2020 Indiana State Fair canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
The Indiana State Fair will not take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Indiana State Fair Commission and the Indiana State Fair Board announced Thursday.
Indiana State Fair Commission chairman Brad Chambers said the commission sought other options as vendors and key partners began to cancel.
Plans are in place to hold a modified 4-H Livestock Show and additional activities in August, according to a press release. The event will focus on the human and animal connections, development and youth education.
Entries to the 2020 Indiana State Fair will be automatically refunded, and anyone wishing to participate in the 4-H Livestock Show will have to re-enter beginning June 26.
Deadlines for 4-H DNA and 4-H Online animal identification to be complete and submitted is July 1. Deadlines for show entries must be complete at www.indianastatefair.com by Aug. 3.
The event will be held on weekends from Aug. 7-Sept. 5. A full schedule of events will be available at a later date. Click here for a list of show categories and new rules and requirements.
“Safety is our number one priority," said Cindy Hoye, executive director of the Indiana State Fair Commission.
“Agriculture and youth are the foundation of our mission and the heartbeat of the Indiana State Fair, so we are determined and proud to honor our 4-H members with a version of that State Fair experience that allows Indiana’s youth to be recognized for their dedication and hard work.”
The Indiana State Fair requires years of planning, according to the release, and had nearly 879,000 people in attendance for 2019.
The 2021 Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant slated for January 2021 has also been canceled, allowing 2020 Indiana State Fair Queen, Claudia Duncan of Vanderburgh County, to continue her reign as 2020 Indiana State Fair Queen through the 2021 Indiana State Fair.
All county queens who qualify in 2020 and 2021 may participate in the 2022 Indiana State Fair Pageant.
Fairgoers who have already purchased tickets for 2020 have two options:
- Do nothing and allow tickets to rollover for the 2021 Indiana State Fair.
- Pursue a refund at accounting@indianastatefair.com. Ticketholders must provide the full name of the purchaser, number of tickets and parking passes purchased, amount of the original purchase and declare if a full refund is being requested or part will be used as a donation to the Indiana State Fair
Foundation. Refunds may take up to 30 days to process.
The commission is still pursing options to bring state fair foods to the community later this year.
The Indiana State Fair also saw cancellation or modification during the Civil War and World War II when the state fairgrounds were used to support the war.
“We are grateful for the support of our State Fair Family; each one of you who makes the iconic event possible every summer," Howe said.
"To our beloved fans, staff, sponsors, exhibitors, 4-H & FFA members, vendors, volunteers and entertainers — we look forward to being back at full strength in August 2021.”
The 2021 Indiana State Fair is slated for Aug. 6-22.
For more information, visit IndianaStateFair.com.
Contact IndyStar digital producer Ethan May at emay@indystar.com or 317-402-1058. Follow him on Twitter: @EthanMayJ.
Chris Sims is a digital sports producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.