The Christmas Gift + Hobby Show runs November 11 to 15, 2026 in the West Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center, 1202 E. 38th St. in Indianapolis. The show is the 77th annual edition. Its page counts 375 vendors and 45,000-plus shoppers across the run.
The ticket step-up lands on opening day
Advance adult admission is $12 plus a $1 service fee through November 10. The online price rises to $14 plus the $1 fee on November 11, the opening day. At the door, adults pay $14 on all five days.
The step-up is $2 per ticket. Four adults buying on November 10 pay $52, and four buying on November 11 pay $60. The earlier date keeps $8 on a party of four, and eight tickets keep $16.
Each ticket covers one admission and one day. The show answers its multi-day question by sending the returning attendee to the show office, where the show manager will accommodate a second day. A multi-day plan takes an in-person request at the show.
Children 12 and under enter free. Seniors 65 and older pay $10 with ID at the door only. Girls Night Out runs Friday, November 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at $7, box office only.
The hotel code and the terms it leaves open
The show lists five area properties and publishes one group code. Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton at 8980 River Crossing Blvd, Indianapolis 46240 carries “Group Code is HOB” beside its booking link and the line “Reserve today for 20% Off!” The property phone is 317.706.7500.
The page publishes no nightly rate, no room cap and no reservation cut-off. Ask the property for the nightly rate the code returns on your dates, for the nights the code covers, and for the cancellation deadline in writing.
The other four listed properties are Comfort Inn East Indy at 2295 N. Shadeland, Staybridge Suites Indianapolis-Fishers at 9780 Crosspoint Blvd, Candlewood Suites Indianapolis NE at 8111 Bash Street and Hampton Inn NE Castleton at 6817 E. 82nd Street. The show carries no discount code against those four.
A 10 percent code on vacation rentals
Lazy Sunday Rentals, a women-owned Indianapolis vacation rental company, takes 10 percent off a direct booking with code LAZYINDYCHRISTMASSHOW. The show describes homes with full kitchens, workspaces, free parking and gathering areas near the fairgrounds. A group that would otherwise hold three or four hotel rooms can price that option against the code rate.
Camping is the one nightly rate the show prints
RV Campgrounds at the State Fairgrounds lists $30 plus tax per day with hook-up and $20 plus tax without. The campground is staffed at 317.927.7500 and offers year-round options, indoor showers and flush toilets, washers and dryers, electricity, sewer hook-ups, sanitary dumping stations and potable water.
Five nights of hook-up camping is the one per-night accommodation figure the show publishes. Price the hotel you are considering across the same five nights, and add the $10 a day the fairgrounds charges to park.
Parking, hours and the quietest windows
Parking is $10 per vehicle per day on the fairgrounds. The show states there is no shuttle service, and it asks drivers to turn on flashers for building drop-off. The West Pavilion takes the North Entrance only.
Hours run Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show’s FAQ names Wednesday, Thursday or any evening as the quietest windows. Friday and Saturday carry the longest day, with an 8 p.m. close.
Two free-admission days change the arithmetic
Hero Day falls on Wednesday, November 11. Veterans, active-duty military, police, fire and first responders enter free with valid ID, and parking is free for them that day. Teacher Day falls on Sunday, November 15, when teachers and school staff enter free with valid ID. Each free day covers the credential holder, so a party of four with one qualifier buys three tickets.
Ace Hardware carries a $4-off box-office coupon in select stores from October 15, 2026. The coupon applies at the box office only. The show lists participating locations across central Indiana, including Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood and Lafayette.
What to confirm before you commit
Ask the hotel for the code rate, its date window and the cancellation deadline in writing. Ask the campground for the tax on the $30 nightly rate and whether the show nights need a reservation. The show office answers on 317.927.1469, and the page states that line is staffed November 9 to 15, 2026 only. Advance pricing ends November 10.