'Barn in the USA.' Five fun T-shirts you can get at the Indiana State Fair in 2025
Here are some of the T-shirts available for purchase at the 2025 Indiana State Fair.
Take a look at this udderly fantastic KOWS shirt for those who want to rock and rollercoaster all night, at least until the midway closes. Pyrotechnics not included.
This shirt is the boss. Written we assume by Bruce Swinesteen "Barn in the USA" allows you to put your best, uh, foot forward in celebrating Americana.
'Oh! Darling,' we're not sure if 'She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,' but we finally know why the chicken crossed Abbey Farm Road — the Indiana State Fair was on the other side.
Story continues after photo gallery.
Flour power — this shirt's got it. What could be better than 15 days of Peace, Music & Corndogs? Well, 16 days, obviously, but the Indiana State Fair ends after Aug. 17.
This dye-namite Rock 'n' Roll cow T-shirt adds a splash of color to your wardrobe. And for what it's worth, the cow looks like an amazing moooo-sician, even though we're pretty sure all its songs are written in Beef-flat.
The Indiana State Fair Gift Shop can be found on the fairgrounds under the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand and in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building, as well as the United State of Indiana store, 1051 E. 54th St., Suite B, Indianapolis, and online at UnitedStateofIndiana.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
10 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection celebrates historic Black beach community
Cricket sweaters, patchwork blanket, and distressed baseball caps. Each is part of the new collection called Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, celebrating the historically Black community of Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The collection is an evolution of the 2022 collection based on Historically Black Colleges Morehouse and Spelman, who are again partners in the Oak Bluffs collection, and is a part of the company's "Design with Intent" portfolio. "Ralph Lauren as a man, as a brand is sort of the world ambassador to Americana," James Jeter, Creative Director for Polo Men's at Ralph Lauren told USA TODAY. "With that comes this incredible responsibility for us to tell these incredible American stories as fully, as broadly, as accurately as possible." The collection deftly weaves HBCU campus style drawn from Morehouse and Spelman with resort wear that references the historic Black beach town and Black traditions. "It was just very important to tell that story, the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional experience that is the Black experience that also translates into the American experience," Dara Douglas, Product and Brand Lead for Design with Intent, told USA TODAY. It is accompanied by a documentary on the community directed by Cole Brown titled "A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs" that debuted on the brand's YouTube page on July 24. "Oak Bluffs' unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire me and speak to what we are all searching for – a place where you can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home," Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the eponymous preppy stalwart, said in a July 23 press release. Oak Bluffs was once a part of nearby Edgartown and was deemed to be the place "suitable" for Black workers at nearby resorts, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Oak Bluffs community envisioned by the collection started in earnest when Charles Shearer opened Shearer Cottage in 1912, according to The Root. The Black news outlet described the inn as, "an act of defiance in an America riddled with discrimination and racial segregation, where safe lodging for Black travelers was a rare luxury." "So by default really, Oak Bluffs becomes the place ... for young, educated, affluent African Americans—the politicians and the movie stars." Dr. Elaine Weintraub, historian and co-founder of the Martha's Vineyard African American Heritage Trail, told the Trust. At the heart of Oak Bluffs, according to the Root, is a beach called the Inkwell that served as a place where, "Black folks could swim, sunbathe, and just be, without getting side-eyed or harassed." Weintraub described vacationers to the Inkwell, Shearer Cottage, and Oak Bluffs throughout the decades as a "who's who" including Madame C.J. Walker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., actress Ethel Waters, and singer Lionel Richie. "Well, I think perhaps I should say what you I think are aware of. Our people are deeply mystical, you might say spiritual and we have a an appreciation for place," Dr. Lawrence E. Carter Sr., the Dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, said in the documentary. "How Martha's Vineyard became Martha's Vineyard has an awful lot to do with traffic, who came through here and by coming through here bequeathed something." Dorothy West, the youngest member of the Harlem Renaissance, said of Oak Bluffs, "I thought there was always summer here" in an interview published by the Martha's Vineyard Museum Oral History Channel. "I think historically it has represented a place where African Americans could be successful, could be around other African-Americans, could share in a culture and a place in the sun and that they'll own and that they'll belong," Weintraub said. Oak Bluffs still holds that same significance today. Netflix's show "Forever", released in March, showcased this on an episode titled "The Vineyard", allowing viewers to see the vibrance and richness that still exists in Oak Bluffs. The 2022 collection was described by Jeter as a "period piece" that drew from the ephemera of Morehouse and Spelman, of which Jeter and Douglas are alumni, from 1920's to the 1960's. "You'll notice that there's this kind of decorum (in the 2022 collection). We leaned a little bit into politics of respectability, which really started such an incredible conversation," Jeter said. He added that imagery for the collection's campaign was "intentionally less serious" and leaned into a multi-generational interpretation of summers on the shore. "Quite frequently people think of the output that comes from the Black experience, whether it's through entertainment, through sports. So you constantly see the Black body in motion, but this notion of rest and relaxation as a space that the black body could occupy I think is quite revolutionary," Douglas said. The collection comes as companies have backed away from concepts labeled DEI following pressure from the Trump administration and other right-wing forces. Jeter and Douglas both pointed to the collection as a part of the company's commitment to widening the brand's view of what is included in "Americana," with James saying "we intended to stick to that."
