Indiana

State Fair announces next wave of free concerts

Published

2 hours ago

June 10, 2026

State Fair announces next wave of free concerts

INDIANAPOLIS – A country star, an “American Band” and a Fleetwood Mac tribute act highlight the second wave of free concerts at this year’s Indiana State Fair.

Organizers revealed five more acts for the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage: Trace Adkins, TUSK – The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute, Josiah Queen, Grand Funk Railroad and the Happy Together Tour.

All shows are free with paid fair admission and start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Tickets are available here.

Photos via Indiana State Fair

Here’s a look at the free concert schedule (newly announced shows in italics):

The Beach Boys: Friday, Aug. 7 – Opening Day
TUSK – The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute: Saturday, Aug. 8
Josiah Queen: Sunday, Aug. 9
Busta Rhymes: Thursday, Aug. 13
Grand Funk Railroad: Friday, Aug. 14
Trace Adkins: Sunday, Aug. 16
Happy Together: Wednesday, Aug. 19
Gene Simmons: Thursday, Aug. 20
Don McLean: Saturday, Aug. 22
Tasha Cobbs Leonard: Sunday, Aug. 23

Here’s more about the upcoming acts, according to the Indiana State Fair:

TUSK – The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute (Aug. 8)

TUSK has been crisscrossing the country since 2008 as The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute. Five pro musicians turned into masters of their trade through decades of individual music study, live performance, creative risk, and devotion to the art. TUSK features note-perfect renditions of both the solo and full band songs, with each member specializing in one of the core lineup of Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood). They possess an electric stage presence that can only come from well over a decade touring together. Truly the best at what they do, TUSK is unmatched in their tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time.

Josiah Queen (Aug. 9)

Josiah Queen has quickly become one of the most impactful voices in Christian music, blending raw authenticity with deeply resonant melodies. With over 1.3 billion combined global streams, his music continues to inspire a wide-reaching and rapidly growing audience. Following the breakout success of “The Prodigal” (200M+ streams), Josiah’s single “Dusty Bibles” became a defining moment in his career becoming his first Billboard Hot 100 hit, and certified Gold in under six months from release. The song also climbed to the top tier of streaming performance, landing in the Top 3 Christian/Gospel Streaming Songs in the U.S., charting on the Spotify Viral 50 in over 15 countries, and reaching the Shazam Top 200 in multiple territories.

Grand Funk Railroad (Aug. 14)

Affectionately known as The American Band, Grand Funk Railroad continues to pack venues across the country, connecting generations of fans with their unmistakable mix of hard-driving rock, soulful vocals, and anthemic hits. Founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, and writer/singer of the iconic “We’re an American Band”) and Mel Schacher (bass, the thunder behind the groove) are joined by guitar slinger and veteran of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band Mark Chatfield; and the ever-versatile Tim Cashion (affectionately known as “Dr. Tim”), who – in the past – has hit the road with Robert Palmer and Bob Seger, on keys. Their influence can still be heard in the DNA of rock icons like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, and Journey.

Grand Funk’s music endures not only on the airwaves—thanks to mega-hits like We’re an American Band, I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home, The Loco-Motion, and Some Kind of Wonderful—but also on big screens and TV campaigns. From Disney’s The Country Bears to General Motors commercials, and blockbuster films like Radio and Sahara, their songs remain a cultural touchstone. With more than 25 million albums sold, 19 charting singles, 8 Top 40 hits, and two No. 1 smashes, Grand Funk has earned 7 gold and 10 platinum certifications—including 2022 platinum awards for both We’re an American Band and Some Kind of Wonderful. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering Grand Funk for the first time, there’s no better time to experience one of rock’s most enduring bands.

Trace Adkins (Aug. 16)

Over the course of his three-decade reign in Country music, Trace Adkins has emerged as a full-fledged icon whose reach spans far beyond the genre’s borders. A multi-award-winning singer and actor who’s scored 40 hit singles on Country radio, the Louisiana native is now nearing the 30th anniversary of his trailblazing debut album Dreamin’ Out Loud—a 1996 LP that delivered his No. 1 “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” and “Every Light In The House” (a Top 5 entry on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart). With 12 million albums sold to date, the superstar entertainer recently followed his featured spot on Blake Shelton’s Friends & Heroes Tour with his own What Color’s Your Wild Tour (a hot-ticket headline run named for his hard-driving anthem released in early 2025) and is currently on his 30th Anniversary headline run in 2026. A true American legend whose powerhouse catalog includes 14 studio albums, Adkins continues to embody the fiery spirit of traditional Country while moving the genre forward with his ever-evolving sound.

