INDIANA — The Indiana State Fair will be held July 30-Aug. 22, after a year’s pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indiana State Fair is the state’s largest multi-day event celebrating Hoosiers’ spirit and agricultural heritage. These 18 days celebrate Indiana agriculture and promote it to hundreds of thousands of people across Indiana, and beyond. Nationally recognized for offering great entertainment, showcasing youth, interactive agriculture education programs, premier facilities and a variety of unique, fun foods, the Indiana State Fair has been an annual attraction for generations of Hoosiers since 1852. The theme of the 2021 Indiana State Fair, “Celebrating the Hoosier Spirit,” is dedicated to celebrating all things Indiana and the resiliency of the Hoosier Spirit. For more information, visit www.indianastatefair.com.
This year, the fair will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, opening from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. General admission at the gates is $13 for everyone over 5 years of age. Discount tickets are available at IndianaStateFair.com
State Fairgrounds parking is $10 per vehicle and available at the infield, south lot, and at the Indiana School for the Deaf while space is available. Rideshare drop off points are at 3700 Woodland Ave. and available for Uber and Lyft passengers.
New to this year’s fair: the Hoosier Cruiser Super Wheel allows fairgoers to soar to new heights on the largest Ferris Wheel in the state of Indiana! Standing a whopping 150-feet tall, this giant wheel will be located on the north stretch of the State Fairgrounds and will operate daily throughout the fair. Riders can enjoy one of the wheel’s 36 climate-controlled gondolas that comfortably seats 4 to 6 guests for a breathtaking, birds-eye view of the Fairgrounds and beyond! Tickets are $10 per rider, or $15 for an upgraded, VIP experience.
The Indiana State Fair will kick off at 6:30 a.m. with the PNC Bank Hot Air Balloon Race (free with paid fair admission), viewable from the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand.
photo courtesy Indiana State Fair
The Buttermilk Wafflewich grilled cheese is new to the Dairy Barn this year.
The midway always delights with rides for thrill-seekers. Advance discount wristband tickets are $25, sold online through Aug. 1 on the Web site, and on-site sales are $35 per day. The Sleep Number Skyride is $6 and takes you one way over the fair. Individual tickets for the midway are $1.50 each.
Free concerts are available every day, and include John Waite and Kyle Cook of Matchbox 20 on July 31, Kenny “Babyface” Nelson on Aug. 8, Vince Neil on Aug. 13, and the Beach Boys on Aug. 20.
Shuttle service is free for everyone this year, and is a great way to get around the fairgrounds after you’ve hit the Dairy Barn, visited the Cattleman’s Tent, eaten your weight in fried food, stopped at the Cheese Sculpture in the Ag/Hort building, fed the goats, taken in the daily parade of vintage tractors, visited the World’s Biggest Boar, strolled through the Pioneer Village, taken the kids on every ride, and rocked out to a free concert.
