I'm "Soy" Excited about the Indiana State Fair (#INStateFair)

This is the time of year when people start posting excitedly on Facebook about their football season tickets arriving in the mail. Not me. For me, this is when I start checking my mailbox in great anticipation of receiving my media materials about the Indiana State Fair.

This year’s fair runs from August 5 through August 21.  2011 at the Indiana State Fair is the Year of Soybeans. Perhaps not as visually appealing as the Year of the Tomato or as mouthwatering as the Year of the Pig, but important to our state economy nonetheless.

When my State Fair materials showed up in my mailbox the other day, I sat down to go through them with as much excitement as my kids go through the toy catalogs at Christmas time. I made a quick perusal through the program first. Then I went back to the beginning and looked more carefully through it, noting the things I definitely want to see. I’ll admit that my eye went to some of the inexpensive activities in the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand:

• Lucas Oil Indy Super Pull at 1:00pm and 7:00pm on Sunday, August 7 (free)
• Hoosier Rodeo Series Final at 1:00pm and 7:00pm on Monday, August 15 (free)
• Lucas Oil Demolition Derby and Fireworks beginning at 5:30pm on Sunday, August 21 ($5)

Although we don’t typically ride the rides at the fair, there are plenty of deals for Midway lovers, including a pre-fair wristband offer at Wal-Mart stores.

My family enjoyed the food, crafts and activities at last year’s Japan exhibit in the International Pavilion, I’m sure we’ll spend a good amount of time exploring the “Wilkommen to Germany” experience this year.  I’ll have to have the camera ready to snap a few pics of the life-size gingerbread house!

And now that NFL football is back on, I know the Colts fans in my house (which is all of us) will want to stop at the Expo Hall to get a sneak peek at what’s in store for Indianapolis when Super Bowl XLVI comes to town.

And of course, we’ll hit our usual favorites: the Dairy Bar, the livestock nursery, the Timberworks Lumberjack Show and the 4H buildings.

What will you be sure to see when you visit the Indiana State Fair this year?