Last Updated on August 1, 2016 by cassnetwork
Two DNR favorites — “Snakes Alive” and the Kids Fishin’ Pond — kick off day No. 1 of the Indiana State Fair and will be offered daily, Aug. 5-21.
Another annual favorite, the Taste of the Wild cookout, begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.
All three events will be next to the air-conditioned Natural Resources Building, the hub of DNR State Fair activities. Check dnr.IN.gov/statefair for the entire DNR schedule.
“Snakes Alive,” the live snake show, will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, and then daily at 10 a.m. throughout the rest of the fair. Interpretive naturalists from across Indiana will talk about snakes Hoosiers might find in their backyards.
The 312,000-gallon Fishin’ Pond is next to the amphitheater and is packed with fish ready to be caught and released. Youth fishing is available every day in the early evening and most mornings. Parents/guardians should check the daily schedule online or in the State Fair program. Exact hours differ on some days.
Also featured each afternoon is a program with at least one live bird of prey. These programs take place at 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday afternoons, look for DNR district wildlife biologists talking about how to manage your land. Urban wildlife biologists will have a booth inside the building. Stop by for tips on managing habitat in your yard.
Taste of the Wild, on Saturday, Aug. 6, is the ultimate food superstar at the State Fair. Visitors can try free samples of steelhead trout, venison, barbecued beaver, turtle soup, Asian carp and more, prepared and provided by DNR staff and volunteer groups.
Taste of the Wild preparers and providers include White River Bowhunters, Indiana Deer Hunters Association, Indiana Wildlife Federation, Indianapolis Flycasters, Reel Women-Reel Men, Furtakers of America, Indiana Wild Turkey Federation and Northwest Indiana Steelheaders, as well as Jim and Nancy Mahoney, and Ken and Robin Groves.
All DNR activities at the fair are free after paying gate admission.
Visitors to the building also can view native Indiana fish in aquariums, pick up free copies of the latest Recreation Guide and other informational brochures, subscribe to Outdoor Indiana magazine at a special State Fair deal, ask questions of DNR experts, visit Mother Nature’s Mercantile to purchase unique outdoors-based items, or just take an air-conditioned break.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Department of Natural Resources