INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Grief over a deadly stage collapse gave way to excitement over animal exhibits and deep-fried bubblegum Friday as thousands of people poured into an Indiana State Fair trying to bounce back from its most trying year.

Visitors bustled from rides to food stands, with only a few pausing to read the seven names inscribed on a plaque that serves as a memorial to those killed last August while waiting for the country duo Sugarland to perform.

The strong early attendance was a good sign for fair officials who hope this year's event will help heal emotions and put the fair back on sound financial footing. Revenue and attendance plummeted last year after the stage collapse, and many questioned whether the event often likened to a family reunion would ever be the same.

Deanna Phipps, 35, of Kokomo, Ind., went to the fair with her husband, Les, to watch their 14-year-old daughter march in the Kokomo High School color guard.