Last winter, I moved to a neighborhood by the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, but it wasn’t until this month that I was able to appreciate the splendor of my new home. The Fairgrounds are such a massive, mostly empty space for most of the year. To see and hear them blooming reminds me that joy and possibility lies in patient dedication.
Prize pigs are grown for years, pickles get perfected over generations, mountains of cheese are sculpted to resemble the Mona Lisa over tireless days. These are all long labors of love.
I would be happier if I were more like the Indiana State Fair — working really, really hard one month out of the year and imagining for the rest of it.
While meditating on these ideas, I recorded eight soundscapes at the Fairgrounds. Consider this my aural love letter to the Indiana State Fair.
The Midway rides
Who doesn’t have fond memories of riding the Ferris Wheel? The Tilt-A-Whirl? Tell me you walked through the funhouse? Whether you are feeling brave or not, you can still enjoy the second-hand excitement of walking through the Midway rides for free. Listen deeply: the roller coasters ratcheting, people screaming and carnival barkers awarding prizes.
Tomato juice chit chats
When you go to the fair, get into conversations with vendors. These folks have lifetimes of honing their craft, and are often eager for a cheerful listener. In this soundscape, you can hear my conversation with the folks at the Marion County Purdue Extension Master Gardener program. They were selling glasses of tomato juice in the Agriculture Horticulture building.
Lemon shake-ups
Must-have fair food, lemon shake-ups, will quench your thirst as you walk around the fairgrounds.The sounds of big ice rattling and the straw screeching up the side of the plastic lid are super refreshing as well. Warning: When you listen to this, you will get thirsty.
Birds and karaoke at the Wine Garden
If you are looking for the quietest place at the State Fair, a corner for some respite, I suggest the Wine Garden between the Midway and the Agriculture Horticulture building. Sit for a bit and grab a glass of chardonnay. Listen to local birds sing over karaoke ’‘90s hits or acoustic ’90s hits, depending on the time of day.
Horses
I know you might be going for the food and the rides, but stay for prize animal shows! Folks come from around the continent to participate in the Indiana State Fair Percheron & Clydesdale Draft Horse Show. The horses look stunningly majestic, hitched together in 4s or 6s, pulling beautifully ornate wooden carts.
Crinkling and stories at Hook’s Drug Store
Fair attraction Hook’s Drug Store looks like a drug store/soda shop from 100 years ago. Most everything in it is original, taken from turn of the century drug stores. This soundscape includes my conversation with Virginia Wilson, who has been working there for the past 25 years. Listen at Hooks to hear phosphate soda made the old fashioned way, creaking hardwood floors and penny candy packages crinkling.
Crisp Red Barn elephant ears
There are many places to get an elephant ear at the fair, but Red Barn is the best. No other ears crunch this much. No other batter fries so clean. Listen here and make yourself hungry, then go eat whatever fried dough you can get to fastest.
Walking along the Monon Trail
The Indiana State Fairgrounds runs along the Monon Trail between 38th Street and 42nd Street. Walking along this extra well-lit path during an evening after the fair, you will get your own private incidental concert. The interplay between the fair sounds and the cicadas chirping is some divine Indiana night music.
Did Clockwork find your favorite State Fair sounds?
Comment on this story on social media, and maybe they will come and collect that sweet noise. Clockwork is mapping all the sounds they collect into their growing “Indy Sounds Like” project.
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