More than 110,000 visited Glass Barn at this year’s Fair 

By Lauren Argotte 

For each of the past 13 years, the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from across the nation to the Glass Barn at the Great Indiana State Fair. 

This year, the Indiana State Fair’s theme was baseball, and its featured sponsor was the Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball team. During the State Fair, the Indians’ provided game tickets that were handed out at the Glass Barn during daily Farmer Chats and on Farmer Appreciation Day on August 14. 

In 2026, the Glass Barn welcomed 110,543 visitors, providing learning experiences for fairgoers to understand the importance of soybeans, how they’re grown and benefit Hoosier families. The Glass Barn offered many attractions to fairgoers: 

• Bean-Go – Fairgoers hunt throughout the Glass Barn for clues to answer questions on their Bean-Go cards. After completing the card, visitors can receive a “Bean There, Done That” hat. This year, the Glass Barn handed out more than 18,000 hats. 

• SoyMarket – From breakfast foods to concrete protection, soybeans are ingredients in many daily household products. Glass Barn visitors played an interactive market game and learned how soybeans influence their lives. 

• Live Farmer Chats – Hosted daily at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., these conversations allowed Glass Barn visitors asked questions about production, farm life and more. Speakers included soybean farmers, researchers and the Indiana State Fair Featured Farmer of the Day. 

• Photo Booth – The Glass Barn featured two photo booths where visitors often get an annual photo commemorating their visit. With many backdrops to choose from, nearly 21,000 photos were taken this year. 

• Combine Simulator – Visitors had the opportunity to harvest soybeans in the Combine Simulator again this year. 

Beyond the Glass Barn, ISA and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) were involved in various partnerships around the fairgrounds. Here are a few: 

• Corn-based straws and utensils – Corn-based products were available at the American Dairy Association Dairy Bar and the Indiana FFA Country Market. 

• Little Hands on the Farm – ICMC sponsored the newly designed General Store, where children collected farm products and exchanged them for a corn-based snack. 

• Indiana State Fair Recipe Trail – Attendees walked throughout the fairgrounds and collected recipes featuring corn and soybean ingredients. 

• Shuttle – Fair visitors could travel the fairgrounds on trailers pulled by tractors that were powered by soy-based biodiesel fuel. 

Planning for the 2027 Indiana State Fair and Glass Barn exhibits is underway.