Ludacris Opens Elkhart County 4-H Fair Concert Series Amid Ticket Resale Concerns

ELKHART, Ind. -- Rapper Ludacris headlined the opening night of the grandstand concert series at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the fairgrounds in Goshen, Indiana. The fair runs through August 1.

Ahead of the show, fairgrounds General Manager Shelly Steury said the organization operates as a nonprofit and relies on donations and support from partners to keep prices down for attendees.

Steury said the largest problem surrounding the concert has been third-party resellers inflating ticket prices. She cited one instance in which a buyer paid approximately $1,400 for four tickets. Tickets sold through the fair's official website were listed at $70 for track standing room and $50 for grandstand seating.

Steury said fairgrounds staff would work to accommodate anyone who arrived with an invalid ticket, but that in most cases those buyers would need to purchase a replacement ticket or would be unable to attend the show.

Steury said the concert series is one of several reasons people visit the fairgrounds, alongside 4-H competitions, carnival rides and food vendors, and that visitors come for one or several of those attractions.

Hailey Ball, a concertgoer waiting in the standing-room section before the show, said she had followed the fairgrounds through its official website and learned about the Ludacris performance there. She said she purchased her ticket directly through the official site and never had concerns about counterfeit or inflated pricing. Hailey said they took the day off work for the show and described it as the highlight of her week.

Admission to the fair was $5 on opening day. Parking was free.