Safety is top priority for State Fair opening day and 2 week stretch

INDIANAPOLIS — Friday was opening day at the Indiana State Fair!

The gates opened at 9 a.m. for the 168th year.

With a slight breeze and cooler temps, lots of fair fans had the same idea. 

“Today is like a perfect day for the State Fair, great day for opening day too,” said one fairgoer, Andy Snow.

Folks will be met with metal detectors at security on their way into the fairgrounds. 

Bags must be 9 x 10 x 12 or smaller. 

Organizers hope some new entry points will help ease some traffic.

“We have our new gate, gate five. It’s helped us to move entry into our fairgrounds, so to help with some of that bottleneck that might have happened in the past, we should have little smooth ingress now,” said LeRoy Lewis III, who works for the fair.

Inside, state troopers are set up in different booths throughout the grounds.

They ask if you see something, say something.

“There’s so many people that we can’t see everything that’s going on, so if there is an incident, make sure to report it,” said Sgt. John Davis.

They will also be patrolling by foot and by golf cart over the next two weeks, along with the help of the safety and security team at the grounds and several other state agencies. 

“IMPD, I know, is out here; the sheriff’s department is out here,” Davis said, “There are actually other sheriff’s departments throughout the state, also here.”

As a reminder for parents with children, anyone under 18 years old must have an adult over 21 with them at all times in the evenings.

Unaccompanied minor enforcement begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 4 p.m. from Friday through Sunday.

“At the Indiana State Fairgrounds, safety is our highest priority, and we want to make sure that, again, this is an enjoyable environment for families, kids of all ages, from the young at heart to the old soul,” Lewis said. 

To learn more about safety and security, click here.