August 3, 2009

Purdue Day to kick off Indiana State Fair

It is the first time in the eight years of Purdue Day at the State Fair that the event has been on opening day. More than 50 tents and exhibits from Purdue will be located on State Fair Boulevard. They 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. 23.

Astronaut and Purdue alumnus Mark Brown will attend the opening of the Indiana Space Travels exhibit in the Grand Hall at 3:30 p.m. Friday (Aug. 7). The space exhibit, with contributions from Purdue students, faculty and alumni, is presented by the Indiana Space Grant Consortium. It will be open during the run of the fair.

Brown, who earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1973 and has flown in space twice, will give a presentation in the Grand Hall media center at 3:45 p.m. and will greet visitors at the exhibit from 4:15-5 p.m.

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 and Purdue Twirlers.

Carrying out the fair's "Year of Tomatoes" theme, greased tomato relay races and tomato shoot-out contests will be held on the Purdue Live Stage. Winners will receive Purdue prizes and a chance on Purdue basketball tickets. 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, spay/neutering demonstrations, and a "Wildlife Sounds of the Night" program.

A Purdue pep rally at 5:15 p.m. will feature President France A. Córdova, board of trustees chairman Keith Krach, athletic director Morgan Burke, the Purdue spirit squad and Purdue Pete. Córdova will ride aboard the Boilermaker Special in a parade beginning at 6:30 p.m.

A complete list of Purdue Day stage events is available online at https://www.purdue.edu/events/state_fair/
stage_performances.shtml

A full list of Purdue exhibits is online at https://www.ag.purdue.edu/extension/Documents/
2009PurdueSFExhibits.pdf

Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu

Sources: Catharine Adair, University Development Office, 765-496-2160, cadair@purdue.edu  

Barrett Caldwell, Indiana Space Grant Consortium, 765- 418-1805, bscaldwell@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Chuck Hibberd, director of Purdue Extension, will conduct a media tour of the Purdue exhibits in the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion at 10 a.m. Friday (Aug. 7). Journalists interested in attending can meet Hibberd at the Purdue information booth inside the pavilion. For more information, contact Steve Leer, Purdue Agricultural Communication, at 765-494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page