🎡Guide to IN State Fair Deals, Foods, & Attractions

Get Your Car Road-Ready for $50

Rohrman Auto Group is offering a full synthetic oil and filter service for just $50 at participating locations. That includes a complete multi-point inspection covering tires, brakes, battery, belts, fluids, and more. Your technician even sends you a personal video of the inspection so you know exactly what was checked. No surprises, no pressure, just honest service at a price that makes sense.

Disclaimer: Valid at participating Rohrman locations. Up to seven quarts, plus tax and shop supplies. Cannot be combined with other offers. See dealer for full details.

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📜 This Week in Indiana History 📜

The First Brickyard 400 Race Is Held (1994)

Indiana is the home of racing, between the seemingly endless amount of local race tracks across the state, and of course the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis had almost exclusively held just one race per year — the Indianapolis 500 — for almost eight decades. Locals feared that adding more races at the speedway would ruin the prestige of the track. 

That all changed when NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 race in 1994. Any fears about the track losing prestige were quickly erased… the race was an instant hit. It featured the largest crowd in NASCAR history, as well as the largest purse in NASCAR history at the time of $3.2 Million.

The race was won by Jeff Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana. It was only his second career win and thrust the-then 23-year-old phenom into superstardom, where he eventually won four Cup Series championships and is considered one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. 

📰 Hoosier Headlines 📰

Guide to the 2026 Indiana State Fair

Batter up! The 2026 Indiana State Fair runs from August 7–23 (closed Mondays) and features a full lineup of fair foods, livestock shows, live entertainment, discount days, and more, all themed around America’s favorite pastime. Here’s a complete guide on the ‘26 fair. (Get Indiana)

Remember the days of walking through Family Video or Blockbuster to rent movies? Check out the fair’s “Rewind: A VHS Revival” attraction, which was built to feel like those video-rental stores of yesteryear. See what else is new at the fair this year. (Get Indiana)

One of the best things about the state fair is, without question, the food. It’s often fried, it’s often greasy, and calories will always be just that, calories. Here’s what’s on the state fair menu in ‘26. (Get Indiana)

Need state fair tickets? Save 20% off gate prices by purchasing online.

VOTE FOR NATE: Indy’s Top Content Creators

IndyStar readers recently nominated their favorite Indianapolis influencers and content creators of 2026, and Get Indiana founder Nate Spangle was one of 30 nominees. Help Nate reach the top 5 by voting here! Voting ends Aug. 17.

Indiana Meets Ohio

The Indiana guy Nate Spangle recently swapped places with Ohio content creator Mitchell Bienvenue for one day, and one day only. (Don’t worry, the Indiana guy would never leave Indiana permanently). Nate became a Buckeye and visited Dublin, Ohio, while Mitchell became a Hoosier and visited Hamilton County.

Get Indiana Attends Pierogi Fest

Approximately 300,000 people attend the annual Pierogi Fest in Whiting, so Nate and Co. had to see what all the hype was about to close out a crazy month of July.

New Restaurant in Noblesville

The Pretender Hi-Fi Lounge & Bar is now open in downtown Noblesville! Owned by Clancy’s Hospitality, The Pretender isn’t joking around when it comes to classic cocktails, curated music, and an intimate, stylish atmosphere. (TikTok)

Football Record Predictions

Get IN. Sports’ Dom Miranda made week-by-week predictions for all of Indiana’s major football programs. Do you agree with his assessment of your favorite team?

Indianapolis Colts
Indiana Hoosiers
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Purdue Boilermakers

Girls Flag Football Closing In on Full Sanctioning with IHSAA

The National Flag Football Championships were held July 24–26 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, and there is serious momentum for girls flag football to soon become a fully sanctioned IHSAA sport. Learn more about what it’s taken to get there and the impact of the Indianapolis Colts. (FPI News)

Celebrate Hoosier Pride at the Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair is the heartbeat of our community, and we're bringing the energy! Come join the Hoosier Lottery team for a celebration of local pride, community spirit, and, of course, plenty of play. We can't wait to see you there!

Spot the Spontaneous Fun: Catch Nate Spangle live at the fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 11. He'll be chatting about what makes Indiana great and handing out special tokens of appreciation to our players.

Visit the Center of Play: Swing by Hoosier Lottery Town to jump into interactive games, grab your favorite tickets, and celebrate what makes our state so special. Don't miss out on the biggest celebration of the summer. Plan your visit to Hoosier Lottery Town today at HoosierLottery.com/StateFair. (Must be 18+ to play).

