Ready for funnel cakes, 4-H and Ferris wheels? It's almost county fair time in Indiana

Robin Gibson, Muncie Star Press
·7 min read

If you've been craving a deep-fried treat followed by a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl and a demolition derby to top it off, that must mean it's nearly county fair season in Indiana.

East Central Indiana county fairs are coming up quickly in the next few weeks, some featuring mostly 4-H events while others will offer carnival rides, concerts and wrestling alongside the rabbit shows and tractor pulls.

Here's when the local fairs will be and some of the highlights on their schedules.

Delaware County Fair

When: Marking its 170th year, the Delaware County Fair will have 4-H events July 11-20. The midway will be open July 18-23, running 4 p.m. to close Monday-Friday and 3 p.m. to close on Saturday.

Admission: $5 for parking, plus $2 per person, or $3 for walk-ins. Children age 5 and younger get in for free.

Rides, wrestling and other fair fun: The 2021 fair had record turnout, and organizers expect this year's attendance to surpass that, fairgrounds officer Mark Di Fabio told The Star Press. The midway will offer $25 wristbands for rides July 18, 20, 21 and 22, with $1-a-ride day on July 19. For Kids Day on July 23, $25 wristbands for rides will be available 3-10 p.m.

A child rides the merry-go-round at the 2019 Delaware County Fair.
A child rides the merry-go-round at the 2019 Delaware County Fair.

On July 23, Indiana Powerhouse Wrestling will be featured in the Memorial Building at 7 p.m.; doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets for wrestling cost $10.

A motorcycle rally will be at 7 p.m. July 20, and a car show will be 5-9 p.m. July 23.

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A doughnut eating contest will be at 6:15 p.m. July 22, with a $10 entry fee and a $150 prize for first place. A 50/50 raffle, with tickets available for $5 each, will be held all week with the drawing at 9 p.m. July 23. Fairgoers can register in Heartland Expo Hall for nightly giveaways, including a television set.

The White River Heritage Antique Association will offer a display of antique tractors, with a parade of them before the truck and tractor pull July 18.

Cars compete in Auto Cross Racing, one of the nightly grandstand events during the 2019 Delaware County Fair.
Cars compete in Auto Cross Racing, one of the nightly grandstand events during the 2019 Delaware County Fair.

Grandstand events: The grandstand box office will open for ticket sales an hour before each event starts.

  • July 16: Horse and pony pull at 6:30 p.m.

  • July 17: Motocross at 4 p.m.

  • July 18: Truck and tractor pull at 7 p.m.

  • July 20: Demolition derby at 7 p.m.

  • July 21: Auto cross racing at 7 p.m.

  • July 22: Demolition derby at 7:30 p.m.

  • July 23: Three Bar J Rodeo at 7 p.m.

Rural King Free Stage shows: Performances on the free stage will feature:

  • July 18: Cook and Belle 7-9 p.m.

  • July 19: 45 RPM 8-10 p.m.

  • July 20: Indie Annies 8-10 p.m.

  • July 21: Remedy Band 7:30-9:30 p.m.

  • July 22: On the One 8-10 p.m.

Food drive: Second Harvest Food Bank will have a FAIRS Care County Food Drive at the fair July 18-23. Fairgoers are invited to donate non-perishable food items in Heartland Hall to benefit local food banks, or to donate online. Donor names will be entered in a raffle to win an Indiana State Fair ticket.

More county event news: Delaware County Fair queen places in Indiana State Fair pageant with double the competition

Information: delawarecountyfair.net

Blackford County 4-H and Open Fair

When: July 9-16

Events: In addition to 4-H competition and demonstrations starting July 9, the Blackford fair will feature activities including a dunk tank, a bounce house, an FFA petting zoo, a cake walk and hula hoop and coloring contests throughout the week of July 11-16. Other events will include:

  • July 9: A cornhole tournament at 7 p.m.

  • July 10: Lighthouse Church service at 10:30 a.m. followed by a free cookout; a horse pull at 1 p.m.

