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Montgomery County Fair Preparing For First Year In New Location

The new Montgomery County Fairground's main event center.
Jerry Kenney
The new Montgomery County Fairground's main event center.

The 166th Montgomery County Fair opens next month at its new location. The site is virtually double the size of the old fairgrounds, adjacent to Miami Valley Hospital downtown.

 

Montgomery County Agricultural Society Board President John Yancik says the county’s new fairgrounds marks a new beginning for the event.

 

 

The new Montgomery County Fairground's main event center.
Credit Jerry Kenney
The new Montgomery County Fairground's main event center.

Yancik runs through some of the numbers.   “We’re going to have 24 rides, we’ve got 32 vendors coming, all kinds of different food, seven different agricultural equipment dealers coming," he says. "So, we’ll have a good display for everybody to see.”

 

And, Yancik says, the new location, perched on more than 72 acres, will also be more accessible for fair attendees.

 

“We have almost 2,000 parking places and before we had maybe 350, so there’s your big difference right there. We’ve got room for everybody,” he says.

 

Yancik saysthe fairgrounds is on track for its planned July 9 opening, but this will be just the first phase of development slated for the new site.

 Listen to the full interview with John Yancik

Two large buildings are completed: the main event center stands at 26,000 sq. ft. and an exhibit hall measuring in at 16,000 sq. ft.. Officials say thebuildings are climate-controlled and available year-round for public and private events.

 

With more facilities still to be constructed, he says, some of this year's attractions will be housed in large tents.

 

The Montgomery County Fair runs July 9 through July 15 at 645 Infirmary Rd. in Dayton.  

 

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Jerry Kenney was introduced to WYSO by a friend and within a year of first tuning in became an avid listener and supporter. He began volunteering at the station in 1991 and began hosting Alpha Rhythms in February of 1992. Jerry joined the WYSO staff in 2007 as a host of All Things Considered and soon transitioned into hosting Morning Edition. In addition to now hosting All Things Considered, Jerry is the host and producer of WYSO Weekend, WYSO's weekly news and arts magazine. He has also produced several radio dramas for WYSO in collaboration with local theater companies. Jerry has won several Ohio AP awards as well as an award from PRINDI for his work with the WYSO news department. Jerry says that the best part of his job is being able to talk to people in the community and share their experiences with WYSO listeners.