30 numbers that show the Indiana State Fair's impact on Hoosiers over the years
Indiana has one of the oldest state fairs in the country, which means the traditions have developed long enough to tell Hoosiers a few things about our identity.
We know our love for corn dogs and corn on the cob and elephant ears and turkey legs goes unrivaled. In just one year, we enjoyed 62,000 milkshakes at the Dairy Bar. More than 2,600 of us worked off some off those treats by biking to the fair in 2023. And when we weren't eating, we gawked at 1,440 pounds of cheese chiseled into a sculpture.
But the fair's 167-year history also means its reach extends well beyond a few weeks of eating every August. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of food have have gone to fight hunger around the state. And more than $1 million has gone to youth who participate in the fair and to 4-H and FFA programs.
Plenty more numbers tell the fair's story. Here are 30 of them, as reported to IndyStar by the fair.
Anniversary of the Indiana State Fair: 2024 will be the 167th fair
Number of fair queen candidates: 84 competed in this year's Queen Program
Number of fair queens through the years: 65
2023's fair attendance: 840,414
Number of milkshakes sold at the Dairy Bar in 2023: 62,000
Number of grilled cheese sandwiches sold at the Dairy Bar in 2023: 38,000
Number of fair trolleys: 10 regular and 1 ADA accessible
Number of rides at the Indiana State Fair midway: More than 50
The age of the fair compared to other states: Indiana has the sixth oldest state fair
Cost to construct the new swine barn: $50 million
Number of hot air balloons in the 2023 Hot Air Balloon Race: 20
Number of places that held the fair before it settled at its current location: 7
Number of foods that are part of Taste of the Fair: 44
Most popular food ever: A subjective toss-up among corndogs, elephant ears, corn on the cob and turkey legs
Pounds of cheese used in the enormous cheese sculpture in 2023: 1,440
Number of acres in the fairground: 250
Number of bicycles parked at the fair in 2023: 2,640
How many hours the fair has closed due to bad weather since 2016: Evacuated for lightning for a total of 23 hours and 13 minutes
Direct economic impact of the fairgrounds in 2018: More than $200 million
Job equivalency for the state fairgrounds: 1,200 jobs
Number of food stands at the annual State Fair: More than 140
Number of exhibitors who competed at the State Fair in 2023: More than 10,000 people
Number of projects exhibitors exhibitors brought in 2023: 40,000, including 4-H youth projects, livestock, agriculture/horticulture and Brewers Cup
Age of the fair's Pioneer Village: 63 years
Number of kids who go through Little Hands on the Farm each year: More than 26,000
Weight of largest pumpkin in 2023: More than 1,039 pounds
Years since the Beatles played the fair: 60
Money raised by the fair's "FAIRs Care" county fair program since 2013: More than $360,000Pounds of food the fair's Fairs Care has donated to fight hunger since 2013: 295,776.20
Money given to participating youth, 4-H and FFA programs by the Indiana State Fair Foundation: More than $1 million over the past decade
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 30 numbers that show the Indiana State Fair's impact on Hoosiers