Weekly View » Indiana State Fair

“Step Right Up” to the Indiana State Fair August 3-19

Weekly View — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 05:11:41 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair is full of traditions and memories for Hoosiers statewide, and this year Fair organizers are adding additional exciting features to enjoy. With a new interactive animal exhibit, a new roller coaster and popular Big Top Circus entertainers, you won’t want to miss this year’s Fair. The Indiana State Fair will run Aug. 3-19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, located on the east side at the corner of 38th St. and Faill Creek Parkway. Advance tickets online at www.indianastatefair.com are only $8 per person per day or a family 4 pack that includes a parking pass is only $30.
Fairgoers will get the chance to try out a new roller coaster, the BulletTrain. This thrilling ride climbs 33-feet high before launching riders into sharp turns and banking curves with fast transitions and drops.

submitted photo
Bello Nock

An Indiana State Fair ticket will also get you access to the Big Top Circus, presented by Bee Window. There are three free shows daily at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. (no 1 p.m. show on Thursdays), headlined by internationally renowned Bello Nock. To complement the Big Top Circus, a “Celebrating Indiana’s Circus History” exhibit will offer an interactive, educational experience based around the circus.
Animal Town, presented by Indiana Farm Bureau, allows fairgoers to learn about their favorite barn yard animals. Animal Town is an interactive exhibit featuring several species of animals every day of the fair from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., including beef and dairy cattle, chickens, goats, draft horses, llamas, rabbits, sheep and swine. Animal Town is located at the east end of the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand.
Also new to the 2018 fair is an appearance by world-champion competitive food eater Joey Chestnut. Chestnut will attempt to break the record for the World’s Ice Cream Eating Championship held at the Fair on August 5 at 2 p.m. At last year’s fair, the world record was broken by Miki Sudo.
Another celebrity appearance will be made by TV host and chef Ted Allen of the Food Network TV show Chopped. Allen is an Emmy and James Beard award winner and the host four Food Network shows, and is a Hoosier by birth. Allen will also be this year’s keynote speaker at the Harvest Dinner, an Indiana State Fair Foundation fundraising event. The Harvest Dinner will take place on August 15 at 5 p.m. in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Harvest Dinner proceeds benefit the Celebration of Champions, which awards cash prizes to 4-H youth winners at the Indiana State Fair. Tables can be reserved at IndianaStateFairFoundation.org.
Speaking of food, new food introductions at the fair this year include the Inside Out Grilled Cheese and Birthday Cake Shake at the Dairy Barn, Deep Fried Sugar Cream Pie and Deep Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich by Urick Concessions, and BBQ Pork Potachoes from the Indiana Pork Producers.
The Chevrolet Free Stage includes major stars such as Rick Springfield on Aug. 3, Kool & the Gang Aug. 9, Hanson on Aug. 10, Warrant on Aug. 11, Grand Funk Railroad on Aug. 15, Robby Krieger of The Doors on Aug. 18. Kirk Franklin will headline the Gospel Music Festival Aug. 19. All shows are at 7:30 p.m.
Grandstand sows include the Balloon Race on Aug. 3 at sunrise, and the Illuminated Tractor Parade at 9 p.m. on Aug. 3 (free admission to both events). Music For All Band Day is Aug. 4 (tickets $6 for adults), Horse pulls o Aug. 7 for $5 admission, Harness racing, cheerleading competition, tractor pulls, rodeo, monster truck shows, and demolition derbies.
Visit the Indiana State Fair Web site for a full schedule and to order tickets in advance.

