Thursday, July 28, 2016

#FarmerSelfie is Back! Join Us At the Indiana State Fair!

The hashtag #FarmerSelfie makes it easy to help the hungry once again this year at the Indiana State Fair.



Indiana Family of Farmers brings back the hashtag #FarmerSelfie to benefit Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. In three easy steps, fairgoers can help those in need while they enjoy everything the fair has to offer. All they have to do is find a farmer, take a selfie and post a picture to social media with the hashtag #FarmerSelfie.



There will be a number of life size posters of farmers posted up around the fairgrounds. Fairgoers can find these in commodity tents, livestock barns, and around the Glass Barn.

How to participate in three easy steps:

1. Find a life size poster of a farmer (or a farmer in real life) on the fairgrounds
2. Take a selfie
3. Post the picture to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tag @FamilyofFarmers and hashtag #FarmerSelfie.

For every #FarmerSelfie picture posted, Indiana’s Family of Farmers will make a donation to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. As an incentive, fairgoers who share photos will be entered into a daily drawing for a $50 grocery gift card.



The Indiana State Fair runs from August 5 to August 21 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Monday, July 18, 2016

TOP 10 things to do at the Indiana State Fair

The Year of the Bicentennial! It’s time to celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday and commemorate our state’s history. So what is the best way to do that? Check out the top 10 things to do this year at the 2016 Indiana State Fair! You are guaranteed to have a great time.

10. Choo Choo 

Hop aboard the Indiana Bicentennial Train located in the Family Fun Park! The Indiana Historical Society and the Indiana State Fair Commission bring you this exhibit to commemorate the Indiana Bicentennial funded by the Indiana Railroad Company and Norfolk Southern Corporation. This activity features three air-conditioned box cars exhibiting Indiana’s past, present, and future through a lens of four themes: transportation, land use, talent and community. Also when fairgoers visit, they can meet a historical train character and enjoy an activity tent where they can reflect their own Hoosier memories.


9. Jam Out

There will be a free concert each night of the fair! All you need to purchase is your ticket into the fairgrounds. 17 free stage stars will perform on the free stage, which is general admission and has no reserved seats. Popular stars like Neal McCoy, Granger Smith, Maddie & Tae, Lauren Alaina, and Laura Marano will sing on the free stage. Jam out and sing along! Find the entire schedule of entertainers and dates here.


8. Yolks on You

As many might remember, the Indiana State Fair was without poultry last year due to the two highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, strains circulating throughout 2015. The Indiana Board of Animal Health banned the showing of poultry at all county fairs and the Indiana State Fair. Well, have no fear, the chickens are back!  Be sure to check out the Poultry and Rabbit Barn and watch the show!


7. Be a Champ

Grab a bag of kettle corn and a lemon shake up, and snag a seat in the Farmer’s Coliseum to watch the 4-H Market Animal Grand Champion Drive, featuring market lambs, meat goats, barrows, dairy steers, and beef steers. See the best of the best animals in all of Indiana compete for the top five titles: Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion, 3rd Overall, 4th Overall, and 5th Overall. These ambitious 4-Hers have put in hours working tirelessly with their animals! Come see their hard work pay off on Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 7 pm.


6. Chat it Up

Come to the Glass Barn and talk to farmers LIVE at 11 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm every day! Prizes will be given away at each and every chat! Throughout the Indiana State Fair, visitors of the Glass Barn will have an opportunity to video chat with Indiana farmers on their farms and ask them questions about their production practices. In addition to talking with farmers, the Glass Barn visitors can enjoy a free photo booth, learn about modern farms through an interactive computer game, play BeanGo to get a free hat, and follow the journey a soybean takes from field to table. 


5. Be Cheesy

Feelin’ cheesy? Come on into the air conditioning in the Purdue Extension Ag/Hort Building at the Indiana State Fair. Take a look at the American Dairy Association cheese sculpture. Each year, there is a different cheese sculpture created where Indiana Dairy Farmers unveil their artistic contribution to the State Fair. The cheese used to make the structure is made from milk from cattle grown on Indiana Dairy Farms. Now that’s cool! Cheese-o-Pete, you have to go! 



4. Go Hog Wild

Who doesn’t love pigs?! Be sure to visit the Swine Barn to see the world’s largest and the 2nd world’s largest boars! They’re huge! Also, check out the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Sows and their litters of piglets. Babies and fat pigs: gotta love ‘em!


3. Meet a Farmer

Farmers have been around forever, right?! At least most farm families have been in Indiana farming for a LONG time! In celebration of the Year of the Bicentennial, IFOF challenges you to find a farmer around the Indiana State Fairgrounds and take a picture with them using the official hashtag #FarmerSelfie. You can take a picture with a poster of a farmer, a sign with a farmer on it, or even with 1 of 17 featured farmers. Then, post your picture on all of your social media handles! For every #FarmerSelfie posted, IFOF will make a donation to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry! At the end of each day of the fair, Indiana Family of Farmers will be a drawing for a winner that will get a $50 gift card to Kroger! So, be sure to find a farmer take a #FarmerSelfie and post it online! Having fun and feeding the hungry! What could be better than that? 



2. Happy Birthday Indiana

In celebration of the Year of the Bicentennial at the Indiana State Fair, the Indiana Arts Building features several exhibits showing Indiana’s rich history and culture. Visit this building that features art, photography, crafts and displays with Bicentennial themes of 200 years. Celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday! Also, the building features 16 watercolor prints by 1st lady Karen Pence; a few include the Cardinal, Indiana State House and a typical Indiana front porch.


1. Have a MOOvelous Time

Visit the Dairy Bar right across from the Plaza, a beautiful addition to the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, for a Peanut Butter milkshake and a Smokin’ Hot Grilled Cheese made with Sriracha and smoked cheddar cheese, both new in 2016 at the Dairy Bar. Also enjoy a chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry shake or hand-dipped, fresh ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream to cool them down on a hot day at the Indiana State Fair. Mozzarella sticks are another fan favorite! Mmm Mmm good!