The Happy Together Tour (Aug. 19)

The Happy Together Tour 2026 consists of eight acts: The Association, The Troggs, Chicago Lead Singer 1985-2016 Jason Scheff, Gary Puckett, The Fortunes, Rone Dante of The Archies and The Turtles, The Vogues and The Cowsills.. These artists had their biggest hits in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and brought timeless sounds and songs of that time period. These bands combined have multiple No. 1 hits making this tour an iconic homage to an era of music that has influenced many of today’s artists. The tour has consisted of several different bands and artists throughout the nearly 40 years it has been running.

The Indiana State Fair runs from Aug. 7 through Aug. 23 and is closed on Mondays. Get tickets here.

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Indiana

LIVE: Severe storms sweep through central Indiana

Published

13 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

LIVE: Severe storms sweep through central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — A line of severe storms swept through central Indiana Tuesday night.

Ahead of the system’s entry into The Hoosier State, the National Weather Service issued a severe weather outlook. That outlook indicated that central Indiana was at a marginal, one out of five risk for severe weather.

The NWS outlook also suggested damaging winds exceeding 65 mph and heavy rain were the primary threats the systems posed. The timeframe the NWS outlined for the storms to move through the area was 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

FOX59/CBS4 tracked the storms and the damage they caused. Find the latest updates on Tuesday’s storms below:

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Indiana

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. confident Chicago Bears will move to Indiana

Published

23 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Press Room

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. confident Chicago Bears will move to Indiana

The Chicago Bears announced last week they are making Hammond, Indiana, their priority for a new stadium, and while it’s not a done deal yet, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he’s confident the Bears will soon be moving there.

“It’s vague for a lot of complex reasons, but the Bears are working on Hammond right now. I’m happy to see what the Bears are putting into our city right now. We’re going to be the home stadium,” McDermott said at Monday night’s city council meeting.

The Bears are still playing in Soldier Field for now. Last week, their board of directors voted to move forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, but acknowledged they have yet to pick a specific site.

The decision came just days after Illinois state lawmakers wrapped up their spring session without approving legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois.

In April, the Illinois House voted to pass a so-called “megaprojects bill” that would have allowed the Bears or other developers investing at least $100 million in a project to negotiate property tax breaks with local governments. The Illinois Senate never voted on that legislation, instead passing a bill on Monday that would have allowed local municipalities in Cook County with a population of more than 70,000 to set up their own stadium authorities. Arlington Heights and Chicago both meet that threshold.

Under that plan, the Bears would have put up the cash to build the stadium but the local government would officially own it and the Bears would lease it from them — thus avoiding property taxes altogether. However, the Illinois House adjourned for the summer without taking up that proposal.

Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who has led negotiations on legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois, said the Bears have left the door open to staying in Illinois. He said team president Kevin Warren called him on the day the Bears announced they were focusing on Hammond to say the Bears are still open to discussions on a new stadium in Illinois.

Buckner also noted that the Bears have yet to pick a specific site in Hammond for a new stadium.

“That’s not a criticism. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the Bears’ own language leaves additional flexibility and does not represent a final decision. The carefully crafted statement also uses words that describe a process that is continuing, rather than reaching a conclusion,” Buckner said last week.

On Tuesday, Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) announced he was crafting a new version of the megaprojects bill to keep the Bears in Illinois.

His proposal would raise the threshold for a so-called “megaproject” from $100 million to $500 million. Like the original megaprojects bill, developers could negotiate with local governments for “payments in lieu of taxes” that would lower their property tax bills but still provide revenue to local governments.

Ugaste’s plan would also provide statewide property tax relief for homeowners by requiring any tax referendum questions up for a vote to appear on general election ballots. Currently, tax referendum questions are allowed to appear on primary election ballots, when fewer voters typically cast ballots.

“We need to get this done,” Ugaste said. “Illinois can keep a historic sports franchise that means so much to the people of the state, remain competitive for major economic development projects, and also provide relief for homeowners and businesses who are carrying one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation. We do not have to choose between economic growth and taxpayer relief. We can, and should, have both.”

Ugaste said he plans to introduce his proposal in the Illinois General Assembly later this week.

Indiana lawmakers have approved legislation to pave the way for a Bears move to Hammond. The proposal would commit up to $1 billion in public funding towards a stadium, and create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance construction.

While Indiana has agreed to help finance a Bears stadium, the team plans to commit $2 billion towards the construction of the facility. Indiana officials have yet to lay out how they plan to help fund the project, or what taxes would be needed to pay for it.

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