5 things to know about the NEW Montgomery County Fairgrounds as it prepares for its first big show

Here are five things to know about the new fairgrounds.

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Central location

The new Montgomery County Fairgrounds & Expo Center at 645 Infirmary Rd. in Jefferson Twp. is about a half mile from Liberty Road, a crossroads about smack in the middle of the county that long ago served as the county’s legal hub.

“It’s only fitting that the fairgrounds is being located in the center of Montgomery County,” said Steven Woolf, Jefferson Twp. administrator. “That will help accessibility by any resident that wants to travel to the fairgrounds from any point around the county.”

The fair’s office as well as Montgomery County’s Ohio State University Extension office will be sharing a new space in the nearby county-owned Calumet Center at 580 Calumet Lane.

Cool times 

Unlike the buildings at the former fairgrounds in Dayton, the main expo building will be air conditioned, a feature likely to comfort when the fair opens July 9.

Parking for all 

Counting overflow parking, there is room for up to 2,000 vehicles at the new site, which altogether encompasses 157 acres. About 300 of the spots are currently asphalt with a couple hundred more planned. Hundreds are now gravel with overflow on grass. Only about 600 vehicles could squeeze into the fairgrounds along South Main Street in Dayton.

Familiar feature 

What won’t change is the large vertical artwork visitors will pass by when entering the new fairgrounds gate – only on foot. The two, two-part historic cast aluminum reliefs depicting agricultural life will be reused on the entrance gate. The distinctive artworks were created by the late Dayton sculptor Robert C. Koepnick.

No grandstand, but… 

The $15 million initial build-out does include a grandstand, but temporary bleachers will be brought in along a new events field. The area will host the pulling events and others that were typically staged on the infield of the old horse track in Dayton.

A horse track is included on the long-term conceptual master plan, but finances are not yet available, according to the fair board.

VIDEO: Here’s what the park looked like before the renovation