Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry to return to Indiana State Fairgrounds for 2022

Story by Jillian Ellison

December 9, 2021

The annual Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry will return to its in-person tradition on Feb. 5.

Hailed as the unofficial homecoming of Indiana agriculture, the event will take place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds inside the Blue Ribbon Pavilion. The event’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Jerome Adams, presidential fellow at Purdue University, the university’s first executive director of health equity initiatives and the 20th U.S. surgeon general. Adams will speak about health equity. Growing up in a rural area and serving as Indiana's state health commissioner before his appointment as surgeon general has given him a distinctive perspective on the topic.

Danica Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Purdue Ag Alumni Association, said attendees of the virtual 2021 event will recognize the incorporation of some of its attractions at February’s meeting as well.

“We learned a few lessons from having the virtual events last February,” Kirkpatrick said. “The week before the fish fry, we will have a virtual event where several companies pitch their entrepreneurial ideas before a panel of judges. The winner will be announced in person at the fish fry.”

Doors for the event will open at 9:30 a.m., with opening ceremonies beginning at 11 a.m. This will allow attendees more time to walk along the Purdue Ag Avenue to check out booths from various departments and entrepreneurs from the Purdue Foundry before the Purdue men’s basketball game scheduled for tipoff that afternoon, Kirkpatrick said. Tickets for the event can be purchased online, or guests can print a mail-in order here.

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