After almost 20 years in Indianapolis, the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry will return to Tippecanoe County on February 4, 2023 at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. The program highlight will feature a conversation with Purdue University president-elect Mung Chiang.
Danica Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Purdue Ag Alumni Association, said the big move back towards campus offers better opportunity for alumni to visit campus, provides free parking for attendees and allows easier access to the annual event for students interested in participating.
A month into his new role as president of the university, Chiang will be the guest of honor in a conversation hosted by Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture. Kirkpatrick said the Ag Alumni Association will be seeking questions for Chiang from event attendees through its social media channels in the coming weeks.
“We believe the friends and alumni of Purdue’s College of Agriculture will be excited to hear from the new president, and to show him how this event serves as the unofficial homecoming of Indiana agriculture,” Kirkpatrick said.
The layout of the newly constructed facilities of the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds offers opportunity to expand some of the existing programs the fish fry offers, Kirkpatrick said, while offering some new additions as well.
“We’ve always offered free childcare for as long as I can remember, but with the new facilities we are going to be expanding that program and make it even more exciting for the children of attendees. Since we’ll be so close to campus, we have more resources for departments to assist in educational activities,” Kirkpatrick said. “We are also partnering with the Columbian Park Zoo here in Lafayette to have them bring their zoo mobile. We’re renaming the childcare area the Ag Explorers Club, and I think it’s going to be a big hit with the young ones.”
Prior to the luncheon, attendees will be able to explore Ag Avenue, the exhibit area highlighting Purdue College of Agriculture departments as well as industry partners, and can expect to see it hosted in a separate area from the main event. Kirkpatrick said the opportunity to expand the space for the Ag Avenue allows attendees to maneuver the space and mingle with fellow alumni more comfortably.
For more information about the 2023 Ag Alumni Fish Fry and to purchase tickets, go to purdue.ag/fishfry.
