One of the great things about the Indiana State Fair is that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Families with kids -- there is plenty of entertainment to captivate young and old alike!
Bixby's Rainforest Rescue show in the Family Fun Park is a must-see on a family outing. I am 22 years old and I still said "awww!" when DJ the lemur pranced out on stage on a leash. Not only is this a cute animal show, but it is also educational. It's a fun way for kids to learn a little bit about the rainforest.
While you're in the area, you can stroll on over to the Flippenout Extreme Trampoline Show. This is a little different from jumping on the family trampoline in the backyard. They do triple flips, walk up a wall and -- oh yeah -- jump with skiis and snowboards attached to their feet! Be ready to clap and cheer because these athletes feed off your energy!
And that'll just get you started! If you're out here Aug. 12-13, you can take the kids to see The Ohmies at the Free Stage. They'll have everyone dancing and singing along to their upbeat show. Little Hands on the Farm has been a family favorite for several years, giving kids the chance to experience farm life in a fun and interactive way. Finally, the Kids' Day Midway Special is coming up on Aug. 13, with unlimited rides for kids from noon-10 p.m. for just $15.
I used to be a superstar. I practiced my dance moves in
dress-up clothes, wore my mother’s lipstick and belted Britney Spears songs into
my inflatable microphone in front of millions. Okay fine, maybe it was actually
just in front of my bedroom mirror.Either way, I was on my way to stardom.
Southern Indiana’s Rachel Timberlake experienced
similar moments, but only behind closed doors.
“I was way too shy and embarrassed to ever let anyone watch
me sing,” Rachel said. “If you would have asked 15 years ago what I wanted to
do when I grew up, being a country music star wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”
In fact, Rachel never even participated in her school’s
choir. Instead basketball dominated her teenage years and continued to at
Franklin College until an injury forced her to give up the sport.
After graduation, Rachel began teaching fifth grade in
Corydon, Ind. and married her high school sweetheart, Jason.
“My husband and I had everything planned out.You graduate high school, then college, then
you get married and buy a house and then you have kids,” Rachel said. “When it was time to start a family we tried
really hard, but the kid part of our plan never happened.”
When the possibility of never having her own children became
a reality, listening to country music helped Rachel cope with the heartbreak.
“Music helped me remember that things don’t always work out
as planned and showed me that life holds other opportunities,” she said.
Sure enough, Rachel discovered her new goal during a trip to
Nashville for her 5-year anniversary. After
some heavy coaxing by her husband, Rachel sang on stage for the first time.
Three years later, FAME Review says Rachel is on her way to
the top of country music.
Her wide range of music inspiration, ranging from 80s pop to
R&B, gives her self-titled CD a unique sound that
she describes as country crossed with Midwestern rock. Check out Rachel singing her biggest hit,
“Honky Tonk Queen” live in concert.
Right now the band is still independent, but Rachel’s
husband, and manager, keeps them busy with shows every weekend during the
school year and non-stop all summer.
“I want music to be my full-time job,” said Rachel. “I know
it takes baby steps to get there, but eventually I want to sign with a record
label. I want the big performances and
the screaming fans. I want to make it big.”
Known for her high-energy stage presence and zumba-inspired
dance moves, Rachel guarantees fairgoers will have fun watching her perform
live at the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 10.The concert begins at 8 p.m. on the XFINITY Main Street Stage.
“I always have so much fun performing and when the audience
gets excited our band feeds off that energy,” Rachel said. “There is nothing
better than seeing people having a good time at my shows.”
Indiana’s 4-H members are a defining factor in the Indiana
State Fair’s commitment to youth and agriculture.For 4-Hers, the State Fair is the finale to a
year-round commitment to their projects. The fair’s 4-H livestock shows come to
an end with the Grand Champion Drive, a very special night for 4-Hers.
For those of you not familiar with the 4-H world, the Grand
Champion Drive is a livestock show for the best of the best. During the fair,
judges choose a champion animal from each breed. These champions then move on
to compete against the other breed winners in their species in the Grand
Champion Drive.During the drive, a
judge selects one animal to be the Grand Champion.
The Grand Champion, the Reserve Grand Champion and the other
qualifying animals will participate in the Sale of Champions this Saturday,
August 11.
Congratulations to all Grand Champions in the 2012 Grand
Champion Drive!