Indiana State Fair Celebrates Farmers

Weekly View — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 05:10:38 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair is the greatest showcase of the past, present and future of Hoosier agriculture and the Indiana State Fair Year of the Farmer presented by Dow AgroSciences proudly dedicates the Great Indiana State Fair to the farmers who make it happen. To honor and celebrate those who have committed their lives to innovation in agriculture, each day of the 17-day Fair will highlight a different farmer/farm family who represents a different element of Indiana agriculture. These farmers, who were selected in collaboration with Indiana agriculture stakeholders, will be featured on daily highlight sheets for the Fair as well as participate in various events and exhibits all around the Fair.
The Indiana State Fair will be held Aug. 7-23 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St. Gates open at 8 a.m. each day; buildings and exhibits hours are generally 9 a.m.-9 p.m. throughout the Fair (the Home & Family Arts building closes at 8 p.m.). Parking is available inside the fairgrounds for $5 a vehicle. Bicyclists can save $1 off admission when they use one of the secured bike racks on the Monon Trail at 38th and they must enter through Gate 18.
Advance general admission tickets are $8 (plus convenience charge) online at www.in.gov/statefair until Aug. 7. Tickets bought online will be $9 plus a convenience fee throughout the run of the fair. Children 5 and under are free. Admission at the gate is $12.
The Indiana State Fair is the sixth oldest state fair in the United States, starting in 1852 and interrupted only by the Civil War in 1861 and World War II (1942-1945).
Featured performers at the Coliseum this year are Meghan Trainor on Aug. 11, Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion on Aug. 12, Jake Owen on Aug. 14, and Summer Jam on Aug. 15. Tickets to these concerts are sold separately; visit the Web site for more information. There are many free shows at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand, and on the Free Stage.
To get the latest, a full line of competitions and special events at the fair, visit the Fair’s Web site or download their mobile app to your smartphone.

“The Year of the Coliseum” at the Indiana State Fair Aug. 1-17

Weekly View — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 05:11:55 +0000

INDIANPOLIS — After seven years of celebrating Indiana homegrown products, the Indiana State Fair is celebrating the “Year of the Coliseum” during the fair’s 17-day run Aug. 1 – 17. The 18-month, $63 million Coliseum Complex renovation that wrapped up in April is the largest project in the fairgrounds’ 123-year history.
Much of the structure’s 75-year history was preserved by reinstalling 96 original seats; recreating the original terrazzo floor; and leaving original walls and steel support beams exposed. The renovation finished three months ahead of schedule and includes the adjoining Youth Arena, a 30,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose facility that opened last August.
The renovation did little to change the outside appearance of the Coliseum, but the inside has been completely transformed and now boasts several amenities that include a spacious lobby with elevators, more than 70 wall-mounted flat-screen TV monitors, double-tiered seating with great sight lines, an overhead LED video scoreboard, and new sound system.
The $63 million renovation makes the Coliseum complex the only modern, mid-sized multi-purpose facility in Central Indiana.
State Fair headline concerts are returning to the Coliseum for the first time in 30 years, and there’s a wide variety of shows to check out. The 2014 Shane Co. Coliseum Concert Series includes Phillip Phillips – Aug. 5 at 8 p.m.; $25 and $35; American Idol Live! 2014 Tour – Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.; $25, $39.50 and $59.50; Pitbull – Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.; $35, $45 and $75; Hunter Hayes – Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.; $35 and $45; Jim Gaffigan – Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.; $25, $35 and $45. Shane Co. Coliseum Concert Series tickets can be purchased at the Indiana State Fair Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
In between the concerts, the Coliseum will be alive with a lot of livestock shows, Draft horse shows and other special events. Check out the Coliseum “Selfie Stations,” souvenirs, and a free Digital History Book that people can find at www.indianastatefair.com.
Another new feature of this year’s fair is the Indiana Beer and Wine Exhibition located in the Grand Hall on Main Street. The new exhibition, open only to adults 21 and older, will be open every day of the fair, Aug. 1 – 17, from 1 to 9 p.m. with a wide variety of Indiana wineries and Indiana craft brewers on hand to offer tastings and educate consumers on their products. It will also include an educational display from the Indiana State Museum’s American Spirits exhibit. This is the first time the State Fair has offered alcohol for sale since 1946 following a state law that was created to ban it due to a littering issue during the fair. The exhibition will offer Indiana beer and wine for sale by the glass as well as smaller tasting samples to allow visitors a chance to try a wide assortment of drinks. Each patron will be limited to a strict three drink maximum that will require a token in exchange for each 12 ounce beer or 5 ounce glass of wine. Tokens will be available for $5 each. In addition, all glasses of beer and wine sold must be consumed inside the Grand Hall; there will be no roaming the fairgrounds with alcohol.
The Indiana State Fair is open daily at 8 a.m. Exhibition halls and buildings are open from 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. General admission is $10 with kids under 5 free. Discount tickets are available online at www.indianastatefair.com and various retailers. Fairgrounds parking is $5 a vehicle on a first-come-first served basis. Park at Glendale Mall’s Rural St. lot and take the shuttle to the fair for free, or take the Fairtrain from Fishers for $12 (adults) or $8 (children) for a round trip journey. Visit www.itm/events/fairtrain for more information and schedule.

