Hoosiers get ready to pay more to get into the state fair
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – In a week, the Indiana State Fair will open, but it’ll cost more to get into this year.
The 159th Indiana State Fair is taking shape. In a week, thousands will transcend on the grounds.
Before they do, vendors are busy getting ready. But some feel like they’re being hosed with the new ticket prices the fair is charging.
“Tough on a family,” fair goer Isaac Wilson said. “Family of four, five kids would be very expensive. I’m a vet and I’d like to bring my grandkids, so it’s tough.”
“It probably wouldn’t deter me,” fair goer Mark Elmerick said. “I probably wouldn’t check the price before I go there.”
Advanced admission is $8, up from $7, and at the gate, it’s $12, up from $10. That means a family a four will now spend $4 more for advanced tickets, or $8 more at the door.
State fair officials say it’s an increase they had to make.
“80 percent of our revenue is from ticket prices,” Indiana State Fair spokesperson Lesley Gordon said. “We get about 2 percent from the state, based on a tax. So we really are revenue driven in that aspect so we want to make sure that we continue to offer the best state fair that we can.”
The price is not the only change, also where you can get your ticket ahead of time is different. You can only do so at the fair’s website or the box office. Years before, you were able to get your ticket ahead of time at stores.
“We realized that the majority of people that bought tickets were doing that within 10 miles of the fair, so we just wanted to streamline that process,” Gordon said.
No matter the changes though, some are ready to enjoy another year at the fair.
“I like the fair,” Wilson said. “Eat the food!”
There will be some other new things this year. Of course there’s the new entertainment.
But the fair also expanded its beer tent, and invited new microbreweries. As for tickets, if you buy them at the box office, it’s $8.
Keep in mind, if you do it online, there’s a $1 fee per ticket. To learn more about the fair, click here.