INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The first day of the Indiana State Fair brought plenty of people to the Indianapolis fairgrounds, despite cuts in state funding as well as smaller household budgets for many fair visitors.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds saw its total state funding — including money from the state general fund and riverboat casino taxes — decline from $8.8 million in 2009 to $6.9 million this year, said fair spokesman Andy Klotz. The fairgrounds, which runs the annual fair, reduced its full-time staff, re-negotiated contracts with vendors and made other changes that Klotz said visitors won't even notice.
"The entertainment is as good as it's ever been, we have great exhibits and vendors are everywhere," he said. "I don't think that anybody will have a clue."
But some visitors are still paying close attention to their own finances, which may not have rebounded as much as they had hoped since the recession hit. Klotz says the fair is offering discounts, coupons and specials to help visitors stretch their money.
A voucher available online can get people into the fair for $2 instead of $8 on Tuesdays, which also feature deals for midway rides and food vendors. Information on deals, discounts and free events is available on the fair's website.
"Many of these started last year as the result of trying to make it more affordable," Klotz said of the promotions. "Some of them are just so popular ... we want to keep them in place."
The fair hopes to attract at least 900,000 visitors during it's 17-day run. Last year, the first year the fair was extended to 17 days, more than 970,000 visitors came to Indianapolis.
For some visitors, a trip to the fair is cheaper than other vacation options.
Chad and Amy Jagger of Columbia City have taken their kids, 10-year-old Alissa and 8-year-old Cameron, to the Cedar Point amusement park for several days during previous summers. But this year they decided to save money by staying closer to home.
"We've taken a lot of one day trips rather than take one big trip this year," Amy Jagger said after watching pig races with her family at the fair.
Admission to Cedar Point costs $45.99 per person, compared to $8 for the fair. The Jaggers also found other ways to save. They were driving back to their small farm Friday evening instead of staying in a hotel, and tried free ice cream samples. The kids said they were having fun, with Alissa wanting to see the animal barns and Cameron on a quest for cotton candy.
Teresa Plummer and Brenda Feltman, sisters who brought their kids to the fair Friday from the south side of Indianapolis, found a way to save even more cash. They brought their own ham sandwiches and a cooler full of drinks and ate in the parking area before heading into the fair, where rows of deep-fried (but sometimes pricey) offerings awaited them.
They planned two trips to the fair — Friday's trip to save money and another later to spend more and sample fair food. The sisters both planned to steer their kids away from the bright lights of the midway, where a ride-all-night ticket on certain days costs $25.
"There's plenty of free stuff to do," Feltman said.
Penny Zachariah found several ways to save money as she and her daughter, 6-year-old Paige, planned their fair trip. They were only eating one meal at the fair, and they drove from their Hartford City home rather than take the fair train, as they have in the past.
Zachariah also found another way to save cash — bring fewer people. Zachariah said her husband doesn't like crowds anyway, and decided not to come this year.
"We left him at home," she said, walking with her daughter along the fairground's main street. "That's less money that we have to spend."
The Indiana State Fair will continue on Saturday with it being Ball State Day.
Each of the university's colleges will be represented on State Fair Boulevar. The event will also include a sports zone hosted by the athletics department and the "So You Wanna Be on TV?" booth hosted by WIPB-TV and the telecommunications department where people can anchor and record their own newscast.
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