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Broccoli Bill’s

Looking for fresh produce with real flavor? Check out Broccoli Bill’s in Noblesville, where their produce is better than anything you’d find at a supermarket.

Calli Nature Preserve

If you're looking for a peaceful outdoor adventure away from the crowds, Calli Nature Preserve in North Vernon is one of southern Indiana's best-kept secrets. Pro tip: When visiting the preserve, make sure to find your way to Rock Rest Falls. (Get Indiana)

What’s your Hidden Gem? Submit here to have it featured!

Events This Week in Indiana

Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever – Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis – Thursday, August 6 at 7 p.m. - Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and the Fever host four-time MVP A'ja Wilson and the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in a marquee WNBA showdown. Tickets

Weird Al Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour – Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville – Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. - The undisputed king of pop parody brings his biggest, weirdest tour yet — expect accordion solos, costume changes, and the "The Saga Begins." Tickets

Rock the Rind – Heritage Park in Brownstown – Thursday–Saturday, August 6–8 - Three nights of country music with Tracy Lawrence, Big & Rich, Uncle Kracker, Joe Nichols, Randall King, Clayton Anderson, Colby Acuff and more during Jackson County's annual watermelon festival in southern Indiana. Tickets

Indiana State Fair Opening Day – Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis – Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 23 (closed Mondays) - The 2026 Indiana State Fair kicks off with a Motown double bill on the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage, plus midway rides, livestock shows, fair food, and more. Tickets

42nd Annual Osceola Music Festival – Fern Hunsberger Park in Osceola – Friday–Sunday, August 7–9 - Free family-friendly community music festival just east of South Bend featuring regional acts, food vendors, kids' activities, and a beer garden. Details

Lynyrd Skynyrd x Foreigner: Double Trouble Double Vision Tour – Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville – Friday, August 7 at 6:30 p.m. - Two southern/arena-rock institutions co-headline the state's biggest amphitheater, where "Sweet Home Alabama" meets "I Want to Know What Love Is." Tickets

Kroger Symphony on the Prairie: The Fab Four – The Ultimate Beatles Tribute – Conner Prairie Amphitheatre in Fishers – Friday, August 7 at 8 p.m. - Emmy-winning Beatles tribute act The Fab Four performs with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the summer stars. Tickets

Fiesta Fort Wayne – Downtown Fort Wayne – Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m.–10:30 p.m. - Northeast Indiana's largest Hispanic heritage celebration features live music, Latin dance performances, authentic Mexican and Latin American food, cultural exhibits, and family activities. Details

The Taste & More – Logansport – Saturday, August 8 from 5–10:30 p.m. - Head to Cass County to enjoy food and craft vendors, artists, and live entertainment. Free admission. Details

👏 1 Big wIN 👏

With the help of Indiana University’s Rural Placemaking Studio, public spaces in communities across Indiana are being enriched. The program involves IU students who work with rural communities to provide designs and price estimates for the projects. Now in its third year, the studio has partnered with 25 organizations across 19 of Indiana’s 92 counties on projects.

Is your community interested in revitalizing or creating a public space? Applications for the 2027 studio open this fall, and your community must be 50,000 people or less in population to qualify. (FPI News)

🎧 They Bet Everything on a Restaurant Everyone Said Would Fail  🎧

🎙 On today's show I sat down with Indiana entrepreneurs Mark and Lauren Weghorst, founders of central Indiana's fast-growing seafood restaurant Slapfish, which has its original location inside Broccoli Bill's in Noblesville, one on Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis, one in Fishers at The Yard, and another in Carmel's Market District. A fifth location is set to open this fall in Indy's Meridian-Kessler neighborhood.

Mark shares how a failed tenant restaurant space at the family's Broccoli Bill's grocery store led him to Google "fast casual seafood concepts" and pursue Slapfish. The Weghorsts risked everything while raising three young kids, from receiving an SBA loan to emptying their savings and using their home as collateral.

They describe the frantic early days of opening in 2019, a packed grand opening, learning operations with little experience, and staying open through COVID during Lent, which ultimately boosted carryout and delivery growth. As the broader Slapfish brand contracted, they expanded locally and built a commissary prep model for consistency, all while focusing on community involvement and better family balance.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- Where the Idea of Slapfish Originated
- The Risks the Weghorsts Took to Launch Slapfish
- How Slapfish Successfully Navigated COVID
- What Makes Slapfish Unique From Other Seafood Restaurants

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