INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Fair Commission will hold a two-hour Open House in the Pepsi Coliseum this Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon for anyone who wants to tour the 73 year-old facility before it closes for renovation. The building will be completely refurbished inside while the outside remains essentially the same.

Fairgrounds staff will provide guests guided tours of the building every 20 minutes.  Visitors will also be allowed to roam the facility on their own to reminisce and take photos.

“The Coliseum is an icon in Indianapolis and all of Indiana,” State Fairgrounds Executive Director Cindy Hoye said.  “It has hosted presidents, legendary musical acts and the Indiana Pacers during their glory days in the ABA, and we want to give people one last opportunity to relive those special memories before it gets a complete interior makeover.”

The renovation is part of a $63 million project that will also include the construction of an adjoining arena that will allow for simultaneous public events.   

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About Indiana State Fairgrounds

Established in 1892, the Indiana State Fairgrounds is a modern public event facility that annually hosts more than 300 meetings, shows, sports and agriculture events, including the Indiana State Fair. The Indiana State Fairgrounds is one of Indiana’s top tourist destinations annually attracting 2 million visitors to its 250-acre campus in Indianapolis’ Midtown district and adding $124 million to the local economy. Its signature building, the Pepsi Coliseum, is currently part of a $63 million renovation project and will reopen in August, 2014. Agriculture and food production education are part of the fairgrounds’ core values. The nine-member Indiana State Fair Commission, a quasi-governmental agency, oversees year-round management of the fairgrounds, which operates in a safe and fiscally conscious manner for the benefit of all citizens of Indiana. Additional information is available at www.indianastatefair.com.