When the Indiana State Fair kicks off on Friday, August 2, you may be looking forward to all of the food, rides, 4-H exhibits, and the livestock—but one very important piece of the state fair is the Pioneer Village on the northeast side of the fairgrounds.
“We feel our job is to educate our community—and it’s really a hands-on experience. They can visibly see how agriculture has evolved over the years,” says Gary Emsweller, Superintendent of the Pioneer Village.
He says the goal is to make you feel like you’ve stepped out of a time machine and into the early 1900’s.
“It’s very easy to see somebody that’s working in Pioneer Village because they’re in bib overalls or a long dress with an apron around their neck, so we kind of stand out,” he says. “Our goal is to play the role of the way it used to be more than 100 years ago.”
In addition to the antique tractors and equipment on display, you’ll also see volunteers hard at work at the Pioneer Village.
“We have a glass blower. We have a person making soap—so our volunteers are making a variety of things that you can not only buy, but you actually get to see them making those kinds of things,” he says. “They come volunteer their time—maybe they make a little bit of money, but they enjoy talking to their customers more so than really trying to sell.”
Emsweller says he and his volunteers are in the process of building a brand-new antique-style barber shop.
“We’ve had a barber shop for several years. The young lady comes in and if you want your hair cut, she’ll cut your hair!” he says. “That has been such a big attraction, that we’re building a new building outside, so she has more space and more visibility to the public. That will be new to our Commerce Park.”
Emsweller adds that one of the highlights of the Pioneer Village is the daily Threshers’ Dinner.
“It is really a spectacle,” he says. “We feed about 150 of our volunteers every day here. At our first table, you have 15 to 20 gentlemen sitting around in bib overalls eating a huge meal with hundreds of people watching us taking pictures of us. It’s really kind of a unique situation on both sides—not only for the volunteers but also for the public.”
Click BELOW to hear the full conversation with Gary Emsweller, Superintendent of the Indiana State Fair’s Pioneer Village—as he also discusses how the Pioneer Village was started through Dr. Mauri Williamson and the Purdue University Ag Alumni Association.
Click HERE for the Indiana State Fair Pioneer Village Facebook page.
Click HERE for the Pioneer Village page on the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center website.
