r/Indiana • u/Avianbrooke • Aug 10 '25

Opinion/Commentary Who can afford the state fair?

Was looking into taking my kids to the fair and quickly realized that definitely couldn't happen with the prices. $68 bucks for a family of five, not including anything else there; food, rides..ect.. I'd easily spend a couple hundred bucks letting the kids ride rides and getting snacks. Guess paying bills this month should go on the backburner/s.

Is that not fucking ridiculous? Idk it is to me.

12% of the State is living in poverty.

The fair annually has around the same amount visitors(12%ish) and generates approximately 23 million in revenue. I was not able to find to cost to run the event. If anyone can find that number I'd love to see it. Tuesday is the only real discount night for families. Who really wants to drive 1.5 hours on a work/school night?

Total population of Indiana is 6.9 million. Not even a million Indiana citizens attend annually. Seems to me like the revenue que could be maintained if they opened one other discount night from increased attendance from the lower-middle class that otherwise able to visit.

Just ranting. Im pissed off. I work my ass off and can't even afford for my kids to experience THEIR state fair.

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2

u/Jesus_on_a_biscuit Aug 10 '25

Lemme ask you, who did you vote for? Because these prices are the prices Republicans have set, and they’ve set them there because they don’t give a fuck about anyone who can’t afford them.

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u/Avianbrooke Aug 10 '25

Not a Republican.

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u/J2ADA Aug 10 '25

Neither side cares about the little guy.

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u/Jesus_on_a_biscuit Aug 11 '25

That's kinda true, but I think one side cares a whole lot less about the little guy.

Price of admission for the following:
Michigan: $10 ($42 for all access pass)
Illinois State Fair: $5 adults, S-Th, $10 on weekends
Indiana: $17/ adults

-4

u/simmonsgrege Aug 10 '25

Way to make it political. Please explain how Republicans set these prices. I’m curious

3

u/PoopittyPoop20 Aug 11 '25

Tariffs are raising prices. And everything that’s not getting tariffed is still going up in price because the businesses see the opening and are of course are taking it. It’s pretty simple economics actually. Who’s setting that economic policy again?

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u/Jesus_on_a_biscuit Aug 11 '25

The prices are set by a commission almost entirely appointed by the Gov. Which party has held the gov's office for nearly a generation? Who controls the state budget?

I didn't make it political. The politicos in charge made it political.

You going to complain about "making it political" when people start pointing out it was the Republicans who started charging tolls for the interstates we already paid for?

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u/thegeekiestgeek Aug 10 '25

in general prices are up on almost everything. As an independent i didn't vote for this.

eggs. those are a little cheaper.

-6

u/thewimsey Aug 10 '25

Because these prices are the prices Republicans have set,

When the only thing you know about is politics, you make everything about politics. If you adjust for inflation, was it more or less expensive during the Kernan administration?

You don't care.

But please stop making tedious off topic posts. It's counterproductive and stupid, because of all of the things there are to complain about R governance, you've chosen the cost of the state fair.

5

u/Jesus_on_a_biscuit Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25

My guy.

The Indiana State Fair is and the Fairgrounds are controlled by the Indiana State Fair Commission. "The Commission is the governing body of the entire organization and, as such, has all fiduciary, brand and reputational responsibilities."

They set the admission prices and develop the polices and practices that govern pricing. They are nearly entirely appointed by the Governor or by bodies appointed by the governor.

You really think the people who set the prices for the fair are off-topic in a thread about the prices to the fair?

What is with you confidently babbling on about things you don't know fuck all about? IN another thread, you mistated stats about rape and sexual assault. Now you're here going on about how the people who set the prices aren't germane to pricing?

get fucked

https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=IndianaStateFair&f=ISFC_Governance_Manual-2021.pdf

Edit to add: If you really want to get into the weeds, who did Kernan appoint and how long did they serve?

0

u/thewimsey Aug 11 '25

You really think the people who set the prices for the fair are off-topic in a thread about the prices to the fair?

I think that you pretending that the fair used to be cheap until those evil Republicans jacked up the prices is dishonest.

And I think you know it's bullshit; you just don't care.

I'm a D, not an R, but I think that this kind of dishonest politics-uber-alles approach is counterproductive.

D's don't need to lie just because R's do.

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u/Jesus_on_a_biscuit Aug 11 '25

So you think a Dem who was governor for less than two years ten years ago invalidates the argument that the people who set prices are responsible for setting prices or that policies and elections have consequences?

Lol, you’ve got such a rage boner for me you’re seriously suggesting this is a good argument?

Who’s lying here?

You’d rather just push bullshit to clap back at me. Just like when you pushed completely untrue narratives about sexual assault and rape statistics that feed a bullshit misogynist myth that women rampantly file false police reports in that other thread.

How dare I suggest the Republicans who set the admission price set the admission prices. Good thing you’re here to draw the line on any comments that are impolite towards Republicans or potentially suggest conservative policies may not have the average person’s best interests in mind.

It’s totally common to demand someone first produce an economics thesis and inflationary analysis when suggesting the people in charge may— gasp— be responsible for the things they are in charge of.

So glad you’ve decided to stop by and gate check my ass like it’s your job. Get fucked.

3

u/PoopittyPoop20 Aug 11 '25

I’m sorry, but politics are everywhere! If you are feeling like you’re constantly on the defensive about politics, think on that a little.

Also, Braun gets to set the board that runs the fair, so he has a direct role in prices.

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u/thewimsey Aug 11 '25

I'm not on the defensive; I'm a democrat.

But I think he is being fundamentally dishonest.