Porter County Fairgrounds — Local services in Valparaiso

The Porter County Fairgrounds is honestly one of the best community gathering spots in Northwest Indiana! It’s such a versatile place with so much going on throughout the year. Of course, the highlight is the Porter County Fair every summer, which is always such a fun mix of rides, games, food, animals, and live entertainment. It’s the kind of fair that brings out everyone—families, kids, couples, and groups of friends—and really gives you that classic county fair feeling. The concerts are always top-notch, and the variety of food vendors means there’s something for everyone (can’t go wrong with elephant ears and lemonade on a summer night!).

But what makes the fairgrounds special is that it isn’t just a once-a-year thing. There are events happening here all the time—craft shows, antique markets, livestock shows, holiday festivals, and more. It feels like there’s always something new to check out, and it’s nice to have a space that brings the community together for so many different occasions.

The grounds themselves are really well kept. There’s plenty of space for big events, easy-to-find parking, and lots of areas that are great for walking around or exploring. The buildings are clean and organized for different uses—whether it’s a wedding reception, a craft expo, or a local business showcase. Everything always feels safe and family-friendly.

One of the best parts about the fairgrounds is the sense of nostalgia it brings. A lot of people in the area grew up coming here for the fair or other events, and now they bring their own kids. It’s the kind of place that just feels like part of the heartbeat of Porter County—always familiar, always welcoming, and always tied to great memories.

If you’re local, it’s worth checking out the event schedule because there’s always something happening. And if you’re from out of town, it’s definitely worth visiting during the summer fair to get the full experience. The Porter County Fairgrounds is a true staple of the community, and we’re lucky to...

Not to be confused with La Porte County Fair, which I arrived at, and it was a ghost town. Fortunately, my concert tix had an address to Porter County Fair only a 28 min drive. They had free parking, lots of space when I arrived at 6:30 CST coming from EST- 1 hr difference. The grounds were clean, all hardtop surface where the rides were. Of course the barns were dirt entries so wear footwear that can handle it. Tix are comparable $32 for wristband, all inclusive rides. If you only go on a couple of rides tickets we're cheaper , each ride had varying # of tickets required, not well defined so it's hard to figure how many tickets :( It had poured out& just stopped 30 min before we arrived so it wasn't jam packed with people, plus the concert had assigned seating and lots were already getting seated- folding chairs packed in, no easy access had to step over people seated to get to my 3 seats. Took my granddaughter and her friend. They enjoyed the event and made the most of the wristband - good variety of rides. Lots of the usual food booths, games & kiddie rides. Vendors were pleasant, price a not cheap but servings were ample except the sweets 4 fried red velvet oreos $8, brisket sandwich $14 (hearty portion on a bun pour your own sauce), $16 loaded beef nachos ( heaping meal with everything on it), $9 for fresh tall lemonade or $15 for a bucket ( good to share with 3-4 depending on how thirsty you all are). 32 x2=64 +8 +14 +16 = 102 +9=$111 concert tic not included we were there til midnight ( rides were open after concert...

Let me start off with the good parts of the Porter County Fair. If you go before noon it's free admission which saves you 10 dollars a person. I also love going to see the animal barns and the 4-H exhibits which are free. The main reason we keep comming to the fair every year is the food. While they have a ton of choices from multiple vendors the prices have gone through the roof! Yes fair food has Always been a bit pricey but this year was over the top. For 2 people to eat it cost us nearly 50 dollars we could have had a nice sit down dinner for that price. We only orderd a hamburger, no fries included $10..a Veggie Combo Plate comes with 1 ranch $10....2 Elephant Ears $16....and we split a Lemonade Shake Up $8.....plus tips. It just seems a bit steep for fair food this year. Not that we ride the rides but that's over the top this year as well. 12 tickets per person to ride most of the good rides and the Big Faris Wheel is 15 tickets a person. God only knows what a ticket cost now but the bundles for tickets were $30, $60, and $90 that seems insane to me! I think every year I attend the fair I'm chasing the nalstagia of when I was kid and the fair seemed magical. Well the magic is gone and I don't think we will be attending the fair next year....