STATEHOUSE (Oct. 14, 2026) – State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) chaired the State Fair Advisory Committee Wednesday.
The committee heard a presentation from State Fair Executive Director Ray Allison on how this year’s Indiana State Fair went, improvements that were made and future projects. The fair had 800,461 visitors throughout 15 days but also had eight weather closures and eight total days of rain.
The Advisory Committee discussed weather procedures and how to improve communication with 4-H members over the fair’s weather policy. The committee also talked about improving the draining of the infield parking lot to prevent flooding, how changes to 4-H will impact the fair and whether legislators from the districts surrounding the State Fair should be part of the State Fair Commission as a nonvoting member.
“The State Fair is an integral part of promoting agriculture in our state. Having these meetings to discuss what can be improved is incredibly important so everyone can enjoy the fair,” Leising said. “I think we had a productive discussion today, and I look forward to working with the State Fair Commission to ensure our fair is the best in the country.”
The 2027 Indiana State Fair will run from Aug. 6-22 and will be closed on Mondays.
To view study committee agendas and stream hearings online, visit iga.in.gov. To view a list of topics that will be examined by the committees, click here.