USA Today
19 hours ago
- USA Today
Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection celebrates historic Black beach community
Cricket sweaters, patchwork blanket, and distressed baseball caps. Each is part of the new collection called Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, celebrating the historically Black community of Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The collection is an evolution of the 2022 collection based on Historically Black Colleges Morehouse and Spelman, who are again partners in the Oak Bluffs collection, and is a part of the company's "Design with Intent" portfolio. "Ralph Lauren as a man, as a brand is sort of the world ambassador to Americana," James Jeter, Creative Director for Polo Men's at Ralph Lauren told USA TODAY. "With that comes this incredible responsibility for us to tell these incredible American stories as fully, as broadly, as accurately as possible." The collection deftly weaves HBCU campus style drawn from Morehouse and Spelman with resort wear that references the historic Black beach town and Black traditions. "It was just very important to tell that story, the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional experience that is the Black experience that also translates into the American experience," Dara Douglas, Product and Brand Lead for Design with Intent, told USA TODAY. It is accompanied by a documentary on the community directed by Cole Brown titled "A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs" that debuted on the brand's YouTube page on July 24. "Oak Bluffs' unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire me and speak to what we are all searching for – a place where you can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home," Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the eponymous preppy stalwart, said in a July 23 press release. Historically Black beach community celebrated by Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs was once a part of nearby Edgartown and was deemed to be the place "suitable" for Black workers at nearby resorts, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Oak Bluffs community envisioned by the collection started in earnest when Charles Shearer opened Shearer Cottage in 1912, according to The Root. The Black news outlet described the inn as, "an act of defiance in an America riddled with discrimination and racial segregation, where safe lodging for Black travelers was a rare luxury." "So by default really, Oak Bluffs becomes the place ... for young, educated, affluent African Americans—the politicians and the movie stars." Dr. Elaine Weintraub, historian and co-founder of the Martha's Vineyard African American Heritage Trail, told the Trust. At the heart of Oak Bluffs, according to the Root, is a beach called the Inkwell that served as a place where, "Black folks could swim, sunbathe, and just be, without getting side-eyed or harassed." Weintraub described vacationers to the Inkwell, Shearer Cottage, and Oak Bluffs throughout the decades as a "who's who" including Madame C.J. Walker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., actress Ethel Waters, and singer Lionel Richie. "Well, I think perhaps I should say what you I think are aware of. Our people are deeply mystical, you might say spiritual and we have a an appreciation for place," Dr. Lawrence E. Carter Sr., the Dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, said in the documentary. "How Martha's Vineyard became Martha's Vineyard has an awful lot to do with traffic, who came through here and by coming through here bequeathed something." Dorothy West, the youngest member of the Harlem Renaissance, said of Oak Bluffs, "I thought there was always summer here" in an interview published by the Martha's Vineyard Museum Oral History Channel. "I think historically it has represented a place where African Americans could be successful, could be around other African-Americans, could share in a culture and a place in the sun and that they'll own and that they'll belong," Weintraub said. Oak Bluffs still holds that same significance today. Netflix's show "Forever", released in March, showcased this on an episode titled "The Vineyard", allowing viewers to see the vibrance and richness that still exists in Oak Bluffs. Oak Bluffs collection intends to broaden view of Black experience The 2022 collection was described by Jeter as a "period piece" that drew from the ephemera of Morehouse and Spelman, of which Jeter and Douglas are alumni, from 1920's to the 1960's. "You'll notice that there's this kind of decorum (in the 2022 collection). We leaned a little bit into politics of respectability, which really started such an incredible conversation," Jeter said. He added that