Indiana State Fair attendance is officially up so far this year thanks to a pair of opening-weekend concerts. Those concerts, however, took place in downtown Indianapolis, so crowds at the state fairgrounds actually may be down a little.
Indiana State Fair officials say they're happy with the first real test of their new, 425-page emergency plan implemented after a stage collapse amid high winds killed seven people and injured dozens of others a year ago.
The Indiana State Fair that opened Friday is trying to shake off the emotional and economic shadow of last year's deadly stage collapse, pumping up the event's appeal in hopes of drawing back crowds whose faith in the annual tradition was shaken by the tragedy.
The Indiana State Fair is raising admission prices and adding a parking charge as it tries to recover from a big hit to its bottom line caused by last year’s tragic stage collapse.
The Indiana State Fair Commission has awarded the first four contracts for a planned renovation of the fairgrounds' coliseum that will keep the building on the sidelines during next year's fair.
To get some of the additional $6 million the state is offering, victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse would agree to clear Mid America Sound and J. Thomas Engineering of any wrongdoing. In return, they also would get a portion of $7.2 million the companies are offering.
The Attorney General's Office said in an email to claimants that it is trying to find an "an efficient and respectful way" to distribute the money while limiting lawsuits.
The Indiana State Fair has hired a chief operating officer and a director of safety and security as part of management changes spurred by last summer's deadly stage-rigging collapse.
Gov. Mitch Daniels on Tuesday outlined a handful of changes Indiana is taking following last year's deadly state fair stage collapse.
The stage rigging that collapsed and killed seven people at the Indiana State Fair last summer did not meet industry safety standards and the tragedy was compounded by the absence of a fully developed emergency plan, investigators concluded.
The country duo’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush had proposed giving depositions in May regarding the deadly 2011 state fair accident, but on Friday Marion Superior Court Judge Theodore Sosin instead ordered testimony early next month.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds generated $124 million in visitor spending in 2011 and has an annual impact on the local economy similar to a factory employing 500 people, according to a study released Wednesday.
Attorneys for country duo Sugarland say concertgoers were at least partly to blame for injuries suffered in the 2011 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair. The stance drew a sharp reaction from fans Tuesday and prompted the band’s manager to issue a statement criticizing the finger-pointing.
The $2.9 million building on the 250-acre fairgrounds campus will feature interactive exhibits focusing on new technologies used on modern farms.
State lawmakers could provide an additional $4 million to victims of last summer's stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair.
The Indiana State Fair Commission decided Thursday to permanently move its outdoor grandstand concerts indoors and authorized spending $3.8 million to help prepare their new home: The Pepsi Coliseum located nearby on the north side Indianapolis fairgrounds.
Two Indianapolis women were charged Tuesday with making false claims to try to collect money from funds intended for victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse.
The state Attorney General's Office said Monday that 64 of the 65 claimants accepted the settlements totaling $5 million, the maximum under Indiana law.
The Indiana Attorney General's office said Wednesday that 63 of the 65 claimants have confirmed they'll accept the settlements over the State Fair stage collapse.
Indiana State Fair officials say $964,000 in a relief fund was paid to 28 victims of August's deadly stage collapse.
