Ohio State Fair will allow guns in outdoor areas, but officials insist it will be safe

Thomas Hanks, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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The Sky Glider floats over the WNCI Food Highway at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus in 2019. In the wake of recent mass shootings across the U.S., security will be increased this summer for the popular event, which opens next Wednesday and will last until Aug. 7
The Sky Glider floats over the WNCI Food Highway at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus in 2019. In the wake of recent mass shootings across the U.S., security will be increased this summer for the popular event, which opens next Wednesday and will last until Aug. 7

Patrons will be able to bring concealed or open-carry weapons when the Ohio State Fair opens Wednesday and runs through Aug. 7, but only in outdoor areas and fair and law enforcement officials say visitors should still feel safe.

"As visitors come to the Ohio State Fair this year, they're going to see a large number of troopers that are going to be everywhere on the state fairgrounds," said Sgt. Brice Nihiser, public affairs officer for the Ohio Highway Patrol. "If you see something that you think is suspicious or something you think that needs attention, there will likely be a state trooper near you — contact them."

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The ability to bring concealed or open-carry guns to the fairgrounds is nothing new under Ohio law, according to Alicia Shoults, assistant general manager of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair.

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One change, however, is the result of Senate Bill 215, which went into effect June 13 and allows Ohio residents 21 and older to conceal firearms they are legally allowed to own without training or permits.

"The current procedures at the Ohio State Fair are in compliance with Ohio state law," Shoults said in an email. "All patrons must continue to pass through magnetometers upon entry to the Ohio State Fair."

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There are limits to where weapons are permitted, however. They are allowed outside only on the fairgrounds. Patrons cannot carry firearms into buildings on the fairgrounds, Shoults said.

In the past, as with this year, "if they would like to enter a building, they were permitted to return their firearm to their vehicle and return to the grounds with a handstamp then enter buildings," Shoults said. "All buildings have signs posted in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code which prohibits a firearm, deadly weapon or dangerous ordinance in the buildings."

Security increased for Ohio State Fair 2022

In the wake of recent mass shootings across the U.S., security will be increased for the popular event, Nihiser said.

Asked what types of resources the Ohio Highway Patrol plans to devote toward safety at the state fair, Nihiser said he was unable to comment out of security concerns, but he did say that a large number of troopers would be present.

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"We're going to be highly visible and making sure that fairgoers are safe," he said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State Fair 2022 increases security with Highway Patrol presence