The State Fair was created in 1851 when the Indiana General Assembly passed “An act to encourage agriculture” which included a new board...the State Board of Agriculture. One of the first things the Board did was work to create the first Indiana State Fair. The Indiana State Fair Commission has presented 163rd Fairs. Bad math, you say? No. Two wars (Civil War and WW II) have canceled fairs.
The first fair in 1852 was held in what is now Military Park in downtown Indianapolis. Indiana was the 6th state to begin holding state agricultural fairs. The first fair was a resounding success. Other Indiana cities and towns housed the Fair through the years. (In order) Indianapolis (Military Park), Lafayette, Madison, Indianapolis (Military Park), New Albany, Indianapolis (Camp Morton), Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, then Indianapolis (Camp Morton) until 1892. In 1892, the Fair began at its current site which was quite rural in 1892.
Agricultural products were the most important thing (value-wise) that Indiana made in the 19th century. The entire economy revolved around farming or products that originated on the farm or making things to improve agriculture. Most of the population lived in rural areas or on farms, until about 1925. Having a State Fair gave farmers a way to come together, exchange new ideas for improving yields, and see the latest ideas in farming techniques and show their best products. Over 150 years later, the Fair still serves this purpose. Agriculture, with its many products, though not as central to the economy as it once was, is still one of Indiana’s most important businesses and adds millions to our economy.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center annually hosts more than 400 meetings, shows, sports and agricultural events, including its signature event, the Indiana State Fair. Laid out over 250 acres, the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center is home to more than 1,000,000 square feet of event space and offers the most flexible event venues in the state of Indiana. The year-round management of the Fairgrounds is overseen by the Indiana State Fair Commission which is a quasigovernmental agency that was established in 1992, with the mission to preserve and enhance the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the annual Indiana State Fair for the benefit of all citizens of Indiana. Additional information is available at http://www.indianastatefair.com.
IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED
The items in this Collection are protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
NOTICES
- Unless expressly stated otherwise, the organization that has made this Item available makes no warranties about the Item and cannot guarantee the accuracy of this Rights Statement. You are responsible for your own use.
- You may find additional information about the copyright status of the Item on the website of the organization that has made the Item available.
- You may need to obtain other permissions for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy or moral rights may limit how you may use the material.