Indiana State Fair features popular performers, classic carnival fare

With a diverse group of entertainers and cultural exhibits and a variety of livestock shows, this summer’s Indiana State Fair will offer something for everyone.

Kaley Bontrager, a sophomore at Purdue University, has participated in 10 showings at the state level with both pigs and sheep, and this year she is participating as a worker in the cattle barn.

Bontrager said her favorite feature of the fair is definitely the agriculture.

“The agricultural element is probably the part most people understand the least but definitely the best part for me — especially events like the Grand Drive where they show breed champions,” she said. “It’s amazing and overwhelming.”

Keeping the tradition alive
For more than 150 years, the state fair has celebrated Indiana culture, with specific emphasis on agriculture.

“The fair is really about celebrating agriculture and Indiana’s agricultural roots,” said Andy Klotz, publicity and media relations manager for the Indiana State Fair Commission. “We do that every year, and this year will be no different.”

The fair will feature livestock judging and competitions at the Pepsi Coliseum, as well as the 4-H Sale of Champions, where youth will present their award-winning stock and raise money to put toward their education.

“Pioneer Village is another place where we really show off the history of agriculture,” Klotz said. “And we’ve really added to that recently.”

This year’s village will include a walk-through display of antique farms and artifacts, with volunteer agriculturists explaining and illustrating classic farming techniques and practices. The village will also feature an antique tractor/truck show.

To top off the agriculture theme, this year has also been coined the “Year of Pigs” to honor Indiana’s pork industry. Special attractions include the “Three Little Pigs Playland,” and events such as a “Year of Pigs”-themed cake competition and a celebrity hog-calling contest are set to occur.

Turn up the sound
This year’s diverse lineup of bandstand entertainment promises to attract a variety of music lovers, with Rascal Flatts, KISS and Keith Urban on the concert schedule.

“We are excited about every entertainer we’ve got,” Klotz said.  “We’ve got every genre of music you can imagine. This is the best lineup we’ve ever put together.”
Other scheduled performers include rapper Drake, Disney Channel star Selena Gomez and country favorites Sugarland with Little Big Town.

And for those looking for a bargain, Klotz said there are a number of free concerts as well. Artists include American Idol finalist Bucky Covington and 1980s pop-rock sensation Rick Springfield, known for his 1981 single “Jessie’s Girl.”

The Japanese influence
One new exhibit at this year’s state fair is the “Bridges to Japan” exhibition, a collaborative effort between the Japan-America Society of Indiana and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to educate Hoosiers about Japanese culture and its influence on the state.

“For example, there are three Japanese motor companies with a large presence in Indiana and employing over 40,000 Hoosiers,” Klotz said.  “So for that reason we are having this exhibit.”

“Bridges to Japan” will include a variety of presentations, including a Japanese garden.

“People will really sense the Japanese culture when they walk in that building,” Klotz said.

Artistic Attractions
Another new addition to the fair is the “God Bless America” exhibit, which will feature a 25-foot sculpture of the couple from Grant Wood’s 1930s painting “American Gothic.”

“It’s quite the attraction,” Klotz said. “We’ve got that surrounded with contemporary agricultural messages, so we hope that gets people talking about agriculture and thinking about how far we’ve come from when that painting was created.”

Klotz said there is always impressive craftsmanship — by both amateurs and professionals — to look at.  From woodworking to cake-making and even photography, the fair will offer a wide variety of visually stimulating pieces to enjoy.