Geauga County Fairgrounds removes 'no swords' sign

A year of consistent effort paid off when Geauga County fairgrounds officials finally removed signs banning swords from the property.

It’s the latest victory for Jeff Corbett, who previously persuaded University Heights, Ohio, to remove four illegal no-gun signs from city-owned Purvis Park in 2018. His latest effort is another reminder that citizens can successfully challenge government policies that appear to violate Ohio law.

Here is Jeff’s account of how he got the signs removed.

On September 1, 2025, I emailed BFA Executive Director Dean Rieck for advice after reading that the Ohio Attorney General had ruled that county fairs cannot ban firearms on fairgrounds. I noticed that the Geauga County fairgrounds had signs at its entrances prohibiting swords, even though the county fair hosts a pirate show each fall. The fair’s 2024 online code of conduct also prohibited the “possession or use of weapons or fireworks.”

Using Google Street View, I confirmed that the restrictive signs, including the “No Swords” prohibition, had appeared by May 2025 but were not there in May 2023.

I asked Dean to consult with his legal team. The response he shared with me indicated that carrying a sword is legal in Ohio when done in a non-threatening manner and outside restricted locations. I also contacted Knife Rights, Inc., which informed me that swords are covered by Ohio’s knife and firearms preemption law.

In October, I sent the fair board a letter politely asking it to explain why its policies and signs appeared to contradict state law. When I received no response for several months, I sent another letter in January 2026. I made both requests in a civil, non-threatening manner and simply asked for an explanation.

The board finally responded to my second letter, referring to my first and confirming that it had received it. Officials said they were reviewing the attorney general’s guidance and would update their signs and policies as appropriate.

Several months later, I checked the fairgrounds’ website and discovered that its policies had indeed changed. The new rules prohibited weapons in posted buildings and prohibited harmful objects carried with the intent to harm or intimidate others. However, the signs at the entrances remained.

In July, I emailed the fairgrounds again and followed up with a phone call. This time, I received a response promising that the signs would be updated in time for the fair over Labor Day weekend 2026. They followed through, and the “No Swords” signs came down.

Like the Purvis Park battle in 2017-2018, this was a yearlong effort. My advice to others is simple: Be courteous but persistent when working to remove illegal no-gun or no-weapons signs.

This is another example of how ordinary citizens can effect change (see Cuyahoga Falls man sues Akron over gun prohibition at city park). Most cities and other political subdivisions really do want to comply with the law, but they don’t always keep up with changes to the Ohio Revised Code. Pointing out apparent violations to the right people, remaining polite and professional, and sticking to the facts works in nearly every case (see Ordinary Ohio citizen calls out illegal Cincinnati festival gun ban — and wins!).