The Livestock Scramble
Younger fairgoers have plenty to do beyond the judging rings. A petting zoo runs from noon to 10 p.m., putt-putt is open on the front lawn from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and a face painter works from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the fair's post. Laser tag runs from 1 to 9 p.m., and Hero's Party Inflatables are set up from noon to 9 p.m. The Wonderdog Show performs three times on the front lawn, at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
The evening's marquee event is the Livestock Scramble at the grandstands at 7 p.m., where youth chase down animals including chickens, lambs, calves, and, new for this year, pigs. The Erie County Agricultural Society expanded the event's animal lineup for 2026, according to Shores & Islands Ohio. The scramble carries a $5 grandstand admission, while children 40 inches and under get in free, the outlet notes. The event is sponsored by Erie Community Federal Credit Union, Dr. Timothy Cutler's NOMS Family Practice, Andy Kromer Farms, the NOMS Foundation, and Yetter Dun Boom Mowing and Land Clearing, per the fair's Facebook announcement. Wednesday's overall sponsor is also NOMS Dr. Tim Cutler Family Practice, while VFW Post 2529 serves as sponsor of the week.
Heritage Area And Evening Entertainment Round Out The Day
The Heritage Area keeps a slower pace running alongside the day's rides and judging. A wood carver demonstration begins at 9 a.m. with a final carving at 6 p.m., and an antique cars, trucks and tractors show runs from 4 to 8 p.m., according to the fair's post. The Heritage Barn hosts square dance and line dance from 7 to 9 p.m., while the horse arena wraps its day with a horse judging gymkhana at 7 p.m.
General admission to the fair remains free every day of its run, though grandstand shows carry separate ticket prices, including $10 for the NTPA Tractor Pull, $10 for the A Bar Rodeo, and $10 for the Demolition Derby, according to Shores & Islands Ohio. Erie County residents can also buy a $25 annual membership to the Erie County Agricultural Society, which grants voting rights in board elections and free admission to all paid grandstand events during fair week, per the Erie County Agricultural Society. Board director elections take place during fair week on Saturday, the society notes.
A Fair With Roots Back To 1855
The fair's youth programming this week extends beyond Kids Day. Building 1 also hosted the King and Queen pageant on Monday, with pageants for Junior Miss, Little Prince, and Little Princess held Tuesday, according to the Sandusky Register. That youth spotlight carries statewide weight this year: 2025 Erie County Fair Queen Edy Solet of Elyria went on to be crowned 2026 Ohio Fairs' Queen in January, beating out 76 county and independent fair queens at the 101st Annual Ohio Fair Managers Convention in Columbus, per the Register.
Sandusky's fair tradition stretches back to 1855, when the city hosted the first Erie County Fair as well as the 1858 Ohio State Fair on a 36-acre plot on the city's southeast side, according to the Register's historical reporting. The Erie County Agricultural Society purchased the current Columbus Avenue property in 1865 to establish a permanent fairgrounds. The society, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit that carries a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, still oversees the fairgrounds' management and programming today, according to ProPublica's nonprofit records.
Fairgoers looking to plan around Kids Day and the rest of the week's schedule can find full details at eriefair.com, per the fair's Facebook post.
