When fried foods that shouldn’t be fried, rickety rides, and pledge of allegiance come together, it can only mean one thing – the return of the Ashland County fair.

The Ashland Fair occurs annually during the third week of September.

As always, the event brought in Ashland residents, as well as people from other cities, and even university students.

The fair had entertainment for the kids, including rides, petting zoos, and pony rides, as well as attractions for the adults, such as the derby and the tractor pull.

According to the Chandlers, “the kids enjoyed the pony rides, and we really have enjoyed the fair more than usual this year.”

Many of the vendors who have been working the fair for years have noticed a change in terms of fairgoers.

Some vendors have gotten more attention from the residents. Others, however, have not been quite so fortunate.

“They are perfect,” said a fried pickle vendor. “They’re very good, but we’re getting no progress from the residents attending the fair.”

Ashland University students have something specific to look forward to – “The Secret Menu.”

The Secret Menu is a mix of some of the more unorthodox foods.

Every year, students from the Journalism and Digital Media department get together to go and have one of the brave students take on this challenge and see how well they can handle eating these foods. This year, the brave student was junior, Dave Immel.

The foods for the Secret Menu this year were a mix of French waffles, fried Swiss cheese, and an elephant ear.

Such a meal would would make the average person sick to their stomach, but not Immel.

“It was worth it in every way, shape, and form,” Immel said. “It tasted sweet, savory, crispy…It was everything I wanted it to be.”

Whether you are a resident or a student attending the university, the Ashland County Fair is an exciting time for the city, and many can’t wait to see what next year will have to offer.