Elkhart County: Agriculture, family at heart of Elkhart County Fair

GOSHEN, Ind. — The Elkhart County Fair will be held July 23-31 with a theme of “Honor the past. Celebrate the present. Embrace the future.”

“It’s important to look at where you’ve come from, so that you can see where you are going,” said Fair President Trent Hostetler. “We have a lot of history at the fair that we should be proud of and that’s helped us get to where we are today. Yet, we have a direction that we’re headed in the future and it’s exciting.”

The fair will include a great lineup of entertainment, including ZZ Top at 8 p.m. July 24, Tracy Byrd and Mark Wills at 8 p.m. July 26, and Chris Lane and Morgan Evans at 8 p.m. July 27. On July 28, Darci Lynne will take the stage at 8 p.m.

All grandstand shows require reserved seating this year.

“We have a great lineup of entertainment,” said Miranda Muir, general manager of Elkhart County Fair. “We’ve been working on revamping all of our events to fit within the confines of COVID-19 restrictions to keep our community safe. That’s taken a lot of extra work.”

Muir encouraged guests to purchase their fair tickets ahead of time.

“We are asking guests to buy day-specific tickets,” she said. “That’s because, depending on the COVID restrictions at the time, we may have some attendance restrictions in place. If they can buy their tickets ahead of time, that will guarantee their entrance.”

Agriculture can be found almost everywhere throughout the fair, Muir said.

Children can interact with animals at the Old MacDonald Farm, or witness the miracle of life at the birthing center.

“There are several different opportunities for kids to learn about ag,” Muir said. “Then, of course, there are our 4-H projects. 4-H is a huge part of our fair and the promotion of ag through our fair.”

Visitors can watch livestock shows or check out projects created by 4-H members.

July 23, opening day, is Green Earth Day at the fair. Local groups and businesses will share ways that the community can focus on sustainability.

The Midway will stay open until 11 p.m. daily. On July 24, Kids’ Day ride specials will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kiddieland wristbands will be available for $12 each.

The fair will also include two queen pageants: the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Queen Pageant and the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Senior Queen Pageant.

The Senior Queen Pageant celebrates women who have “reached the age of elegance” and have celebrated their 60th birthday before opening day of the fair.

In the Home and Family Arts area, an array of quirky contests will take place. Check out fruit carvings, most creative face mask and ugly lampshade competitions, best of Michiana ribs, and a homemade ice cream crank-off.

Watch hot air balloons soar from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 23-25.

Learn more at www.4hfair.org.

Elkhart County Fair

July 23-31

17746 County Rd 34, Goshen, Indiana