Kelly Swiger of Bazetta adds patriotic ribbons and bows to the entrance of the Commercial Building on the grounds of the Trumbull Co. Fair...Kelly and her husband Larry Swiger are members of Bazetta Christian Church, which is planting a flower garden at the entrance to the Commercial Building and were adding some color to the entrance...by R. Michael Semple

Few events in this great nation of ours are rooted so deeply in good old-fashioned American pride than the county fair. County fairs are considered a quintessential slice of Americana because they preserve the agricultural, community, and entrepreneurial heritage of our republic.

As our nation and our Valley continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States throughout the year, mark this week’s 180th Trumbull County Fair, which opens Tuesday, as a must-visit attraction.

Like its counterparts throughout Ohio and the nation, the Trumbull fair originated in the 1800s and fast became an anchor where Americans of all walks of life gather to celebrate farming, admire local crafts, marvel at new innovations, savor a wide array of grandstand entertainment, feast on food delights and enjoy the thrills and chills of dizzying mechanical rides.

The 2026 fair has all of that and more. It also should succeed in solidifying the sturdy foundation upon which the fair has been built over the past 180 years: the county’s robust agrarian roots.

In a nod to the past and to the ongoing America250 hoopla, the fair once again will celebrate the proud history of the perfectly square-shaped Trumbull County, once part of the French colony of Canada (New France) and later the center of the expansive Connecticut Western Reserve under the governance of the esteemed John Trumbull.

The ever-popular Historical Village on the Bazetta Township fairgrounds is steeped in the county’s proud past. It features a wide variety of relocated and replica historical buildings that include the 1845 Orangeville Jail, the 1848 Bazetta Christian Church, a saloon from the former Bristol Inn, a blacksmith shop, a 1920s gas station and the newest addition last year of a 1930s penny theater with seating from the former Copper Penny Masonic Lodge in Vienna.

After a journey through the county’s past, many, many other features make the fair a pleasure-filled trek in the here and now.

As our longtime fair reporter Bob Coupland noted in his fair preview story in our weekend edition, several new attractions will grace the expansive fairgrounds this week. Among them will be a grandstand weiner dog race, a glass blower and woodcarver exhibition, a new home for display of small farm animals, improvements to the grandstand and more.

Of course, the fair boasts a cornucopia of returning fun-filled family attractions that have endured the ages. Among those perennial crowd pleasers are the yummy traditional fair food fare, fast and flying rides from Lowellville-based Lisko Family Midway Amusements, commercial and business exhibits, health displays, floral shows, fine arts competitions and so much more.

Amid all of the commercial hullabaloo, however, fair patrons also should take time out to celebrate the proud legacy of the fair in agriculture. They can do so by visiting the dozens of farm products, farm animals and 4-H displays. Fairgoers also can learn more about agriculture’s proud status as one of Trumbull County’s most productive industries.

How productive? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s census, Trumbull boasts 945 farms with 113,107 acres of fertile growing fields. The annual market value for all crops produced and livestock totals a whopping $85.5 million.

As for one of the fair’s signature curses over the years — the weather — rain is expected to bypass much of this week’s exposition. Only a small chance of showers is forecast during the fair’s run through Sunday.

With cooperative weather and hundreds of inexpensive family-friendly attractions, the 2026 Trumbull County Fair has so much going for it this week. As a vital cog of Americana on this milestone anniversary year and as a staple of the county’s magnificent history and promising future, here’s hoping the six-day exposition enjoys maximum success and record attendance.