Bovines, Belt Buckles and Boots: The 2009 Indiana State Fair

In a span of five minutes I heard live bluegrass, passed countless offerings of anything you could imagine deep-fried, stepped in a cow-pie and narrowly escaped being run over by a John Deere tractor. This could only mean one thing, the 2009 Indiana State Fair is in full swing. What I first noticed as I took to the Indiana State Fairgrounds this past Monday was that it is loaded with things to do. Now I see why they have added an extra five days to this year’s fair. The second thing I noticed was it’s hot, very hot.

I quickly realized that there were just too many options to really enjoy the fair in one visit; even if I spent all day checking out the sights and sounds of this year’s Indiana State Fair. Instead, I decided to do a bit of reconnaissance so I knew where to go on my next trip to the fairgrounds. Here are some the highlights from my first of many visits to the biggest of all Indianapolis attractions.

First off, it is the year of tomatoes at the 2009 Indiana State Fair, this made sense once I learned that Indiana is the second largest tomato producing state in the entire country. In the Ball State Ag/Hort building they have an awesome display of what ten teams, consisting of architects and engineers, can do with an unlimited amount of Red Gold canned products and thirteen hours. Here is a picture of my favorite entry, which instantly brought me back to childhood.

Another fantastic feature of the fairgrounds in Indianapolis is the live music being offered to the public. The acts range in size from International superstars who will be headlining the Indiana State Fair Concerts at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstands each night, to local bands that just like to put on a good show. In the few hours I was at the fair on Monday, I heard everything from Bluegrass to the sounds of the Andes Mountains. Let me tell you that sitting and listening to the sounds of the Andes made me realize one important thing; I definitely do not have enough pan flute in my life.

Just when I thought a can-constructed hippopotamus would be the most unique creation I would see that day, I wandered into the Our Land Pavilion and was greeted by The Big Cheese. All I can say is that 1400+ pounds of cheese never looked so good.

Housed in the very same building was a very impressive display of “Beef at the Beach” an outrageous sand “Cow”stle. Ladies and gentlemen you cannot make this stuff up, sometimes the material just writes itself. These are just the first of many of my favorite moments from the 2009 Indiana State Fair so check back for more updates coming soon. Now it is time for you to start the car, load in the kids, slap on some sunscreen and head on down to the fairgrounds where your favorite memories are waiting to be had.