FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Farm Show is a one stop shop for farmers to make purchasing decisions, connect with local company representatives and get information they need before next season, according to the show’s director. The 37th edition of the show is Jan. 13-15 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.

The show is the state’s largest indoor agricultural expo, said Dan Slowinski, a show director with Tradexpos, Inc., which produces the show. This year’s show will feature 415 exhibitors, with 49 of them appearing for the first time.

“You can compare product side by side and see what’s new in the ag industry,” he said. “Year after year, we have amazing exhibitors always bringing their best exhibits. It’s a combination of the newest and biggest machinery, the newest technology, new data and good quality products that keeps the farmers coming year after year.

“There is a reason that thousands and thousands of farmers make a point to attend the Fort Wayne Farm Show. It is one of the largest indoor farm shows in the Midwest. This is an event that you don’t want to miss.”

Last year’s attendance was 28,000. Slowinski considers anything over 25,000 to be a great show.

The 2026 show will once again offer auctions to support Indiana FFA members. The Scholarship Foundation auctions are scheduled for 1 p.m. on the 13th and 14th. Tradexpos said the auctions will feature a variety of donated items.

“As a prior FFA student myself, I know first hand how important FFA can be to young adults entering college or the workforce,” Slowinski explained. “And the scholarships help ag students further their education in fields and careers they are passionate about such as animal sciences, agronomy, plant science, ag business, and many more Each year the FFA raises over $20,000 during the two-day auction held at the show.”

The money raised goes to scholarships, jackets and competition fees, he said. The students are future exhibitors and attendees of the Fort Wayne show, Slowinski said, adding what’s good for the ag community is also good for the show.

The drawing for the grand prize – a 54-inch Toro TimeCutter Max Zero Turn lawnmower – will be 3:30 p.m. on the 15th.

This year’s show will have nearly 1,100 booths, Slowinski said. The show sold out by mid-July.

The 2022 Fort Wayne event was Slowinski’s first as show director.

“By far, my two favorite things about the farm show are seeing it all come together and seeing the exhibitors,” he noted. “There is a lot that goes into putting this show together. We work on it for 11 months. Seeing it all come together is awesome. It always seems to go by fast while I’m there but shaking hands with the exhibitors and hearing them say it was another great show as they are packing up, makes the wait and hard work all worth it.

“This show feels like its own community or like a family reunion. Seeing everyone have a good time makes the show feel like an even bigger success.”

The first Fort Wayne Farm Show was in 1990. Jack Thill, then owner of Tradexpos, created the show after visiting the city in the 1980s. He later said the event’s primary goal was to draw as many people as possible into an agricultural event.

The show is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 13, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Jan. 14, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 15. The event is free, but there is a fee to park in Coliseum lots.

Tradexpos, based in Austin, Minn., also producers a farm show in Topeka, Kan., and the North American Farm & Power Show in Owatonna, Minn. For more information on the Fort Wayne show, visit tradexpos.com and click on the Fort Wayne Farm Show tab.