imagery for the collection's campaign was "intentionally less serious" and leaned into a multi-generational interpretation of summers on the shore. "Quite frequently people think of the output that comes from the Black experience, whether it's through entertainment, through sports. So you constantly see the Black body in motion, but this notion of rest and relaxation as a space that the black body could occupy I think is quite revolutionary," Douglas said. The collection comes as companies have backed away from concepts labeled DEI following pressure from the Trump administration and other right-wing forces. Jeter and Douglas both pointed to the collection as a part of the company's commitment to widening the brand's view of what is included in "Americana," with James saying "we intended to stick to that." "We are the leaders. So we look not outside of ourselves, but we look toward our purpose to be the guiding light to the kind of stories that we tell," James said. "The hope is that other corporations or other folks see us as an example."
Indianapolis Star
21 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
We tried 12 wild Indiana State Fair dishes and ranked them from worst to best
Every year, our IndyStar tasting team is more than happy to provide the important reader service of testing a variety of Indiana State Fair foods and telling you exactly what we think of them with no holds barred. This year, we sweat our way from one end of the fair to the other, sampling a bunch of new dishes and a few that we thought were just downright wild. Find our takes below, ranked from worst (one star) to best (five stars). We hope these insights help you make the best possible investment with your fair dollars. Freund Family Foods Gourmet Funnel Cakes. Across from Corteva Coliseum. $18. IndyStar taster rating:⭐ (1 star) Given my Italian heritage, I really wanted to enjoy this sampling of three famous flavors: Italian wedding cake, tiramisu and cannoli. But unfortunately, neither the cannoli nor tiramisu sections contained any oomph on the front end, and aftertastes were lacking as well. — Domenica Bongiovanni Indiana ribeye truck near the fair Midway. $12. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐ (2 stars) This is not a drink. This is a tug-of-war battle between you and your little sibling. One sip in, you know it's too much sugar, you hand it over to them, but also, you're like, 'Wait, come back, I want it.' It's juicy, it's poppy (but only from the boba), and the flavor screams summer. That said, if you don't shake it around hard, you're just slurping syrup at the bottom like a hummingbird on a Red Bull bender. Sip with caution. And share with a sugar goblin you trust. — Sam Habashy Sun King Brewing in the Taproom across from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. $12 for 16 ounces. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐ (2 stars) Sun King's cotton candy ale didn't quite do for me what last year's pickle beer did, but that probably says more about me than the drink itself. This take on the classic state fair confection is surprisingly refreshing, with an ambiguously fruity taste that isn't as cloyingly sweet as the beer's frightening shade of teal might suggest. Alas, the opposing flavors just don't mesh as well as you'd hope, which may simply be the result of infusing a drink only consumed legally by people over 21 years old with a food eaten almost exclusively by people under the age of 10. — Bradley Hohulin Jamaican Breeze. Next to the Department of Natural Resources building near the main entrance. $12. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐ ½ (2.5 stars) I was hoping for a trip to flavor town with this one, but sadly, it didn't deliver. The best way to describe the dish? Tame. The jerk sauce had a faint sweetness but lacked the bold, spice-rich taste you'd expect. The cheese was barely noticeable, leaving the fries feeling more like a missed opportunity than a standout snack. At $12, it's hard to justify the price for something so underwhelming. If you're craving bold Caribbean flavors, you might want to keep looking. — Ethan Hylton Dairy Bar. Across from Corteva Coliseum. $5. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars) The barbecue sauce reminds me somewhat of Sweet Baby Ray's, which is a little too sweet for my Kansas City-groomed tastebuds. But the salty, creamy gouda and the slices of perfectly buttered and toasted bread make up for the slight sugar overreach. — Domenica Bongiovanni Black Leaf Vegan Food Truck. Across from Pioneer Village. $17. