From Lemon Shake-Ups to Ludacris, the 2026 Elkhart County Fair starts today

GOSHEN, Ind. -- The Elkhart County 4-H Fair kicked off today - with some 200-thousand visitors expected over the next nine days.

The Elkhart County Fair is the largest county fair in the state of Indiana, and one of the largest in the nation. With something for everyone, it would be difficult to find someone who could not be entertained.

There's the midway, of course, with dozens of rides for both kids and adults, carnival games, three large commercial exhibition buildings, rows and rows of 4-H barns filled with animals to see, and the enticing delights to be found on food row. 

There's also the grandstand, where fairgoers can see acts like tonight's performer, Ludacris, or come back for truck pulls, demolition derbies, monster trucks, rodeos, and harness racing.

Every day at the fair also has a theme, and there are designated discount days as well, for kids, seniors, those with disabilities, and Hometown Heroes.

But before you can join in on the fun... you need to find parking, which is handled by Mary Nisley, Director of Parking, and her team of 72 people. 

"We park 15,000 to 30,000 cars in a day. Parking is free, but if you want to camp in a RV at the fairgrounds, there's a waitlist for that," says Nisley. If you're worried about the walk from where you parked your car, don't be. Tractor-pulled trams constantly circle the parking areas, ready to transport fairgoers to the gate. 

When there is an event during the fair, safety is the priority for everyone working the fairgrounds especially when you have a huge concert. 4H Fair President Jason Wogoman says they have security protocols in place.

"We have police everywhere, even undercover officers. We have a clear bag policy, and we are making sure no one has a weapon. There are no security checkpoints." 

As you know, you need a ticket to get into the concert, but fake tickets and resellers have become an issue for some who purchased them at a site other than the fair website.

"We have a QR code on our tickets that we have to scan. The other tickets may not, or if they do, they may take you to a seat that is already occupied," says Fair General Manager Shelly Steury. But if you do show up with a ticket from a reseller, there's still hope. "If someone bought a ticket from a reseller and didn't know the issues it would cause, we will verify their ticket and make room for them."