State Fair ends for another year - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

The Indiana State Fair closes down for the season in just a few hours Sunday.  

This year's fair had a different feel than years' past.

On the final day of the Indiana State Fair people were still enjoying food, checking out the animals and taking in the sights.

"One of the big perks about this years fair the weather has been very nice," said Jessica Wissmann.

But this has been a year of change for the 160-year-old event.

State Fair spokesman Andy Koltz, said, "So I think there's just a different culture out here now."

The stage rigging tragedy at the Sugarland concert last summer prompted change.

In addition to a shift in management, safety procedures were altered and over the past two weeks, put to the test.

"We dealt with a couple of situations that are unusual and you really can't foresee and it worked out," explained Koltz.

Severe weather tested out the new weather announcement system, and a freak stage coach accident and a crash involving a child put the emergency response plan to work.

Koltz, says, "Internally, the communication was outstanding. As somebody who has been here for a dozen fairs now I felt completely informed about what was being decided and when you had to implement things and that was new for us."

Fair officials were faced with another challenge dealing with the recent swine flu outbreak prompting yet another change.

Six pigs had high fevers so as a precaution, nearly 2,000 were sent home. Hog farmer Sam Shear says everything went soothly, "It's went well. They've done a really good job with it and took a lot of precautions and they've done a nice job."

Cherry Moss runs the deep fried twinkie stand. She says it has been slower than years past but still worthwhile.

"A little more cautious out here this year they are up to date on all of the safety this year man they are right on everything this year," said Moss.

Richard Summers says it just wouldn't be summer without the fair,"The food is here and that's where we will be."

Though attendance will be down for a second year in a row, the fair will go on changing and growing with each lesson learned.

Several days of rain, including a near washout on Thursday, dropped fair attendance.

Officials say they'll likely fall short of the 875,000 visitor goal.

Some vendors think moving the headliner concerts to Bankers Life Fieldhouse also negatively impacted the numbers.

The fair is open tonight with the demolition derby going on right now.

The midway closes at ten.