INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair’s theme The Soundtrack of Summer offers up some great deals on food, concerts, and lots of fun on the midway August 1-17. Started in 1852, the fair showcases the best of Hoosier hospitality.
With prices being high, the Indiana State Fair offers up some less expensive ways to enjoy the last days of summer.
• $2 Tuesday, presented by the Indiana Secretary of State – Enjoy $2 admission, $2 food, and $2 rides every Tuesday!
• $5 Value Menu – Savory eats and sweet treats for $5 and under, available every day. Grab a Value Menu map at any Fair Information Booth.
• Taste of the Fair, presented by Pepsi – Try this year’s wildest, most creative new eats and vote for your favorite.
Concerts are free, and feature some great artists like Three Dog Night (Aug. 1), Babyface (Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.), Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers (Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m.), and Melissa Etheridge (Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.). For kids, they’ll love fishing (catch and release) at the DNR building (10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.). The daily parade of tractors on Main Street happens at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and 6:30 p.m. all other days.
Don’t forget the livestock — swine, cows, sheep, goats — and the horses, donkeys, llamas, alpacas and mules in the barns. Check out the competitions and judging at the many pavilions at the fairgrounds. A tractor shuttle is free and can take you anywhere you want to go on the fairgrounds.
Don’t forget your favorite food stands and lemon-shakeups, a milkshake from the Dairy Barn, or perhaps an adult beverage at the Beer and Wine Garden and Building.
Pioneer Village is a wonderful place to step back in time to see what Indiana was like for settlers in the state, and there’s always an interesting exhibit or two of old-time farm equipment.
The Midway is a gathering spot for families who love the coasters and wheels, or the slower rides for those of us a little faint of heart. Wristbands are available for sale. At night, the Midway lights up, looking magical under the dark skies.
Tickets are available online at https://www.indianastatefair.com/p/tickets. Admission at the gate is $16.80, with a $1 discount if you bike to the fair. Parking is $10. Advance tickets online at indianastatefair.com are $14 with a $1 processing fee.
Fairgrounds parking is $10 per vehicle. Available parking areas are located in the Fairgrounds Infield, South Lot (38th Street) and at the Indiana School for the Deaf (42nd Street), while space is available. Accessible parking can be found in the southeast & west corners of the infield, adjacent to the ADA accessible walk tunnels — as well as in the South Lot, the Indiana School for the Deaf Lot, and behind the Indiana Arts Building.
