Carnival & Fair News

The Indiana State Fair overcame an intense late summer heatwave to sustain its position as an iconic Midwestern state fair. The fair dates back to 1852 and until 2023, the fair ran 17 or 18 days setting an attendance record of 978,296 in 2013, when it ran for 17 days; in 2022 n 18-day fair, attracted 840,414 attendees.

But the 15-day format proved to be a winning formula. The fair has incrementally built up its attendance since subtracting days but adding a weekend (the fair is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). “The final attendance at the 2025 Indiana State Fair reached 854,977, which was a slight increase over 2024,” said LeRoy Lewis III, Director of Community and Media Engagement. “We continue to see on average around 850,000 Hoosiers come out each year to enjoy this beloved tradition celebrating all things Indiana.”

Hot, Hot, Hot

The increase defies meteorological adversity, indicating the consistent appeal of the event. “Weather is always a factor for us,” he said. “While we started with a beautiful opening weekend, we ended up having one of our hottest Fairs in over a decade. We experienced nine days of 90+ heat index, and the overall average high temperature was 4 degrees higher than the last 11 Fairs. The 2025 Indiana State Fair was an outstanding celebration of our state, drawing strong crowds and tremendous energy across our 15 days.”

Lewis noted that spending remained in-line with last year's event, fairgoers remaining upbeat and freely spending. “Guests seemed very positive and engaged, with a strong sense of pride and enjoyment throughout the Fairgrounds,” said Lewis. “Guests responded with excitement to both new attractions and timeless traditions. This year's Fair had an energetic, celebratory vibe.”

That vibe's tone was set from the get-go with a marketing tagline invoking the annual festival - “The Soundtrack of Summer”

According to an official statement, entitled: Get Ready to Dance, Sing & Celebrate, The 2025 Indiana State Fair is Tuning Up for the Best Summer Ever! – “This summer, the Indiana State Fair is turning up the volume with "The Soundtrack of Summer", a celebration of the songs, sounds, and sweet memories that define our favorite season! From toe-tapping concerts and nostalgic throwbacks to hands-on family fun and fair food classics, there's a rhythm for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're making new memories with loved ones or reliving the soundtrack of your youth, the Fair is your stage for smiles, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Join us for sunshine, good vibes, and the greatest hits of summer, only at the Indiana State Fair!”



The strategy encapsulated the family-friendly fun, generational nostalgia and unique entertainment experiences that is the state fair. The messaging was conveyed through diverse media mix and deliberate upgrade in social media content. “Our media mix includes a robust, Omni-channel approach, including digital, broadcast, outdoor, and social, plus local grassroots outreach efforts,” said Lewis. “This year as we always do, we focused on real-time storytelling, interactive content, and behind-the-scenes moments to connect with audiences in fresh ways.”

Fairgoers could hear – and see – the Soundtrack theme playout throughout the fair. The fair's grandstand – tickets are free with admission – included luminaries as Babyface, Melissa Ethridge, America, Chris Tomlin and Bill Murray & The Blood Brothers. “Our Hoosier Lottery Free Stage was packed,” said Lewis.

Even away from the stage the music never stopped. New Exhibits for 2025 included The Art Of Music Experience – an “immersive exhibit that celebrates the creators and stories behind album cover art” and Vinyl Revival – “a curated collection, a pop-up record store in partnership with Indy CD & Vinyl, and a laid-back “speakeasy” with themed cocktails. “Guests loved The Vinyl Revival / Art of Music exhibit - easily one of our most successful attractions we've had in recent years,” said Lewis.
The Soundtrack of Summer marketing theme was extended not just through its advertising and social media presence but a full-line of 2025 fair merchandise made exclusively for the fair by the  United State of Indiana, a Hoosier State-based manufacture and sold at locations on the grounds and online. The consumer enticing sales copy reads: “Shop local. Celebrate Indiana. Take a piece of the Fair home with you.”

NAME Midway

This attention to marketing detail, along with the post-lockdown reinvigoration of the fair, was welcomed by the fair's long-time Midway Provider, North American Midway Entertainment (NAME), who rightly claims to be “the world's largest traveling outdoor amusement park” and whose headquarters are in Farmland, Indiana.

“The Indiana State Fair does a lot of things that we love to see, including an impressive marketing effort - have you seen their creative t-shirt designs?,” said Lynda Franc, Corporate Marketing Director, NAME. “They work really hard to create a fair experience that you'll remember year after year, but they also work hard to find ways to let you bottle it up and take home a little piece.”

The 56-ride NAME midway featured such signature pieces as Star Dancer; State Fair Slide; Zero Gravity; Wacky Worm; Tilt-A-Whirl; Sky Ride; Silver Streak; Cliffhanger; Century Wheel and Alien Abduction. “Our long-standing partnership with North American Midway Entertainment is incredibly strong and critical to us,” said Lewis. “We truly could not do the Great Indiana State Fair without them.”

Midway spending was up in keeping with the attendance uptick compared to 2024. “The Indiana State Fair was, once again, a fabulous success,” said Franc. “It's nice to be so close to home for so many of our staff, and that's the way we feel when we walk onto the fairgrounds - right at home. As always, the Indiana State Fair did not disappoint.”

The fair's fair cuisine also saw revenue upticks. The fair features a special promotion “The Taste of the Fair” that includes a downloadable map all the new specialties and a contest among vendors of the tastiest new concoctions. Lewis described it as “a great competition with our vendors and our fairgoers enjoy trying all the new creative foods. This year the top 3 fair foods were Wilson Concessions' Cinnamon Toast Cookie Butter Pretzel Bites; Swains Concessions' Pickle Bacon Ranch Pizza; Nitro Hog BBQ's BBQ Machos. We had nearly 35+ new food items featured, which is a large attendance driver and drives local media support.”



However, Hoosier taste buds seemed again beholden to nostalgia with biggest sellers being “staples like corn dogs, corn, elephant ears, tenderloins, and milkshakes from the Dairy Bar continue to be fairgoers must-haves,” he said.

Innovative marketing, a stellar midway and improved programing has placed the Indiana State Fair on a path of solid growth. The secret seems to be keeping this new by revitalizing the tried and true. “The Indiana State Fair is a Hoosier tradition rooted in celebrating agriculture, youth and education, in entertaining way,” said Lewis. “At the 6th oldest State Fair in the country, we continue to honor our past while evolving into our future. Between state-of-the-art facilities to first-class livestock shows and exhibits, our responsibility to bring together Hoosiers from around the State is at the core of our mission.”

 Our team is honored to deliver the 168th year of the beloved tradition of the Indiana State Fair.” said Cindy Hoye, Executive Director of the Indiana State Fair Commission. “From the moment guests step through our gates to the memories they carry home, the Fair continues to showcase the very best of Indiana. It's not only a treasured tradition, but also a celebration of our Hoosier Spirit.”