State Fair Opens with a Slam Dunk
Published: Friday, August 4, 2023
The 166th Indiana State Fair opened with a slam dunk in the new Fall Creek Pavilion on the fairgrounds.
Gov. Eric Holcomb characterized the Indiana State Fair as "surreal."
"To think about those of you who have been coming out here for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60—I'll stop there—years and to have just known the place so intimately is a little bit surreal just to breathe it in actually and see it all," he said, looking around at the new facility. "What a way to start not just the day, but also the fair today."
"We have something that no one else has," Holcomb added, about the year-round facility. "And that's something to really be proud of. There's no close second in my mind."
Holcomb described basketball and agriculture as "a match made in heaven played here on earth."
Basketball-themed attractions at the state fair include a Hoopfest, the land of legends and several fair exhibits connecting agriculture to the game. The Harvest Pavilion is a "land of legends" featuring historic Indiana basketball artifacts and several themed activities.
"Basketball in Indiana and agriculture go together because the floors we play the game on are made from the ag industry, the basketball uniforms were originally made from cotton and the basketball was originally made from pig skin. It's in our heritage. It takes agricultural products in order to produce and play the game," said Gwen Mize, president of the Indiana State Fair Board.
She went on to say that both basketball and agriculture are deeply rooted in Indiana.
"The Friday night basketball later created the demand for March Madness—everyone's last chance to get their basketball fix before planting season," Mize said.
Also connecting agriculture to basketball is the state fair itself. The Indiana state fairgrounds was opened in 1892, the same year that basketball was introduced into Indiana.
They're both just staples of Indiana," Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron said. "I mean when you think of Indiana you think of agriculture and you think of basketball."
"This truly is the world's greatest showcase of agriculture right here in Indiana state fair," Indiana State Fair executive director Cindy Hoye.
The Indiana State Fair is a good opportunity for farmers to show their passion for agriculture and teach the general public about raising crops and livestock, Indiana Farm Bureau president Randy Kron said.
"We've aligned with the state fair very well in their support of agriculture and just promoting and educating about agriculture. But also, what's very important to Farm Bureau, is the youth leadership and developing future leaders, and I think this is a good spot to start that leadership development," said Kron.
"Kid's learn that responsibility, good work ethics, and, you know, there's been a lot of good leaders who have come out of 4-H programs, state fair programs, and it's something Farm Bureau can be very proud of," he continued.
Kron encourages everyone to come to the state fair and join in the celebration of Indiana agriculture, explore the different livestock shows, exhibits and food.
"I enjoy the livestock shows. That's probably the farmer in me. I like the competition and to see what the kids do. The other thing is the food. Things that I probably shouldn't eat, but once a year I do–you can find just about anything here," Kron said.
Some of the other things at the state fair are the Taste From Indiana Farms, Aug. 10-13, which is in its 30th year. The taste will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Fall Creek Pavilion balcony.
"It's a way for us to try to educate the consumer a little bit about agricultural products, what's grown here. They'll give out samples, but it's all products that are all grown here in Indiana or used here," Kron said. "I think it's just good for the consumer to learn how important the hard work (farmers) put into it and how much they care."
Also attending the opening ceremony and advocating for agriculture were the Indiana 4-H Ambassadors.
Kylee Reeves of Montgomery County, Noah Miller of Lake County, Isabel Sayre of Benton County, Emma Wooley of Union County, Audree Fisher of Posey County and Shelby Davis of Jennings County spoke about 4-H at the state fair. Their message was to negate the idea that 4-H is just for farmer kids and also that it supplements childhood experience and sets up kids for success.
"Four-H just pulls all of us together," Miller said.
"Kids in 4-H at a young age are more talkative and willing to share their ideas," Sayre said. "You don't have to be a 10-year member. Even if you start your sophomore year, that's still three years of amazing experience."
Wooley, Reeves and Davis both spoke to their personal development because of 4-H. They highlighted the responsibility it takes to complete 4-H projects, the maturity children learn through 4-H lessons and the opportunities it offers for college and beyond.
The ambassadors spent the day speaking with 4-H'ers and speaking to fairgoers, shooting toward their goal to increase awareness about 4-H.
As the opening ceremonies came to a close, Holcomb approached a hoop stationed on the stage and marked the start of the fair with a slam dunk.
The Indiana State Fair is open through Aug. 20 for Hoosiers to join in the celebration of the state that grew the game.
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