The Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion will be unveiled to the public on July 28, opening day of the 2023 Indiana State Fair.
One of the latest products of INFB’s longtime partnership with the Indiana State Fair, the pavilion is constructed on the site of the former Swine Barn, which was built in 1923. The new building will be a “best-in-class” livestock facility, says Ray Allison, chief development and strategy officer for the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center.
But like all the fairgrounds’ newer buildings, it also will be multiuse, making it suitable for various events throughout the year.
“During the Indiana State Fair (July 28-Aug. 20), it will be dedicated to swine shows, both open class and 4-H,” Allison says.
“First and foremost, the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion will be a best-in-class, world-renowned livestock facility,” says Anna Whelchel, chief marketing officer at the Indiana State Fair.
She adds that it also will serve as a modern, flexible space that will host a variety of local, regional and national livestock, consumer and sporting events throughout the year.
“We have already been selected as the site to host the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship, and that really is just one example of the significant impact this new facility will have,” Whelchel adds.
Among its features will be a 117,000-square-foot show floor, 1,400 livestock pens, two show rings and seating for more than 1,100 people. It also will be climate-controlled – something that both human and porcine fairgoers will appreciate.
A change in the elevation of the show floor will make it much easier to load and unload trucks.
“We are actually dropping the elevation of the show floor 10 feet to the grade of the parking lot surrounding the building,” Allison says.
While the pavilion is all-new construction, the fairgrounds have restored the ornate brick facade from the original Swine Barn and integrated it into the new construction.
Another important feature is a 14,000-square-foot lobby, which will house a permanent educational exhibit created in partnership with INFB and the Indiana Pork Producers Association.
“We’re planning on using the space to tell the story of modern agricultural production in Indiana,” Allison says.
A brand-new wing will be attached to the pavilion, which will house the fairgrounds’ safety, security and parking operations, including State Police and medical services/first aid.
“The Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion reinvents that corner of the fairgrounds. The new facility will offer opportunities to both livestock growers and the general public during the fair and also year-round,” says INFB President Randy Kron. “Both INFB and Farm Bureau Insurance are proud to be part of this project.”
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