Indianapolis - The Indiana State Fair officially opens its gates Wednesday morning for the 150th year. To celebrate its milestone anniversary, the State Fair has bigger and better attractions this week.
It took 18 months of planning to open new exhibits and to get big names for the grandstands this year, from Rascal Flatts to Kid Rock and Kanye West.
A diverse mixture of attractions will greet State Fair visitors Wednesday, including Hot 96.3's nationally syndicated morning show host, Russ Parr. The Russ Parr show went live Wednesday morning at the State Fair Grounds with some of the hottest R&B and Hip-Hop entertainers - a big kick-off to what's to come this week.
Early in the morning Tuesday, final touches were in place.
"All the animals are moving in if they're not already in. All our concessionaires are setting up," said Margaret Davidson of the State Fair.
Grills are firing up. "We get the machine up to 400 degrees," said one vendor.
Pies, pizzas, turkey legs and corn dogs are back, too. It's the fourth year in a row for deep fried candy bars. New this year: deep fried chocolate covered strawberries.
"People were able to go online and vote, and the strawberries won. They will have a key location in front of the Pepsi Coliseum," said Davidson.
The animals are looking their best and are ready to meet you.
"I like being around hogs," said Crawfordsville 4-H participant Ashtin Francis. "It's fun."
4-H continues for the next couple of days. Already awards are out to the world's largest Boar and litter.
"It's a family thing," said Francis. "My grandpa raises hogs. All the grandchildren are doing it now."
The State Fair has many new activities for kids and families, including the hands-on Pfizer Park, a Sea Lion Show and a new attraction at the DNR Building: fishing.
"It's a huge fishing pond that's up there this year and it's going to be a permanent facility so that's great to kick off the year," said Davidson.
"There will also be some things about animals and wildlife back there," said David Petritz of Purdue University. "It's a real learning experience with some hands on for the kids."
The 150th anniversary celebration will have something for everyone.
The gates opened at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, with most events starting at 8:00 a.m. At 8:15 a.m. At the pond, and official dedication with city leaders and Governor Daniels after the annual ham breakfast.
