The Indiana State Fair is an annual
state fair that spans 18 days in July and August
in
Indianapolis,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
, U.S. The Indiana State Fair debuted in 1852 at
Military Park in Indianapolis and is the sixth oldest state fair in the U.S.
It is the largest event in the state, drawing between 730,000 and 980,000 visitors annually since 2010.
In 2015, readers of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'' ranked the Indiana State Fair among the ten best state fairs in the country.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center has been the host site of the fair since 1892. Located about north of
downtown Indianapolis, it encompasses , 72 buildings, a 6,000-seat grandstand, and a racetrack. The complex is home to year-round tenants and is used throughout the year for a variety of other gatherings, including trade shows, sporting events, and concerts.
History
19th century
In February 1851, at the urging of
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Joseph Wright, the
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...
passed an act intended "to encourage agriculture" growth in the state, which also included the formation of a State Board of Agriculture. A primary goal of the board was to organize an Indiana State Fair. Indiana was the sixth state to begin holding an annual statewide agricultural fair. On October 20–22, 1852, Indiana's first state fair was held on the grounds of what is now
Military Park, west of downtown Indianapolis. In 1860 a new location for the fairgrounds was established on approximately along Alabama Street, north of the city.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, the county fairgrounds was converted into
Camp Morton
Camp Morton was a military training ground and a Union prisoner-of-war camp in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the American Civil War. It was named for Indiana governor Oliver Morton. Prior to the war, the site served as the fairgrounds for the In ...
, a prison camp for captured
Confederate soldiers. In 1864, a
sanitary fair was held as part of the larger state fair. In 1865, the fair was held in
Fort Wayne. The gates opened at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on East 38th Street for the first time on September 19, 1892. Since then, the fair has continually been held in Indianapolis.
The Indiana State Fair has been held in Indianapolis for the majority of its existence. Other Indiana cities hosted the event during the 19th century, including
Lafayette (1853);
Madison (1854);
New Albany (1859); Fort Wayne (1865); and
Terre Haute (1867).
20th century
There was no fair held in 1917 and 1918 because of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
nor from 1942 to 1944 because of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
On October 31, 1963, a propane tank exploded in the
Indiana State Fair Coliseum, killing 54 at the scene; another 27 died due to their injuries, with a total of 81 people killed. Around another 400 were injured. It is the deadliest disaster in Indianapolis history.
21st century
Historically, the fair lasted 12 days; however, it was expanded to 17 days (2009–2019), and 18 days in 2021.
On August 13, 2011, high winds from an approaching thunderstorm collapsed the roof over the grandstand stage just before
Sugarland was about to perform, killing seven people and injuring 58.
[''Wall Street Journal''. Jack Nicas,]
Faulty Planning, Stage Cited in Fair Collapse
. April 12, 2012. Concerts were moved indoors to the
Fairgrounds Coliseum, and, during that building's renovation in 2013, events were moved to
Bankers Life Fieldhouse and
Lucas Oil Stadium. The coliseum reopened in 2014.
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
caused the cancellation of the 2020 fair. The fair resumed in 2021 with some
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
measures, but
masks were not required.
Competitions
During each annual run of the Indiana State Fair, several competitions take place. The
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
has a large participation in the fair and competitions are held in numerous areas for 4-H youth members. 4-H winners at county fairs can progress to the state fair with their livestock, crafts, gardening, or other exhibits. The winner at the state fair can, in some cases, advance to a national competition. The winners receive scholarships and other awards.
Other competitions also occur including art contests, a hot air balloon race, and a high school marching band contest, the
Indiana State Fair Band Day on "
Band Day". Adult competitions also occur in various farm-related categories.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds' mile-long oval track has hosted auto races for over a century. The
AAA National Championship
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and m ...
and
USAC National Championship
From 1956 to 1978, USAC Championship Car seasons featured the top teams and drivers in U.S. open-wheel racing. Until 1971, the Championship contained road courses, ovals, dirt courses, and, on occasion, a hill climb. Thereafter, the schedule ...
have hosted Indy car races in 1946 and from 1953 to 1970, traditionally under the name
Hoosier Hundred. The
USAC Silver Crown Series sanctioned the event since 1971. However, the track will be converted to a harness racing facility with an all-weather surface of crushed limestone. The half-mile dirt track in the infield will also be eliminated to allow more parking for the State Fair and other events. The conversion was originally scheduled to occur after the 2019 race, but the conversion was delayed until 2021; the 2021 race was originally scheduled to still be run at the Fairgrounds, but was moved to the
Terre Haute Action Track.
Entertainment
Midway
The Midway is the area of amusement park rides and games. Fairgoers can either buy single-ride tickets or unlimited ride wristbands. Midway rides operate from noon until 10 or 11 pm depending on the day.
Performances
Numerous nationally known entertainers have performed at the Indiana State Fair.
On September 3, 1964,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
performed two sold-out shows to a total audience of nearly 30,000
and, in 1989,
New Kids on the Block set a Grandstand attendance record with 18,509 audience members.
The fair also presents Latino/Hispanic entertainment for Indiana's Hispanic population.
Presidential visits
In 1919, President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of P ...
gave a speech to a crowd of 40,000 on a day known as "Big Thursday." Over the years, Presidents
George W. Bush,
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...
,
John F. Kennedy,
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
have all made appearances at the fairgrounds.
Attendance
See also
*
State fair#List of state fairs
*
List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
References
External links
Official site"Indiana State Fair Highlights: Velocipedes, Lady Aviators, and “Better” Babies" Indiana Historical Bureau
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Festivals in Indianapolis
Tourist attractions in Indianapolis
Indiana culture
State fairs
August events
Festivals established in 1852
1852 establishments in Indiana