Senate Bill 23, co-authored by Sen. Brett Clark, R-Avon, and Sen. Ron Alting, R- Lafayette, would allow alcohol usage at local state fairs with a few exceptions, following in the footsteps of the Indiana State Fair. It passed unanimously Wednesday in the Senate Public Policy Committee.
“Historically, Indiana county fairs have been alcohol free, but this bill allows for designated alcohol service areas,” said Alting.“It’s open to up to 92 counties if they would like to have a designated place to serve alcohol, and counties can still choose to remain alcohol free if they prefer.”
This bill would also give local organizations an opportunity to hold events with the addition of alcohol, but there would be an application process in place and terms set for a permit. There would be no fee for a permit, which would last for a year.
“I think it’s a positive thing when it’s done right,” said Alting. “A fair is family-oriented. We want to keep it to be a family, a place to bring our kids and enjoy 4-H and so forth. So I think [passage of the bill] will draw more people to our county fairs. It will make money for the county to keep it solvent and be able to fund a county fair. The tenants will go up.
“So I think it’s a win-win proposition. It’s really a county bill that will help our counties.”
Several testimonies supported the bill.
“In 2025, we had 12,136 total attendees across grandstand events using the same conservative $8-per-person figure,” said Dylan Camp, a Jay County Fair representative. “That represents about an additional $97,000 in additional potential.
“And that revenue isn’t just a hypothetical extra. It directly offsets the basic cost of keeping fairgrounds open and safe. In 2025, Jay County Fairgrounds expenses included approximately $40,000 for insurance. An additional $97,000 would allow us to reinvest in what fairs exist, to do better programming, expanding kids activities, veteran appreciation efforts and more free family entertainment and off-season events that help sustain our fairgrounds and strengthen our community.”
Overall, this bill aims to help financially struggling county fairs by generating additional income. But the bill still requires approval from city or county councils and mayors.
Some also had concerns over safety issues and underage drinking.
“I love Boone County Fair, and our boys go there pretty much every summer. It’s always a great experience,” said Lisa Hutchison, director of the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. “And at no point did I personally feel like I needed alcohol to have more enjoyable time with my family.
“So allowing alcohol at county fairs continues to normalize alcohol use in all of our daily lives, creates additional access points to minors, and increases the likelihood of other safety concerns.