The true summer playlist comes to real life this August at the Indiana State Fair! Fitting for this year’s theme, Soundtrack of Summer, this year features a diverse range of standout attractions, all of which you can see for free or at a low cost with fair admission!
Concerts & Shows at the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage
The Hoosier Lottery Free Stage will serve as the centerpiece for this year’s fair offerings. Having long served as a summertime staple for music lovers and concert goers alike, with each year featuring well-known acts, this year is no exception!
On Friday, August 1, the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage will feature Three Dog Night, the legendary pop-rock band that dominated the charts and record books in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, the band is still producing music to this day, and you might have heard some of their songs in TV commercials, movies, and TV shows!
Enjoy your favorite Disney tracks during Disney Throwback DJ Night on Saturday, August 2! Costumes are encouraged to dance to iconic tracks, including music from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, and more!
13-time Grammy Award winner and Indianapolis native Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, is performing at the fair on Wednesday, August 6th! Known for helping launch the careers of Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, and P!NK through his record label, LaFace, his top R&B hits “Every Time I Close My Eyes,” “When Can I See You,” “Tender Lover,” and more have resonated for over three decades.
Catch a screening of the baseball comedy classic, Rookie of the Year, starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey on Saturday, August 9! The film features a young boy signed to a professional baseball contract following a freak accident. After the screening, don’t miss a performance by the Thomas Nicholas Band and an emo night DJ set.
Acclaimed country music acts Phil Vassar and Lonestar are joining together for an energetic musical showcase on Thursday, August 14! Vassar and his eclectic musical roots, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his breakout hit, “Just Another Day in Paradise,” have paved the way to lyrics appealing to fans across generations. Lonestar, known for their pop-country sound, has left an irreplaceable mark on the genre with their heartfelt storytelling, carrying an enduring musical legacy.
The summer’s swan song on Sunday, August 17, will come from Marvin Sapp, an award-winning Gospel artist. Debuting as a member of the legendary group Commissioned over 30 years ago, he is one of the most beloved voices of the genre, and his song “Never Would Have Made It” remains a massive crossover hit.
Head to the Indiana State Fair's website for the full 2025 concert series lineup! All concerts begin at 7:30 pm unless otherwise stated and are free with paid fair admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is also the option to buy reserved area access for shows for comfortable seating, a private bar, and private restrooms on a limited basis. Experience the best concert value of the summer!
New Attractions & Entertainment
As a plus to all the music, new attractions this year will turn up the volume and make this fair into a party for all to enjoy!
Vinyl Revival at Harvest Pavilion will feature the Art of Music Experience, showcasing album cover art and the stories behind them. You can also enjoy large-scale, hand-painted displays of musicians from around the world, and shop at a pop-up record store, in partnership with Indy CD and Vinyl. Come celebrate the powerful connection between music and visual art.
The Big Top Circus will allow fairgoers of all ages to experience incredible circus performances with clowns, aerialists, acrobats, and more with fair admission! Offering multiple performances daily, the circus will be hosted in the heart of the new Big Top Zone, an energetic area offering photo opportunities and interactive activities to bring the circus to life at the fair.
The world’s only traveling wolf park, Wolves of the World, will be performing daily at the fair. Explaining the habitat and history of wolves, this family-friendly show demonstrates natural behaviors of wolves with their alertness, climbing, pack structure, and more!
The stars of The Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners will be hosting a one-of-a-kind mixology class on Thursday, August 14, where you can sample a variety of spirits from Sugarlands Distilling Co. Create your mini cocktail, and get exclusive mixology tips from Mark & Digger themselves. Tickets start at $35 for an unforgettable evening of laughter and cocktail crafting!
See the rest of what's new at the fair here and enjoy high-volume attractions that will turn the speakers up!
New and Unique Food Offerings
Don’t forget the food! This year’s Taste of the Fair lineup features culinary creations that showcase bold Hoosier pride across the state. Arrive hungry and dive in for a day at the fair!
Start early by indulging in the Cookie Butter Cold Brew Float from Hooks Drugstore Museum, a vanilla cold brew with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, cookie butter drizzle, cookie crumbles, and a cherry on top. Enjoy your cold brew float with a Blueberry Breakfast Sausage Flapjack by Smokehouse Saloon for the most important meal of the day, served with fruit, powdered sugar, and syrup.
Snacks are essential for a time at the fair. The Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken on a Stick by R.E. Smith Food and Drink has a fresh chicken tender dipped in batter and wrapped in bacon, and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce with a cherry tomato on the end. The Cinnamon Toast Cookie Butter Pretzel Bites from Wilson Concessions are a sweet option that will bring you back to childhood, with pretzel bites covered in cinnamon sugar and layered with cookie butter, cream cheese icing, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Plus, the Dirty Dancing Egg Rolls from Taste of Home Catering & Food Truck will help cha-cha your way to the next stop with chicken Philly egg rolls dipped in homemade hot honey lemon pepper buffalo sauce, drizzled with ranch dressing.
Need to cool off? Grab a drink! Enjoy the Blue Cotton Candy Margarita from Urick Concessions, or a Tropical Thunder shake-up from R&W Concessions, infused with mango, strawberry, and lemon.
For a hearty meal, try the Yes Cer’s Burger from Red Frazier Bison, featuring pimento cheese, potato sticks, horseradish pickles, and a bison patty, or the Hog & Slaw by Indiana Pork Producers, a pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich with deliciousness in every bite. The BBQ Machos from Nacho Hog BBQ see mac n cheese, pulled pork, and cheese sauce party together for one tasty creation! For a vegan option, Black Leaf Vegan Food Truck’s All Vegan Indianapolis Philly with plant-based meat, sautéed peppers and onions, and creamy “cheez” sauce on a toasted hoagie, making it hard to believe it’s even vegan!
You can’t leave the fair without dessert. A trip to Italy is now a lot cheaper with the Trio of Italy combo by Freund Family Foods, featuring three mini-Italian-inspired funnel cakes: tiramisu, Italian wedding cake, and cannoli. The S’MORES Cookie by the Cavity Factory has a classic combination that, yes, can be torched. The beignets from The Bakerman that have been a favorite for decades now feature hot honey for a sweet and spicy kick to finish off your amazing day at the state fair!
See the full Taste of the Fair lineup and follow the map to circle your way around to all the tasty creations this year!
This year’s Indiana State Fair turns the volume up to an extreme with high-energy attractions and energetic offerings that will make for the greatest 17 days of the summer. Buy your ticket to the fair today!
All photos courtesy of the Indiana State Fair.
