INDIANAPOLIS — The 86th annual Marion County Fair opens its gates on Friday, June 17 for 10 days of fun-filled, action-packed activities and adventures designed to delight the entire family. The event takes place at the 123-acre Marion County Fairgrounds, 7300 East Troy Ave., located just east of the I-465 & Southeastern Avenue interchange. Gates open at 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends. General admission to the grounds is $5 per person; children 5 and under are free, members of the military with valid ID are free, and parking always is free in convenient fairgrounds lots.
Special discount admission events include the Sunday, June 19 Father’s Day Celebration when all men receive $2 off regular admission; Monday, June 20 Senior Night when fairgoers age 55-plus receive $1 off admission with ID, and Wednesday, June 22 Ladies Night when all female fairgoers receive $2 off admission.
Once on the grounds, fair visitors will discover a schedule full of fun and fabulous events to explore: delicious fair foods to savor; popular displays in the 4-H, Family Arts and Marketplace Buildings; thrilling competitions at the Grandstand, Horse Arena and Coliseum; continuous entertainment on the Park Stage; urban farming demonstrations at Peaceful Grounds; one of Indiana’s best midways, and much more.
Among events and activities are many demolition derbies, motorcycle, monster trucks, ATV drag races, a bull riding rodeo, and the always-popular 4-H dog competitions and horse competitions. Talent contests, the Queen and Princess pageants, and lots of Kid’s Day activities are fun for the whole family. Don’t miss the Great Bear Show June 17-20, the Fred Astaire Dance Party, and the many other special events going on during the run of the fair. This year, there will be a Famous Hoosiers Bicentennial Celebration & Salute to Jim Richter, “The Broom Guy” on June 23.
The Park Stage will feature performers such as Carly Brooke, Mike Beach, Cook & Belle, gospel music, and many more. Also make sure you check out the Starfire Cloggers, the baby contest, Silly Safari shows, the calling contest, and other fun activities on the stage.
What would a county fair be without the animals? Both farm and exotic animals will be featured throughout the fair. 4-H members will have their animals, large and small, on the grounds for a variety of competitions involving horses and ponies, dogs, cats, poultry and swine, along with open class swine, sheep and poultry shows. STAR Academy’s FFA Petting Zoo and CC’s Exotic Pets will be on hand with displays, and adoptables will be on site from the Humane Society of Indianapolis and Chihuahua Rescue of Indiana. The Great Bear Show — one of the nation’s oldest animal education troupes — will present sessions June 17-20 which educate the public about bears and how to co-exist with them. And back by popular demand, the Elanco Elite Performance K9s will go through their incredible paces during multiple performances June 24-26.
A wide range of contests will be held in the Family Arts Building, from appetizers to candy to salsa. An Indiana-themed Decorated Cake Contest will be held on opening night with entries fashioned to salute the state’s Bicentennial celebration. Other contests will include brownies, cookies, pies, the Cornmeal Challenge, cheesecake, and more. Outstanding photography and crafts also will be on display inside Family Arts.
The Marion County Fair’s exceptional midway is provided by North American Midway Entertainment (NAME), headquartered in Farmland, Indiana. NAME provides rides and other amusements to events in 20 states and four Canadian provinces annually, including the Indiana State Fair. The midway offers a mix of old favorites and new attractions each year – rides designed for the enjoyment of youngsters, teens and adults. Visit www.MarionCountyFair.org for information about ride discounts on eight of 10 Marion County Fair days.
