INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair announced there will be multiple interactive experiences and exhibits inspired by its 2023 theme of basketball.
The 2023 theme was announced last year on the basketball court at Gov. Holcomb’s house, along with representatives for the Indiana State Fair and Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
Fair officials say the theme is to pay homage to Indiana’s rich basketball history.
“Indiana is truly the state that grew the game, and we are excited to celebrate our unmatched basketball history with Hoosiers this summer at our beloved State Fair,” Rich Fuson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO, said.
The Indiana State Fair celebrates all things Indiana Agriculture, including the history of why the game of basketball grew in the state.
The game was affordable, and the playing season was based around the farmers’ planting and harvest season in the 1800s. After each harvest, farm kids could play basketball, then go back to the fields for planting when the season ended in March.
The Indiana Farmers Coliseum has also hosted high school championships, the ABA Pacers, All-Star Games and more. Currently, it is home of the Horizon League Basketball Championships and IUPUI Men’s Basketball.
The experiences guests can participate in at the 2023 Indiana State Fair includes:
- HOOPFEST Outdoor Amusement Park
- Includes full size regulation court with tournaments, kids camps and coaches chats
- Pacers Sports & Entertainment Immersive Exhibit
- Land of Legends: Indiana’s Basketball Legacy, in partnership with Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
- Space Ham: An Augmented Reality Experience
- 1951 Chevy, Gene Hackman's car from movie HOOSIERS on display
- The Evolution of the Game Exhibit
- Chuck Taylor and Indiana Basketball Exhibit with the Indiana Historical Society
To see all basketball themed activities at the fair, click here.
The State Fair runs from July 28 to August 20 and will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays this year.