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars) The plant-based "meat" is coated in a vegan "cheez" sauce that has a fruitiness reminiscent of the sticky-sweet coating on your favorite childhood mall Chinese chicken. The protein and peppers were cradled in a hoagie with enough fluff and chewiness to meet all of my expectations. Overall, this sandwich is a pleasant diversion from the deep-fried cheesy flavors that populate so much of the fair. — Domenica Bongiovanni Urick Concessions. Inside the Agriculture and Horticulture building. $20. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars) If you're looking to escape the summer heat with a refreshing adult beverage, the brunch mimosa might be for you. Light, crisp and not overly sweet, the mimosa was a pleasant surprise, especially with white wine replacing the usual champagne. That twist added a subtle depth that worked well. However, at $20, I expected more from the accompanying fruits, waffles and donuts. They looked promising but didn't quite deliver on flavor. Overall, it's a fun treat if you're in the mood for something light and boozy, but the price-to-quality ratio holds it back. — Ethan Hylton Pickle barrel concession right when you enter by the Hoosier Free Stage lottery. $12. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars) This is what happens when your taste buds and your inner feral child make a pact. It's giving "a dare gone too far but also… kinda genius?" It tastes like a sleepover where no one's mom is supervising and someone goes, 'Let's mix everything in the pantry!' I felt nine years old and unhinged in the best way while eating this salty, sweet and weirdly nostalgic confection. I double-dog dare you to eat the whole thing without questioning your life choices — unlike my co-workers, who did not appreciate the admittedly odd flavor palate. — Sam Habashy Hook's Drugstore Museum by the Indiana Arts Building near Gate 1. $9. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars) A crisp cup of vanilla cold brew receives vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, Biscoff cookie butter and Biscoff crumbles, all topped with a maraschino cherry. The concoction looks untenably sweet, but it's a far cry from the massive syrup-spiked drive-thru iced coffees that makes you feel like you're having a panic attack after three sips. Aside from some slight whipped cream separation, everything comes together very nicely in a lovely mocha-colored swirl. Just know your limits — full-fat dairy and extra-strength coffee make this sweet treat quietly one of the more intestinally challenging offerings at the State Fair, which is saying a lot. — Bradley Hohulin Red Frazier Bison. Across from Pioneer Village. $20. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars) Mind you, this was my first time trying bison, so I was a bit apprehensive going into this, but boy am I glad I tried it. The bison patty was cooked well and surprisingly juicy. What really stood out, though, was the Texas toast: crunchy, flavorful, and perfect for soaking up all those savory juices. I did discover that pimento cheese isn't my thing, but don't let that stop you — it's a solid burger overall. If you're feeling hangry and want a hearty, satisfying option, this is a safe bet. The $20 price tag is a little steep, but the quality makes it worth considering. — Ethan Hylton J&J A Taste of Home along the northwest side of the West Pavilion. $17 for two rolls. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars) Following up last year's confoundingly delicious spaghetti and meat sauce egg rolls, J&J presents my favorite bite of the fair with a 4-inch payload of chopped chicken and cheese that is wrapped and fried, doused in a fire-orange blend of hot honey, lemon pepper and buffalo sauce and drizzled with ranch dressing. Combining the trademark flavors of Philadelphia, Atlanta, upstate New York and the Midwest feels almost heretical yet totally works here. While I admittedly miss the crispness of a traditional egg roll, the tang and heat of the sauces is a worthy trade-off, and I suppose it wouldn't be in the spirit of a Philly cheesesteak if the dish were even remotely tidy. — Bradley Hohulin Wilson concessions truck. By the agriculture building. $12. IndyStar taster rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars) Bites? They meant it. These are the perfect portion sizes that fit in your mouth with no hassle. It's coated in just enough cinnamon sugar, but it's not overpowering. And the cereal is quite the throwback as I hadn't had it in years. The cookie butter drizzle is the main character. It adds a subtle softness to contrast the crunch. The bites were gone in minutes, and I was left wanting just one more. — Sam Habashy More: Taste of the Fair: Indiana State Fair announces new foods for 2025 Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@ You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