Applause! Aug. 9-16

Weekly View — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 05:08:31 +0000

• The Indiana State Fair App on your smartphone is really useful for plotting your route to your favorite destinations and food vendors. “Let’s see, on the way to the Free Stage from here, we’re passing the kettle corn place and fried butter stand, which is next to the lemon shake-ups.” Ah, technology, thou art beautiful.
• Big shout-out to a successful Ice Cream Social at the Irvington Historical Society. The jazz band was great, the weather was perfect, and it went without a hitch. Thank you to Wyliepalooza for donating ice cream!
• ABC News on Aug. 2 featured an eastsider, Danielle Emerson Beck, and her Web site, Indy Lost Pets, in their role in exposing a “pet flipper” in town.
• Looking forward to seeing The Man Who Came to Dinner at the Irvington Presbyterian Church Aug. 16. The church has been been doing some innovative programs for the community.
• The Feast of Lanterns will be happening Aug. 24, and they need volunteers to help set up, sit in booths, etc. To sign up to volunteer, visit www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/595497876068 with your information.
• On Aug. 10, Eskenazi Health Center Blackburn will conduct a free children’s health fair featuring sports physicals, immunizations and exciting children’s games. The annual Eskenazi Health Center Blackburn Children’s Health Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Eskenazi Health Center Blackburn, 2700 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. in Indianapolis.
• St. Philip Neri Church in conjunction with Englewood Church is hosting a “Celebration of our Community in Peace” at St. Philip Neri Church, 550 N. Rural on Aug. 6 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. There will be grilling hamburgers, snacks and drinks. There will also be entertainment for all ages. They are requesting that folks RSVP by calling the parish office at 317-631-8746.
• The last launch party for Ichabod’s Sketchbook will be held Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Bookmamas in Irvington. Readings begin at about 7 p.m. The books have featured many good local writers over the past few years. Also, Katie Darby Mullins, Stephanie French-Mischo and Matt Young will be reading from their works published by Midwestern Gothic at Bookmamas, on August 16 at 6:30 p.m. For those of us who love the written word, it’s nice to have a local spot to buy books by locals.
• The Vulgar Boatmen will be performing Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. at Broad Ripple Park, 1550 Broad Ripple Ave. This is part of the “Pay What You Want” series. Get tickets are Indy.gov/concerts — all of the proceeds go to support the Indianapolis Parks Foundation.

State Fair Celebrates the Year of Popcorn

Weekly View — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 05:11:26 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS —This year’s Indiana State Fair begins August 2, and promises to be popping with great entertainment, new exhibits, and old-fashioned fun. This year’s theme is the “Year of Popcorn,” celebrating the fact that Indiana is the second largest producer of popcorn in the United States. Fair officials plan to unveil the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball August 3 at 10 a.m. in the Ball State Ag/Hort Building on the Fairgrounds. The giant ball will be a sight to see, but it will be more than an edible oddity. It will be used in the fair’s new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education program that teaches children different educational concepts through exhibits and displays at the State Fair. The program was developed around 7th – 12th grade learning standards and includes three other attractions in addition to the popcorn ball.
Another new feature to the Indiana State is the Glass Barn, located along Farmer’s Blvd. across from the Farm Bureau Building. For the past three years, the Indiana State Fair and Indiana’s soybean farmers have been working together to tell the story of modern production agriculture and the Glass Barn is the result. Glass Barn visitors will meet three of those real Hoosier family farmers: Joe, a soybean farmer; Amy, a dairy farmer; and Heather, a hog farmer. They are featured prominently throughout the exhibit that has four distinct, interactive areas containing a variety modern technologies to mimic the current tools used in today’s agriculture. The building’s unique design by Jonathan Hess of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects includes seven roof peaks that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also serve as a funnel to gather rain water that is fed into surrounding gardens – an environmentally conscience way to maintain beautiful landscaping while conserving water.
When the Indiana State Fair opens, it will unveil a brand new multi-purpose facility that is a key component to the massive $53 million Fairgrounds Coliseum renovation that began last October. The 30,000 sq. ft. Youth Arena debuts by hosting the 4-H Horse & Pony contesting classes and will then be the site of many other significant events and competitions throughout the fair’s 17-day run. The Youth Arena is located in the space previously occupied by the Outdoor Arena between the Coliseum and the South Pavilion. The Youth Arena, however, is an enclosed, climate controlled facility that now joins all three venues together. The building will be officially dedicated during the fair Aug. 10 at 5 p.m.
When the Coliseum renovation is complete in 2014, it will return to hosting many of the events that will be in the Youth Arena this year. It will also become the new site for the fair’s headline concert series. State Fair visitors will be able to see the construction progress on the Coliseum as the Indiana State Fair Foundation hosts daily tours of the 74 year-old venue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the fair’s 17-day run. Fairgoers may enter the Coliseum’s east side and take the quick trip across the floor before exiting through its west doors.
From the monster trucks to the buckin’ broncs, fairgoers will be able to hear all the entertainment at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand well before they see it. It starts with the clash of cymbals during the 67th annual Music Travel Consultants Band Day Contest Aug. 2 and finishes with the crash of old cars at the Lucas Oil Demolition Derby Aug. 18. Classic 1980’s rock, upbeat pop and down home country are only a few of the music genres that will get fairgoers on their feet at this year’s Indiana State Fair, Aug. 2 – 18. The artists also span all generations – from Disney’s Coco Jones to 1960’s stars like The Turtles that are part of the “Happy Together Tour.” For a full listing, visit the Indiana State Fair Web site at indianastatefair.com
Gates open daily at 8 a.m. and close 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday or 9:30 p.m. on Firday at Saturday. The Fairgrounds is located at 1202 E. 38th St. General admission is $10; advance tickets (available at www.indianastatefair.com) are $7; kids 5 and younger are free. Download the free State Fair App to your smartphone for listings of every fair event for every day of the fair; a special separate listing of all the Marsh Free Stage concerts; general information on hours, admission and special discounts; a special parking map showing the most convenient places to park; and a sharing feature that allows users to post comments and photos to their Facebook friends and Twitter followers, plus offers online sales of discount tickets.

