Review: Ohio State Fair 2018 + Trevor Noah Live!

Posted August 22, 2018 by shooting in Music, Travel / 29 Comments

Ohio State Fair and Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah and the Ohio State Fair

Sunday, July 29 in Columbus, Ohio

I’d never been to the Ohio State Fair before, which takes place every year in Columbus, Ohio. However, when I saw that comedian and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah was going to be there, I knew I had to get tickets for my sister and me (this was her birthday gift). If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile now, though, you might remember that my sister had surgery in June. She was okay to go to Columbus and see the show (we figured it wouldn’t be as constantly loud as a concert, and we were right), but we did end up staying in a hotel that night as she was exhausted by the end of our day. Instead of diving straight into Trevor Noah, I thought I’d share a little about the Ohio State Fair first.
SkyGlider takes off!

The Ohio State Fair

  • By buying a ticket to see Trevor Noah, you got access to the fair for that day.
  • We didn’t get to Columbus until later in the afternoon, but that was enough time for us as we don’t really do rides, etc. It was fun just to check some of it out before – and after – the show.
  • One of the first things we did when we entered was ride the SkyGlider, which takes you up over the fair so you can see everything. I’m afraid of heights, but I did okay with this! I just didn’t look straight down – instead, I tried to focus on the things I could see before me. It was a fun way to see some of what the fair had to offer.
SkyGlider view
  • On the SkyGlider, I saw a building called the Taste of Ohio Cafe. We knew we wanted to get something a bit substantial to eat before chowing down on some of the more fun food options, so once we got off the ride, we headed there. The cafe is broken into “sections” – pork, chicken, etc. and all the food is from Ohio farmers.
Yum!
  • My sister and I went to the pork area and got BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, applesauce, a cookie, and chips all for $8 each. We added a drink and our total was $10. That’s pretty awesome for being at a fair!
  • After we ate, we walked around some and I got a root beer float. My sister got some dippin dots, because she didn’t want anything too heavy.
On the SkyGlider
  • Soon it was time to enter the venue for the show – there are various buildings on the fairgrounds, and Trevor Noah was performing in one, kind of in the middle, so it wasn’t hard to get to (read below for more on Trevor Noah).
  • After the show, the fair was still open, so we got on the SkyGlider again and headed back toward where we had entered. It was really fun to be on it at night with everything all lit up.
SkyGlider at night
  • We didn’t leave right away after getting off the SkyGlider. Instead, I got a funnel cake and my sister got a hot dog.
  • On our way into the fair earlier that day, we had seen tractor “rides” that were dropping people off and picking them up, so when we left, we went over to the tractors and told them where we were parked (it was based on colors) and they told us which tractor ride to take. This is definitely a wonderful service! Our tractor ride actually ended up dropping us off right by my sister’s car – that was coincidence- but you’ll definitely get pretty close to where you parked and it’s much easier than walking (especially at night, and if you’ve been standing all day, you’re probably exhausted!)
Tractor ride to the car!
  • This was the first time my sister and I had been to the Ohio State Fair (we’ve been to the Kentucky State Fair) but we’d definitely go again. Obviously there is a lot more to see and do, but we didn’t go for a long time. Granted, I really enjoyed what we did do and see, and I think having a show to attend makes it even more fun.
Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah

  • Trevor Noah is the host of The Daily Show; he took over after Jon Stewart. He’s also a comedian. My sister is a big fan, so I bought us tickets to see him live for her birthday.
  • Our seats were really great – we were essentially right in front of the stage – just further back. It gave us a great view! There were screens throughout the place though, so you could look at that if you wanted a closer-view of Noah.
  • There was an opening act, though I can’t remember his name (I’m bad with names). He was funny though – he talked to the audience a lot.
  • After the opening act, Trevor Noah came on stage and he began by making some jokes about fairs in general.
  • One such fair joke was about how it’s only at fairs that guys will carry around large stuffed animals with such pride. Like “Yeah, I won this.” He said even on Valentine’s Day, the guy will practically throw the stuffed animal at the girl like “here, take this, I bought this for you” but at a fair, they carry it around with pride!
SkyGlider at night
  • While The Daily Show often gets political, not all of Trevor’s stand-up focused on that. He actually talked a lot about growing up in South Africa and his mom, who sounds amazing. It just made me more determined to read his memoir, Born a Crime, as soon as I can.
  • He did tell a story about being able to visit the White House and interview Barack Obama near the end of his term. The funny part is after the interview, Obama hangs out a bit and just talks to Trevor. Then he asks if Trevor would be willing to come back and be part of a dinner for Obama’s aids. Now, Trevor immediately thinks AIDS, as in capital-A AIDS, so he thinks Obama is telling him he has AIDS and he’s doing a dinner/benefit for it. Of course, Obama means the White House aids – people that worked for the White House and he wants to do something for them before he leaves. Hah! It was too funny, and of course, Trevor telling the joke makes it funnier.
  • I would definitely recommend seeing Trevor Noah live if you ever get the chance! It was worth the trip for sure!
Review of the 2018 Ohio State Fair + Trevor Noah Live #ontheblog #trevornoah #ohiostatefair2018 Share on X

29 responses to “Review: Ohio State Fair 2018 + Trevor Noah Live!”

  4. Jen

    What a fun fair. I seem to recall traveling through Ohio many years ago and staying in a hotel right behind the fair when it was going on. We had an early flight so I didn’t go, but fun!

    Reply
  6. Charlotte

    Oh, I love Trevor Noah and so glad you got to take your sister to see this—she must have been elated! The fair sounds amazing and your food choices are making me hungry. Bryan and I went to a food festival and dropped $40 on drinks, pierogies and donuts a few weeks again, so glad the food there is affordable! Also I totally lol’d at the joke about the stuffed bears—so true!

    Reply
  7. Sophia Rose

    I just realized that I’ve never been to the State Fair since I moved to Michigan- only county fairs. Guess I have a bucket list item now.

    That is so neat that you took your sister to see Trevor Noah for her birthday. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Dara

    We went to the MO State Fair last year. I think fairs are a lot of fun! Also, funny that we both wrote about local adventures today! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Beth

    Sounds like a lot of fun! I think it’s awesome you got to see Trevor Noah and that you had great seats! I think it would be fun to see a show like that live. I love riding the Sky Glider at our State Fair too, it is a great way to see everything! Our fair starts tomorrow, so excited!

    Reply
  14. Sara

    I really want to go to the MN State Fair which is apparently one of the best in the country?! It’s only 2 hours from me but I’ve never gone. Also, I have an absolute crush on trevor Noah. LOVE him.

    Reply
  16. Heidi

    I haven’t been to a state fair in years. It used to be such a big deal in Idaho, I am sure it still is. We should go check out the one here in Oregon it is coming up very soon. Looks like you had a great time. The Sky Glider looks like a great way to stake out what you want to see.

    Reply
  20. Sarah Howe

    Ah looks great! I would have loved the sky rider and all the food 🙂 nice to have some time with family too 🙂 thanks for sharing with #bloggersbest

    Reply
  21. Annette

    I’ve been wanting to see Trevor Noah live! It sounds like you had an amazing time at the fair and at the show. I would agree with Trevor that men will carry their large stuffed animals around a fair with pride. HA! What fun!

    Reply

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