Media Center

2026 Fast Facts

General Admission: $10 standard | $8 early bird (through June 12) | $8 senior
Family 4-Pack: $34 standard | $28 early bird (through June 12)
Parking: General $5 (Fisher Rd) | Premier $10 (Troy Ave)
Senior Night BOGO: 2 tickets for $8 — July 9 only
City Employee Night: Free general admission with valid Indianapolis city employee ID — July 8 only

New in 2026

Gospel Day: After an overwhelming response from fairgoers in 2025, the Marion County Fair is dedicating a full day to gospel music in 2026. Gospel Day runs Sunday, July 5 from 12:30–6pm — a full afternoon of spirit-filled live performances open to all fairgoers.
Senior Night: Debuting in 2026, Senior Night on Thursday, July 9 rolls out the red carpet for older adults with an exclusive BOGO deal: two general admission tickets for $8. Seniors also receive a discounted admission rate of $8 throughout the entire run of the fair.
Family 4-Pack: Four admissions for $34 standard or $28 early bird, making it easier than ever for families (or any group of 4!) to make a full day of the fair.

2026 Story Ideas

Farm to Fairgrounds
Livestock competitions, a swine show, a sheep show — the agricultural roots that have anchored the Fair since its founding are still very much alive. A look at the families and young competitors who keep that tradition going.
Indy’s Only All-Girl Band
Neon Daisy makes their Marion County Fair debut on City Employee Appreciation Night, July 8. Indianapolis’s raw, energetic, unapologetically bold all-female alternative act — on the Park Stage.
The People Behind the Fair
10 days. Hundreds of volunteers, vendors, and organizers. A behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to produce one of Indianapolis’s largest annual community events.

Press Credentials

The Marion County Fair welcomes journalists, photographers, videographers, and broadcast media throughout the 10-day event. We’re committed to making your experience on the fairgrounds as smooth as possible.

Press credentials include complimentary general admission for up to 2 passes per outlet, a premier parking pass (Troy Ave. entrance) valid for the duration of your coverage, access to the press staging area adjacent to the Park Stage, advance schedule and performer information, and facilitated interviews with fair leadership and performers upon request and availability.

Photography and video for editorial purposes is permitted throughout all public fairgrounds areas. Drone operation requires prior written approval from fair management. Commercial use of imagery beyond editorial coverage requires written consent.

To request credentials, reach out before your planned coverage date with your outlet name, coverage dates, and content type. Credentials are issued at the main entrance gate on your first day.

Press Assets

All assets are cleared for editorial use. For commercial licensing inquiries, please contact us directly.

Are you a Content Creator?

The Marion County Fair is launching the Local Lens Program in 2026 — a first-of-its-kind invitation for Indianapolis content creators to experience the Fair and share it with their audiences in their own voice, on their own terms.

We have programs for creative and arts creators, family and lifestyle creators, and foodies and local life creators. No deliverables required. No posting minimums. Just access, premier parking, and 10 days of genuinely good content waiting to happen.

About the Marion County Fair

The Marion County Fair is one of Indiana’s most enduring community traditions. For more than 66 years, the Fair has gathered families, neighbors, farmers, and first-timers each July at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis — ten days of live music, agricultural competition, carnival rides, local food, and the kind of community celebration that doesn’t need a corporate sponsor to feel like a big deal.

The Fair is free from outside commercial influence and independently operated, with one guiding priority: making it accessible, welcoming, and worth the drive for every family in Marion County.

About the Marion County Agricultural Association

The Marion County Fair is produced by the Marion County Agricultural Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Indiana’s agricultural heritage and strengthening community bonds through the annual fair. The MCAA oversees all aspects of fair planning, programming, and operations.

The Fair is supported in part by Marion County Township Trustees: Center Township Trustee LaDonna Freeman, Franklin Township Trustee Danny Meador, Wayne Township Trustee Jeb Bardon, Decatur Township Trustee Jason Holliday, and Warren Township Trustee Vernon Brown.

The Queen & Princess Pageant

The Marion County Fair Queen & Princess Pageant is one of the Fair’s most storied traditions — and one of its most meaningful. Now in its 65th+ year, the Pageant is a scholarship and leadership development program that awards $2,500 annually to young women from across Marion County.

Contestants are evaluated not just on poise and presentation, but on scholarship, community service, public speaking, and a demonstrated commitment to giving back. Winners serve as ambassadors for the Fair and the community throughout the year.

The Pageant takes place on Opening Night — Friday, July 3, 6–8pm at the Cattle Barn.

Our Agricultural Roots

The Marion County Fair began as a celebration of Indiana’s farming community — and that identity has never left. Each year the Fair hosts open class livestock competitions including swine and sheep shows, honoring the agricultural traditions that shaped Marion County and the families who still carry them forward.

These competitions are open to the public to attend and cheer on, and open to competitors to enter. They are among the most authentic expressions of what a county fair was always meant to be.