A planning committee will evaluate all aspects of the change to a 17 day State Fair before deciding whether or not to make it permanent.

Press Release

INDIANAPOLIS – Themed “More Days, More Fun,” the Indiana State Fair also had more visitors than ever before as the 17-day event concluded Sunday with a record crowd of more than 965,000 attendees – the official final attendance won’t be known until Monday. The fair’s previous total attendance record occurred in 2004 when 900,365 people passed through the gates.

A format change that added five days to this year’s fair had officials wondering how fairgoers would respond, and it appears that families enjoyed having a third weekend to visit the fair.

“This is the attendance range we anticipated,” State Fair Executive Director Cindy Hoye said. “Most importantly, all 4-H families received the full State Fair experience, which, in addition to offsetting the early start of schools, is why we extended the fair in the first place. Now we’ll go back and evaluate the operation to see how we can make it even better next year.”

The State Fair will continue with its 17-day format through at least 2011. A planning committee will evaluate all aspects of the change before deciding whether or not to make it permanent.

Many new promotions and discounts helped drive up this year’s attendance as visitors redeemed a record number of free admission tickets from The Indianapolis Star. They also purchased more than 1,600 of the new $5 value coupon books available in the gift shop. Still, the most talked about new promotion was the $2 Taste of the State Fair Tuesday on Aug. 18 when vendors throughout the fairgrounds offered food samples for just $2.

“Two-dollar food day was a great idea!” said Tina Noel, Indianapolis. “We got a sausage snacker, fried cheese sampler and a corn dog – all just $2 each!”

Other fair highlights included the return of the Indy Super Pull tractor pulls; a visit from Miss America 2009 Katie Stam; the Eastern Regional Championship of the Purina® Incredible Dog Challenge®; and daily shows by The Stars of the Peking Acrobats, which played to standing-room only crowds throughout the fair. Hoosier Lottery Grandstand performances by Keith Urban, Journey, Heart and Demi Lovato also made this a special fair.

Events associated with the Year of Tomatoes presented by Red Gold® were also well received. From the One Can Make a Difference in Tomato Country® Canstruction Competition to the Celebrity Tomato Toss Contest, fairgoers enjoyed the fair’s “tomato flavor,” and Red Gold® enjoyed educating consumers about tomato processing.

“We’ve been part of the State Fair for many years, but not ever to this extent,” said Red Gold® President and CEO Brian Reichart. “We’re proud to be part of the best-attended State Fair ever, and happy that we helped provide some wonderful memories for so many Hoosiers.”

The fair expects to announce next year’s featured agricultural commodity within the next few weeks. Next year’s fair runs Aug. 6 – 22.

About Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair is the state’s largest multi-day event attracting more than 840,000 people annually. Known nationally for its livestock shows, Pioneer Village, Little Hands on the Farm ™ and a variety of unique, fun foods, the Indiana State Fair offers tremendous family entertainment for a gate admission of $8, $7 in advance (kids 5 and younger are free). For more information, please visit www.indianastatefair.com.