  • July 11: Parade from Jefferson Street to Park Avenue starting at 6 p.m.

  • July 12: A dress-the-rabbit contest at 6 p.m., a kiddie tractor pull at 6:30 p.m. and a performance by band Sweet Sounds at 7:30 p.m.

  • July 13: A ladies' tea (bring your own teacup) at 2 p.m., a classic/vintage car show 4-8 p.m., a mini-market 6-10 p.m. and a performance by band The Prime Suspects at 7 p.m.

  • July 14: A pancake-eating contest at 8:30 a.m., a kiddie parade at 6 p.m., a mud crawl at 6:30 p.m. and a performance by band On Air at 7:30 p.m.

  • July 15: Hillbilly golf (ladder golf) at 10 a.m. and the 4-H livestock auction at 6 p.m.

  • July 16: 4-H barn dance 9 p.m.-midnight.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/blackford4h

A sheep gets a shower before 4-H competition at the 2021 Delaware County Fair.
A sheep gets a shower before 4-H competition at the 2021 Delaware County Fair.

More local ne: North Carolina company buys All Steel Carports, plans to open facility and hire 40 workers

Henry County 4-H Fair

When: July 9-15

Events: In addition to 4-H competition, events will include:

  • July 9: 4-H fair kickoff and awards at 7 p.m.; Farmer Olympics 8-10 p.m.

  • July 10: Adult/family outdoor cooking contest at 11 a.m.

  • July 13: Make A Tiara with the Henry County 4-H queen and her court at 6 p.m.; Young Farmers Pedal Pull at 6:30 p.m.

  • July 14: Round robin contest in the Show Arena at 6 p.m., followed by a dance for all ages in the barn.

  • July 15: Livestock auction at noon.

Information: https://extension.purdue.edu/county/henry/county-fair.html

Jay County Fair

When: July 9-16

Events: First held in 1872, the Jay County Fair is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The fair is known for featuring big-name music performances in its grandstand lineup each summer; this year's music headliners are the Christian music group CAIN with Amber Gill on July 14, and Grammy-nominated multi-platinum rising county superstar Cole Swindell, joined by Tyler Rich and Ashley Cooke, on July 15. Tickets for those concerts went on sale in February, and are available online at jaycountyfair.com.

The carnival will be open 1-10 p.m. July 9 and 10, 5-10 p.m. July 11, 1-10 p.m. July 12, 5-10 p.m. July 13-15 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 16. Jay County's 4-H events will run July 9-15.

Other events during the fair will include:

  • July 9: Demolition derby at 6 p.m.

  • July 10: Micro wresting at 6 p.m.

  • July 11: Full Throttle Monster Trucks at 6 p.m.

  • July 12: Auto cross at 6 p.m.

  • July 13: Harness racing at 3 p.m.

  • July 16: Live music by country singer Dewayne Spaw and a demolition derby at 6 p.m.

Information: jaycountyfair.com

Randolph County 4-H Fair

When: July 15-22

Events: Along with 4-H competition, events during the Randolph County fair will include:

  • July 16: Dress the goat contest at 6 p.m., opening remarks at 6:15 p.m. and the king and queen contest at 8:30 p.m.

  • July 17: Worship service at 9:30 a.m. and a baby contest at 7 p.m.

  • July 19: Dog agility show and dress the dog at 6 p.m., and Battle of the Barns at 7:30 p.m.

  • July 20: Goat yoga at 7 p.m.

  • July 21: Round robin at 7 p.m.

  • July 22: 4-H livestock auction at 1 p.m.

And if you're looking even further ahead...

Indiana State Fair

When: July 29-Aug. 21 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

Events: State Fair Band Day will be Aug. 5. For a full listing of grandstand events, free stage concerts, 4-H competition, ticket prices and special deals and events each day, check indianastatefair.com.

Contact content coach Robin Gibson at ragibson@gannett.com or 765-213-5855. Follow her on Twitter @RobinGibsonTSP.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Indiana fair schedule: State and county fairs 2022 tickets, events