Until this year, the themes for the past several fairs have featured an agricultural product from corn to soybeans to swine and much more. When corn was the theme, the staff planted corn stalks everywhere they could think of on the fairgrounds.
This is the "Year of the Coliseum," celebrating the re-opening of the $60 million, newly renovated coliseum. That includes addition of the $10 million Youth Arena attached to the coliseum on the south side. So will you see miniature coliseums stuck here and there on the fairgrounds?
Not likely, that's tongue in cheek. But what will notice if you attend the Indiana State Fair is a jam-packed schedule for the renovated Coliseum, featuring several concerts, lots of livestock shows and the popular draft horse hitch competitions. Check the Indiana State Fair Website for exact details on when these events will occur.
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The fair may have opened with the balloon race last Friday, but the first real event was the Indiana Pork annual breakfast kicking off the fair. Held in tents on the far north side of the fairgrounds in recent years, it was moved to the Coliseum this year. The tents ae gone to make room for other attractions.
The Coliseum seemed like the natural setting for a "who's who" list of agriculture leaders to meet on the first day of the fair when the theme was "The Year of the Coliseum."
The breakfast is sponsored annually by Indiana Pork, and features appearances by often both the Lt. Governor and governor, if both are in town.
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The governor's office still has many ties to the fair, since some positions on both the Indiana State Fair Commission and Indiana State Fair Board are appointed by the governor.
If you come to the state fair, check out what's in the Coliseum. Something will be going on there each and every day.