INDIANAPOLIS — Before fairgoers can ride some of the nearly 50 rides at the Indiana State Fair, each one needs to be inspected by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS).
State inspectors spent Thursday walking through each ride with ride operators. They check the setup and mechanisms to ensure everything is safe to ride and is working properly.
"All these rides here they travel throughout the country, they're set up quickly and they're broken down and onto the next [place]. We're just here to make sure that people take their time, they're setting it up quickly and that they're set up safely so we can avoid an incident," Matthew Cronley, chief inspector for IDHS, said.
RELATED: Indiana State Fair 2022: Everything you need to know
Each ride will have a height requirement and occupancy load. IDHS staff will be at the fair each day that the midway is open.
"The rides here are very safe. I'm very confident that you could take your friends, your family, and have a great experience at the Indiana State Fair," Cronley said. "As a matter of fact, I take my own family here every single year at the Indiana State Fair. We get on these rides and we have a good experience."
Anyone with concern about a fair ride can call IDHS.

The fair will be held from July 29 through August 21.
-
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard shares update on Tyrese Haliburton's recovery
Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 Pacers season as he recovered from his torn Achilles that he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Fever stars Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark lead WNBA All-Star fan voting
Fever star center Aliyah Boston and star guard Caitlin Clark are first and second, respectively, in WNBA All-Star fan voting.
Storms and heavy rain to finish the week, scorching heat and humidity
Rain chances return to the forecast in the coming days. Flooding is something to monitor south of I-70.
New chairman vows to 'heavily scrutinize any requests' from Indiana utilities
The newly appointed chairman at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission vowed to “heavily scrutinize any requests” from utilities to increase their rates.