INDIANAPOLIS – From deep-fried corn to basketball to heightened public safety rules, Hoosiers can enjoy the 2023 Indiana State Fair starting this weekend. It begins Friday and continues through Sunday, August 20, although it will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the run.
Last year more than 837,000 people attended the event.
New public safety rules will prohibit minors from entering the fair after 6 p.m. unless they are accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone older than 21. Adults can only chaperone up to six individuals and have to stay at the fair with the minors the entire time. Fairgoers can bring bags but only those that are 9 X 10 X 12 inches or smaller. Attendees cannot enter with weapons.
The theme this year is all about basketball’s rich history in Indiana. The inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, said the game took off once it spread to Indiana. It originated in Massachusetts.
According to a state fair press release, basketball was well-received in Indiana because it was an affordable and convenient way for the children of farmers to play a sport in the 1800s.
Basketball-theme activities at the fair range from educational exhibits to Hoopfest, an amusement park featuring basketball clinics and full-blown tournaments. Other activities include “Space Ham: An Augmented Reality Experience,” a display of Gene Hackman’s car from the iconic basketball movie Hoosiers, and a Chuck Taylor exhibit.
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