When this year’s Indiana State Fair opens on Friday, July 28—fairgoers will experience a brand-new facility that sits on the site of the old Swine Barn.
“I would argue maybe our most exciting moment for this year’s Indiana State Fair is the unveiling of the new Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion,” says Anna Whelchel, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer with the Indiana State Fair.
She says a lot of planning was involved to keep the history of the old Swine Barn alive by preserving the original façade on the north side of the building.
“What an incredible moment to be able to see the history and then see the future all together in one place,” says Whelchel.
“A really fun fact about this building is it originally opened in 1923. Here we are unveiling it again 100 years later,” Whelchel says. “We love telling the history of the fair and the importance it has to Hoosiers. This building really is important to Hoosiers and we are so proud of its makeover and renovation. We can’t wait to show it off.”
The new Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion is a 196,000 sq. ft. facility with a 120,000 sq. ft. show floor, a 14,000 sq. ft. north lobby, 212 feet of clear-span space in the center of the building, and a 25-foot ceiling height.
Even though the north entrance may still look the same, she says the new facility features some impressive amenities.
“The building will be multi-purpose and multi-use year-round,” according to Whelchel. “It will not only be a best-in-class, world-renowned swine building, but we’re also building it to be able to be utilized outside of the Indiana State Fair. No longer are we building structures just for the 18 days of the Indiana State Fair—we’re building it for 365 days.”
The new pavilion is also designed to accommodate indoor track and field events and is slated to host the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship in 2025.
“The new Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion is a showstopper and people are going to be really excited to see it,” says Whelchel.
For more information, visit fallcreekpavilion.com.
Click below for C.J. Miller’s radio news report for Hoosier Ag Today.