Barrows: Crossbred
Evan Gilliland, LaGrange County
Gilts: Duroc
Alida
Jackson, Hendricks County
Heifers: Simmental
Claire
Trennepohl, Henry County
Steers: Chianina
Cole Wilcox,
Lawrence County
Market Goats: Middle Weight
Bradyn Ford,
Benton County
Market Lambs: Black Face Market
Justin
Wiloughby, Hamilton County
Ten year 4-H member and Westfield High School graduate
Justin Willoughby can’t imagine his last year of 4-H having a better ending.
“He’s one of the best we’ve ever shown but when I was
waiting for the judge to make his decision, I was so nervous,” Willoughby said.
“I just kept hoping the judge would walk toward me and when he did it felt
pretty awesome.”
Willoughby
also won the Grand Champion title in 2007.
4-H is the heart and soul of the Indiana State Fair. I took some time to meet several participants who specialize in a variety of projects, and I was so impressed by their knowledge and enthusiasm about their projects.
Indiana 4-H'ers are the cream of the crop nationwide, making Indiana one of the best exhibitions of talent and expertise. The program is a hands-on educational experience where the kids learn practical skills that will stick with them forever. It's an amazing program in a state where agriculture and livestock drive the economy.
I hope you make it out to the fair this year to see the results of all their hard work. I promise you'll learn something!
Today was Girl Scout Day at the Indiana State Fair, and it was quite a celebration. The scouts have something pretty special to celebrate this year -- the organization's 100th birthday!
From small beginnings in Savannah, Ga., by founder Juliette Gordon Low, the organization has grown to include 3.2 million girls and volunteers nationwide. As a member of Girl Scouts for the vast majority of my childhood, this makes me so proud.
I have many fond memories and funny stories from my time as a Girl Scout. We went on camping trips, we had movie nights, we staged performances. I still get grief from my fellow Girl Scout alumnae about one time we were on a camping trip. I got scared of the bugs so I proceeded to spray an entire can of Off! inside our tent. I'm not sure how we didn't suffocate that night.
But there's even more to this great organization than fun and smiles. It's a true learning experience. We took trips to places like Conner Prairie and the zoo, and we even drove to Washington, D.C., one year. My troop leader was an outstanding female role model, and is still a positive influence in my life. I think most Girl Scouts feel the same way, and that's why millions of girls pledge membership.
When you come out to the fair this year, you can see many of the ways the Girl Scouts are involved and celebrating their milestone. Today, they hosted a fashion show and a sing-a-long on the Free Stage and then enjoyed the Allstar weekend concert together.
Through the fair, the scouts are the presenting sponsor of the Livestock Nursery and host a fun booth beside it. Also, deep-fried Samoa Girl Scout cookies are proving to be one of the most intriguing foods to fairgoers this year. You've got to join us and try one!
A big congratulations goes out to Winchester Community High School for winning its second straight Indiana State Fair Band Day title!
Winchester
students credit the band’s success to their director, Douglas Fletcher. With 12
championships at four different schools between 1989 and 2012, Fletcher holds
the record for the most Band Day wins by an individual.
“I
am so proud of this group, but I know we wouldn’t be here without Mr.
Fletcher,” sophomore Lane Honeycutt said. “He pushes us to be the best and he
inspires us to leave a legacy at our school.”
The results for the "Sweet Sixteen" are as follows:
Considering my lack of musical talent, I was more than
impressed by my first experience at today’s Indiana State Fair Band Day
Competition. Between the color guards’
precision and the drums’ resounding beat, all 46 bands put on a show worthy of
mention.
However, only the following bands will advance to the “Sweet
Sixteen” and compete in tonight’s final competition:
Anderson High
School
Centerville
High School
East Central
High School
Elwood High
School
Frankton High
School
Jay County High
School
Kokomo High
School
Mooresville
High School
Muncie Central
High School
Muncie
Southside High School
Noblesville
High School
Northeastern
High School
Richmond High
School
Union County
High School
Winchester
Community High School
Yorktown High
School
The class awards for the preliminary competition are as followed:
Class A
Class AA
Class AAA
3rd Place
Manchester
Yorktown
Richmond
2nd Place
Wabash
Frankton
Muncie
Southside
1st Place
Sheridan
Centerville
Winchester
Finals begin at 8 p.m. with the last band to compete at
10:30 p.m. We’ll share the results with you as soon as they are announced!
If you’ve never been to Band Day or just couldn’t make it
this year, look through a few pictures from the preliminary round.
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