Front Page Profile: Ride a Train To or From the Indiana State Fair This Year

Weekly View — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 05:09:40 +0000

(Paid Business Advertorial)

Volunteers and staff of the Indiana Transportation Museum are wrapping up preparations for this year’s FairTrain™ the historic passenger train has run to the Indiana State Fair for 30 years.
The Museum’s authentic train from the 1940’s is a big part of the non-profit’s educational program and the FairTrain is one of its biggest fundraising projects. Riding it is also a way experienced Fair-goers beat the traffic and parking congestion.
The train travels the Nickel Plate Railroad from the Fairgrounds through Castleton to Fishers. Trains are scheduled every hour and a half in each direction. Details can be found on the Museum’s website at: ITM.org
“Boys and girls love the train,” said Museum Board member and professional librarian, Lavonne Stage. “It’s a great opportunity for families to spend time together. The anticipation and excitement of the journey fires up kids’ curiosity about the history, science and art of the railroad.”
“One of the big things we want to emphasize this year,” said Museum Chairman Jeff Kehler, “is that people can board the train at the Fairgrounds station and ride to Fishers and back. Studies found many people in Indianapolis didn’t know that was possible.” To increase accessibility, the Binford neighborhood group, BRAG, worked with the Museum to open a stop at 71st Street.
For those who ride to Fishers, a short stopover lets people stretch, look over the train and visit the Museum’s store in the station.
The Fishers station is located on 116th Street 5 blocks west of the I-69 Interchange. The Indianapolis station is on the east edge of the Fairgrounds at 39th Street. The 71st Street stop is located one block west of Graham Road just off Binford Boulevard. Free parking adds to the train’s convenience and is available at both the Fishers station and the 71st Street Kroger store, a block from the train stop.
Reservations are not needed. Space is available on a first-come basis. Tickets can be purchased at the Fishers station, at the 71st and Binford Kroger store and on the train at the Fairgrounds station. All tickets are round trip. Adult fares are $12, Youth fares for ages 2 to 12 are $8 and children under 2 who don’t occupy a seat ride free.
There’s nothing like the FairTrain. While historic trains run elsewhere, no other organization has ever run 18 trains a day, now for 17 days in a row, for 30 years. Museum staff proudly claim their railroad schedules as many daily trains and moves as many people during the Fair as some commuter railroad routes.
For over 100 years railroads were the biggest most important industry in America. They exerted a powerful influence on peoples’ imaginations and helped give rise to Americans’ characteristic determination and can-do attitude. They shaped many aspects of modern life from science and technology to finance, law and the arts. The train helps bring the railroads’ stories to life so they can inspire future generations with the ingenuity, daring and dedication of the past.
The FairTrain runs from 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. throughout the run of the Indiana State Fair, August 2-18. For more information visit ITM.org