Richwood Independent Fair

08/29/2026

🏁 THE LIGHTS ARE SHINING BRIGHT!💡🐎

It’s been a long time since this racetrack was lit up, and even longer since anything raced under the lights here in Richwood. But that all changes Tuesday night!

After investing more than $100,000 to replace the racetrack lighting, we are incredibly excited to bring two nights of harness racing under the lights to the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair!
Our hope is that by making harness racing our prime-time entertainment, we can bring an even bigger crowd out to enjoy the races, the fairgrounds, and everything Richwood has to offer.

🎟️ TUESDAY IS OUR FREE FAIR PREVIEW DAY!
Admission to the fair is FREE on Tuesday!
And we’re giving you even more reason to stick around for the races…

🎁 GIVEAWAYS BOTH TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY NIGHT!
We’ll be giving away prizes between races, including THREE FLAT-SCREEN TVs! 📺📺📺
You must be present to win.

🎰 YOU ASKED, WE LISTENED.
Paramutual betting will be available on Wednesday night for the races. (The company who provides the service was unavailable on Tuesday). Come ready to place your bets!

We also want to take a moment to thank the people and organizations who helped make this project possible:
Union Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Joe & Fran Darmofal
Speedwavz
VFW Post 870
Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association

This project represents a major investment in our fairgrounds and in bringing great entertainment back to Richwood. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.
The lights are new. The track is ready. The horses are coming.

Now we just need YOU in the grandstands!
🏁 Two nights. Under the lights. Right here in Richwood.
Let’s bring the roar of the racetrack back to life! 💡🐎

08/27/2026

We caught a break last night and missed the rain! We’ve had a few questions so wanted to jump on here and clear up any confusion.

⚫️ Campers are welcome to start moving in Sunday afternoon after 1pm. Most of the spots are in really good shape considering the rain we’ve received this month. Waiting till Monday if you can is even better but if you must move in on Sunday afternoon we’ll be ready for you! 🏕️ Campers in the 300 section may want to bring some boards to park on as these spots are the softest still. If you have any issues feel free to contact Todd Hamilton and he will help you out. 740-360-9574.

⚫️ New this year, campers will receive 2 season passes with their spot. These passes can be picked up when you check into the office when arriving at the fairgrounds. The office will be open Sunday from 1pm-6pm, Monday and Tuesday from 9am-8pm.

⚫️ We are spraying for mosquitoes and ask everyone to stay off the grass areas until Sunday afternoon. We’re doing our best to make the area as enjoyable as possible this year!

⚫️ The 2026 Richwood Fair will most definitely include rides as usual. They are waiting it to dry up a little before moving in but we expect to start seeing them roll through town on Saturday morning.

Looking forward to spending a great week with all of you! ❤️

08/22/2026

Last call for Open Class Fine Arts Entries! We will be here in the office until 4pm today. Enter today or you’ll be left out of the fun until next year! 😅

We're getting closer! 🎉

It’s time for your Open Class entries! 🏆

We’ll be at the Fair Office Monday–Saturday from 11 AM–4 PM this week taking Open Class entries and selling passes.

⏰ ENTRY DEADLINE: THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 4 PM!

Can’t make it during office hours? No problem! Just drop your entries in the dropbox on the Secretary’s Office door.

We can’t wait to see all of your Open Class entries at the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair! 🎡🐄🌽

https://richwoodfair.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Entry-Form-2026.pdf

08/21/2026

Next up on our Diamond Sponsor Thank You Tour is Scheiderer Fencing!

Caleb, Monica, and their team have been a great partner to the Richwood Independent Fair for years. They build fences for us every year and have played a major role in some of the biggest improvements around our fairgrounds.

From the harness racetrack fence to the perimeter fence around the fairgrounds, and most recently, a new fence helping contain the grandstand area, their work can be found all over the grounds.

But their support goes far beyond building fences. Caleb and Monica are always willing to lend a hand and help supply the equipment we need to keep the fair moving. And when we need to keep something in or out, Scheiderer Fence is always one of our first calls! 😉

We’re incredibly thankful for their partnership, their support, and their willingness to step up whenever we need them.

Thank you to Caleb, Monica, and everyone at Scheiderer Fence for being such a great Diamond Sponsor and friend of the Richwood Independent Fair! 🎡❤️

We appreciate you!

08/20/2026

Thank You, VFW Post 870! 🇺🇸

Our Diamond Sponsor Thank You Tour continues with a huge thank you to VFW Post 870 for their incredible support of the Richwood Independent Fair!

Their generosity helps make so many parts of our fair possible. VFW Post 870 proudly makes Senior Day possible by covering the cost of meals for our seniors, helps provide the gate workers who greet each guest as they enter the fairgrounds, and continues to step up in support of important capital improvement projects.

Most recently, they have been a tremendous supporter of our new racetrack lighting project, helping us continue to improve the fairgrounds for years to come.

It takes dedicated community partners like VFW Post 870 to make the Richwood Independent Fair what it is, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they do.

Thank you, VFW Post 870, for being a huge Diamond Sponsor and for your continued investment in our fair, our community and our future! ❤️🤍💙

08/19/2026

Our Diamond Sponsor Thank You Tour continues with a longtime friend of the Richwood Independent Fair — Salon 122!

