There’s something about the Indiana State Fair that always pulls me in. Maybe it’s the smell of fried dough in the August air. Maybe it’s the echo of music from the Free Stage mixing with the lowing of cattle in your head. Or maybe it’s just that the fair has always been there, a late-summer constant in a world that keeps spinning faster.
My first fair memories are pretty dusty—in the best way. I remember going to the rodeo with my family when I was a kid. My dad loved it. The adrenaline, the grit, the pageantry of it all. One year, I got my own little cowboy boots to wear, which made me feel like I was part of the show. I wasn’t, of course—but no one tell five-year-old me that.
By high school, the State Fair became a different kind of rite of passage. I still remember my first “big” country show at the Grandstand: Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, live and larger than life. The lights, the sound, the crowd—I had never seen anything like it. We made time to catch McBride & the Ride on the Free Stage beforehand, too, because even then, I knew the Free Stage was where you caught acts on their way up—or sometimes on a nostalgic second wind. The only disappointment that night? Vince and Reba didn’t sing “Oklahoma Swing” together. I was annoyed. But I got over it quickly.
More recently, my fair visits have had a different rhythm. I’ve made it a point to attend the State Fair Band Day competitions in recent years, and they never disappoint. There’s something uplifting about seeing thirty-plus high school bands from all over Indiana bringing their absolute best to that big, sunbaked track. It’s a reminder that talent and hard work are alive and well across this state.
Between events, I always make time to wander through the animal barns and project displays—the prized vegetables, the woodworking and photography exhibits. It’s humbling how much creativity and craftsmanship lives just down the road from all of us.
And of course, the food. The glorious, absurd, probably-heart-stopping food. Every year, I say I’ll try something new—and every year, I still end up with sirloin tips, a Dairy Bar milkshake, and maybe something covered in bacon or injected with cheese. I regret nothing.
In recent years, the addition of beer to the fairgrounds has been… appreciated. Pricey? Sure. We’re talking Great American Ballpark levels. But after a long day in the sun, a cold Indiana brew hits the spot, even at those prices.
This year’s Indiana State Fair runs through August 17th, and the theme is “Soundtrack of Summer.” You’ll find exhibits on Indiana’s natural beauty, family-friendly art installations, and—as always—an endless buffet of tradition, nostalgia, and fried everything.
The fair changes a little every year. There’s new music, new food, new midway attractions. But it still feels like home.
And if I see a little kid walking into the rodeo wearing little cowboy boots?
Yeah. That’ll hit me right in the heart.