Indiana State Fair to celebrate Purdue Day
Purdue will bring electric go-karts to the Indiana State Fair that competed this year at the first evGrandPrix to highlight the university's efforts in training students to contribute to the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry in Indiana. Children can sign up at the Electric Vehicle Initiative tent to race miniature versions of the karts at the fair. (Purdue News Service file photo/Andrew Hancock)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Day at the Indiana State Fair on Friday (Aug. 13) will feature more than 50 tents and exhibits that include robotics competitions, animal surgery and the opportunity to race electric go-karts.
Purdue Day exhibits that will line State Fair Boulevard at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Exhibits in the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion - sponsored by Purdue University Extension and the academic areas of agriculture, consumer and family sciences, and veterinary medicine - also will be open. These exhibits will remain in place throughout the fair, which runs through Aug. 22.
Purdue's Electric Vehicle Initiative will display electric go-karts built by Purdue students for the inaugural evGrandPrix. The initiative increases awareness of the region's growing electric vehicle industry and trains students to contribute to this field.
Children can sign up at the Electric Vehicle Initiative tent on State Fair Boulevard to race electric karts at the fair's Riley Fun Park mini-Indy Race Track. The event highlights the initiative's plan to extend electric vehicle curriculum and activities to 6 million 4-H members beginning this fall.
Purdue Live! Stage performances will begin at 10 a.m. on Purdue Day. Highlights will include a robotics demonstration and performances by Purdue Musical Organizations, Purdue Twirlers and the Purdue Alumni Band.
Carrying out the fair's "Year of Pigs" theme, the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine will present "This Little Pig went to Market …" and a "P-I-G" basketball contest will take place at the Purdue Live! Stage.
Details will be available at Purdue information tents at Gates 1A and 12.
Other events during the day include cricket spitting contests and cockroach races; a bugs, beetles and bees demonstration; and a spay/neuter animal surgery demonstration.
The Purdue School of Veterinary of Medicine is partnering with the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association to provide the surgical demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Pioneer Hi-Bred Our Land Pavilion. The demonstrations also will be held at those times Aug. 11-15 and 17-22. Demos are 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 10) and Monday (Aug. 16).
A Purdue pep rally at 5:30 p.m. Friday (Aug. 13) will feature university President France A. Córdova, Intercollegiate Athletics director Morgan Burke, Purdue Alumni Association executive director Kirk Cerny, the Purdue spirit squad and Purdue Pete. Córdova will ride aboard the Boilermaker Special in the daily parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m.
A complete list of Purdue Day stage events is available online at https://www.purdue.edu/giving/events/Indiana_State_Fair/Purdue_Live%21_Stage.html
A full list of Purdue exhibits is available at https://www.purdue.edu/giving/events/Indiana_State_Fair/index.html
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Source: Catharine Adair, University Development Office, 765-496-2160