If it feels like the Allen County Fair is approaching sooner than it used to, there’s good reason. That’s because it is.
“We had to move because there was an overlap with the Indiana State Fair,” said Michelle Love, a member of the Allen County Fair’s executive board of directors. “The state fair, two years ago, chose to move up, so we just had an overlap with our shows. Projects were having to leave our show early. We worked alongside the extension office and 4-H to solve that problem, and the best was moving to June.”
Historically slated for the latter part of July, this year’s fair will be June 20-25.
“Anytime you make a big change like that, it’s a lot for people to adjust to, but actually people have just been really excited about the change,” Love said. “They’re looking forward to hopefully milder weather, and it’s just a fun way to kick off the summer.”
Old favorites
The dates may have changed, but many of the events have not.
You’ll still have your 4-H animals to check out, carnival rides to enjoy, and food to devour. There will also be pie-baking contests, pedal car races, monster truck rides, the crowning of Little Miss Allen County on Tuesday, June 20, the Hot Air Balloon Fly Out and Glow on June 22, truck pulls on June 23, and demolition derbies on June 23 and June 24.
“All those favorites are right there in place,” Love said.
There will also be a returning favorite. The rodeo returns after about a decade off with bull riding, barrel races, roping, and more events.
“It’s going to be really exciting,” Love said of the rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. on June 20. “It’s just something that hasn’t been quite feasible for us. It is an expensive venture, but we’ve worked really hard to get a lot of community support and sponsors in order to bring a full-fledged rodeo.”
Worth price of admission
Most events are free with your admission, which is $10 on Thursday-Saturday and $5 on Tuesday and Sunday. And if you’re looking for an even better deal on Sunday, active service members and veterans get in free as do those who bring in five non-perishable food items.
Regardless of the fee to enter, attending the county fair differentiates from other festivals with its wide appeal.
“We try to remind people that our fair is all-encompassing,” Love said. “It’s kind of all about that nostalgia and that county fair feeling. It’s kind of different from the other fairs you might go to around the area. We combine that 4-H element, but have other things like kiddie tractor pulls and pedal-car races.”
For a full schedule of events at this year’s Allen County Fair, go to allencountyfairgroundsin.com.