Kerri Duncan has been a loyal supporter of the Richwood Fair for many, many years. Her connection to the fair started as a mom, raising two kids who exhibited rabbits through the fair. But when her kids aged out of exhibiting, Kerri’s support for the fair and our youth never faded.

Today, Salon 122 is a proud Diamond Sponsor, a huge supporter of our Junior Fair Livestock Sale, and the sole sponsor of our annual Showman of Showmen competition!

Kerri believes in the kids we’re raising through 4-H, FFA and the Richwood Independent Fair, and she’s always willing to step up, lend a hand and support the programs that mean so much to our community.

That kind of support means more than we can say. We’re incredibly thankful for Kerri and Salon 122 and their continued investment in the young people who make our fair so special.

Thank you, Kerri, for believing in our kids and continuing to be such a great friend of the Richwood Fair! ❤️

We appreciate you! 🎡🐰🐄🏆

08/18/2026

We’re continuing our Diamond Sponsor thank-yous for the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair, and today we want to recognize Roger's Tire Service!

Roger and his team have always been huge supporters of the Richwood Fair and are the kind of people you know you can count on when you need a hand. Whether we need help in a pinch or are looking for a sponsor for one of the many things that make fair week possible, Roger is always willing to step up and help.

Roger’s Tire Service is an annual sponsor of our amazing fireworks show, a large supporter of our Junior Fair Livestock Sale, and a proud Diamond Sponsor of the Richwood Independent Fair.

But more than all of that, Roger is just a great guy who genuinely believes in giving back to his community. We’re incredibly fortunate to have him and his team in our corner.

Thank you, Roger, for everything you do for the Richwood Fair and for always being willing to help make our fair better!

We appreciate you, Roger! 🇺🇸🎡💥

08/17/2026

We’re proud to continue thanking our Diamond Sponsors of the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair, and today we recognize Will-O-Mar Farms.

This sponsorship was started a few years ago by a great friend of the fair, Jerry Moore, in memory of his father, Bill Moore.

Bill was a tremendous friend of the Richwood Fair. Even in his later years, he could almost always be found around the fairgrounds with his tow-motor, lending a hand and helping the Fair Board with whatever project needed to be done. His dedication and willingness to help were a big part of what made the fair special.

Bill and Martha Moore were truly integral parts of the Richwood Fair family, and we’re incredibly grateful to Jerry for choosing to honor their legacy through this sponsorship.

Every year, the Will-O-Mar Farms Diamond Sponsorship gives us another opportunity to remember two people who gave so much to our fair and our community. ❤️

Thank you, Jerry and Will-O-Mar Farms, for your continued support of the Richwood Independent Fair and for helping us keep the memory of Bill & Martha Moore alive.

We’ll see you at the fair! 🎡🐄🇺🇸

08/17/2026

We're getting closer! 🎉

It’s time for your Open Class entries! 🏆

We’ll be at the Fair Office Monday–Saturday from 11 AM–4 PM this week taking Open Class entries and selling passes.

⏰ ENTRY DEADLINE: THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 4 PM!

Can’t make it during office hours? No problem! Just drop your entries in the dropbox on the Secretary’s Office door.

We can’t wait to see all of your Open Class entries at the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair! 🎡🐄🌽

https://richwoodfair.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Entry-Form-2026.pdf

08/13/2026

Just a few short weeks from now, we’ll open the gates to the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair— and this year will be a special one.

For the first time, we’ll welcome our community into our brand-new Richard “Buzz” Sampson Livestock Pavilion. 🐄

All summer long, we have been working hard to complete this 80' x 120' pavilion, which will serve as the new home for countless Richwood Junior Fair livestock shows and sales for years to come. Our former show arena will now become a dedicated cattle barn, giving our livestock exhibitors even more space and opportunities.

This project was made possible because of one very special Union County farmer — Richard “Buzz” Sampson.

We lost Buzz in 2023, but his legacy will live on at the Richwood Independent Fair for generations to come.

Through a $250,000 grant from the Union County Foundation, given in Buzz’s memory, along with $50,000 in capital funds from the Richwood Independent Fair Board, we were able to make this dream a reality.

And then something pretty incredible happened…

Giving became contagious.

Along the way, additional sponsors stepped up to help us make this pavilion even better. Because of their generosity, the new facility will feature:

• Bleachers along both sides of the show ring
• A brand-new show arena with gates and holding pens
• Placing pens and a make-up arena
• A large overhead video screen jumbotron
• 15ft ceiling fans to help keep exhibitors and spectators comfortable
• And so much more

What started as a vision to build a new livestock pavilion has become something that will serve hundreds of young exhibitors and our community for many, many years to come.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who believed in this project, contributed to it, and helped us bring it to life.

Most importantly, we are proud that the name Richard “Buzz” Sampson will forever be a part of the Richwood Independent Fair.

Buzz’s legacy lives on. ❤️

We can’t wait to open the gates and welcome you all to the 2026 Richwood Independent Fair!

See you at the fair! 🎡🐄🌾