News
______________________________________________________________________________________
Tom Jennings, Director ● Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCES 2008 COUNTY FAIR SCHEDULE
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The first of the state’s 104 county fairs will be held beginning June 8 this year when the Clark County Fair opens an eight-day run in Marshall.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture today released the complete schedule of 2008 county fairs. Copies can be obtained by calling the department’s Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing at (217) 782-4231 or visiting its website at www.agr.state.il.us. The electronic version on the internet includes a database that is searchable by both date and location.
“With gas prices at record highs, I encourage families to consider a trip to their county fair as a way to save on travel expenses when they plan their summer vacations this year,” Acting Agriculture Director Tom Jennings said. “County fairs offer affordable entertainment the whole family can enjoy, from livestock shows and demolition derbies to games and carnival rides.”
Other county fair attractions typically include queen pageants, truck and tractor pulls, musical concerts and 4-H exhibits. Thirty-seven county fairs feature harness racing. Eight offer thoroughbred racing and seven offer quarter horse races.
“County fairs are part of Illinois’ agricultural heritage and give visitors a chance to learn about the state’s top industry while spending time with family and friends,” Charlyn Fargo, bureau chief of County Fairs and Horse Racing, added.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture supports the efforts of the volunteer boards that organize county fairs by providing funding for award premiums, the maintenance of facilities and agriculture education programs. In fiscal year 2008, this support totaled more than $8 million.
The 2008 county fair season concludes Sept. 14 when the Gallatin County Fair ends in Ridgway and the Okawville Agricultural Products Fair closes in Washington. The full schedule follows.
County Date Town Fair Association
Adams July 24-30 Mendon Adams Co. Fair Assoc.
Bond July 30-Aug. 5 Greenville Bond Co. Fair Assoc.
Boone Aug. 5-10 Belvidere Boone Co. Fair Assoc.
Brown July 28-Aug. 2 Mt. Sterling Brown Co. Fair Assoc.
Bureau Aug. 20-24 Princeton Bureau Co. Ag. Board
Calhoun Sept. 4-7 Hardin Calhoun Apple Advisory Club
Carroll Aug. 4-9 Milledgeville Carroll Co. Fair Assoc.
Cass July 13-19 Virginia Cass Co. Fair Assoc.
Champaign July 8-12 Fisher Fisher Community Fair
Champaign July 18-26 Urbana Champaign Co. Fair Assoc.
Christian Aug.27-Sept. 1 Pana Pana Tri-County Fair Assoc.
Christian July 8-13 Taylorville Christian Co. Ag. Fair Assoc.
Clark June 8-15 Marshall Clark Co. Fair Assoc.
Clark June 22-28 Martinsville Martinsville Ag. Fair Assoc., Inc.
Clay July 12-19 Flora Clay Co. Ag. Fair Assoc.
Clinton July 13-19 Carlyle Clinton Co. Ag. Assoc.
Coles July 27-Aug. 2 Charleston Coles Co. Ag. Assoc.
Crawford July 19-26 Oblong Crawford Co. Fair Assoc.
Cumberland Aug. 17-23 Greenup Greenup-Cumberland Co. Fair
DeKalb Sept. 3-7 Sandwich Sandwich Fair Assoc.
DeWitt July 15-19 Farmer City Farmer City Fair Assoc.
DuPage July 23-27 Wheaton DuPage Co. Fair & Expo Assoc.
Edgar July 19-26 Paris Edgar Co. Fair Assoc.
Edwards July 16-26 Albion Edwards Co. Ag. Fair Assoc.
Effingham Aug. 2-9 Altamont Effingham Co. Fair Assoc.
Fayette July 5-12 Brownstown Fayette Co. Fair Assoc.
Ford July 6-12 Melvin Ford Co. Fair of Melvin
Franklin July 10-17 Ina Franklin Co. Fair Assoc.
Fulton July 21-26 Lewistown Fulton Co. Fair & Racing Assoc.
Gallatin Sept. 6-14 Ridgway Gallatin Co. Fair Assoc.
Greene June 14-21 Carrollton Greene Co. Ag. Fair Inc.
Grundy July 2-6 Morris Grundy Co. Ag. District Fair
Hamilton July 3-12 McLeansboro McLeansboro Fair Assoc.
Hancock July 16-20 Augusta Hancock Co. Fair
Henderson July 13-19 Stronghurst Henderson Co. Fair Assoc.
Henry June 24-29 Cambridge Henry Co. Fair Assoc.
Iroquois July 16-21 Crescent City Iroquois Co. Ag & 4-H Club
Jasper June 29-July 5 Newton Jasper Co. Ag. Assoc.
Jefferson July 18-26 Ina Jefferson Co. Youth Fair
Jersey July 5-13 Jerseyville Jersey Co. Fair Assoc.
Jo Daviess July 18-20 Elizabeth Elizabeth Community Fair
Jo Daviess July 31-Aug. 3 Warren Jo Daviess Co. Ag. Society
Kane July 16-20 St. Charles Kane Co. Fair & Ind. Expo.
Kankakee July 30-Aug. 3 Kankakee Kankakee Co. Fair and Expo.
Kendall July 31-Aug. 3 Yorkville Kendall Co. Fair Assoc.
Knox July 29-Aug. 2 Knoxville Knox Co. Fair Assoc.
Lake July 22-27 Grayslake Lake Co. Fair Assoc.
LaSalle Aug. 28-Sept. 1 Mendota Tri-County Fair Assoc.
LaSalle July 9-13 Ottawa LaSalle Co. Junior Fair Assoc.
Lawrence July 26-Aug. 2 Sumner Lawrence Co. Junior Fair Assoc.
Lee July 24-27 Amboy Lee Co. 4-H Fair & Junior Show
Livingston Aug. 6-9 Cullom Cullom Junior Fair
Livingston Aug. 13-17 Fairbury Fairbury Fair Assoc.
Livingston July 14-17 Pontiac Livingston Co. Fair Assoc.
Logan July 29-Aug. 3 Lincoln Logan Co. Fair Assoc.
Macon June 10-15 Decatur Decatur-Macon Co. Fair Assoc.
Macoupin July 14-19 Carlinville Macoupin Co. Fair & Ag. Assoc.
Madison July 20-25 Highland Madison Co. Fair Assoc.
Marion July 25-Aug. 2 Salem Marion Co. Ag. Fair Assoc., Inc.
Marshall/Putnam July 9-13 Henry Marshall-Putnam Fair Assoc.
Mason July 21-25 Havana Mason Co. 4-H & Junior Show
Massac July 11-19 Metropolis Massac Co. Youth Fair
McDonough July 7-11 Macomb McDonough Co. 4-H Corp.
McHenry July 30-Aug. 3 Woodstock McHenry Co. Fair Assoc.
McLean July 30-Aug. 3 Bloomington McLean Co. Fair Assoc.
Menard July 15-20 Petersburg Menard Co. Fair
Mercer July 6-12 Aledo Mercer Co. Ag. Society
Monroe July 20-27 Waterloo Monroe Co. Fair Assoc.
Montgomery June 18-22 Butler Montgomery Co. Fair Assoc.
Morgan July 9-13 Jacksonville Morgan Co. Ag. Fair Assoc.
Moultrie-Douglas July 6-12 Arthur Moultrie-Douglas Co. Fair Assoc.
Moultrie July 25-27 Sullivan Moultrie-Sullivan Jr. Fair
Ogle July 30-Aug. 3 Oregon Ogle Co. Fair Assoc.
Peoria July 11-19 Peoria Heart of Illinois Fair
Perry June 13-21 Pinckneyville Perry Co. Ag Society
Piatt June 24-29 Cerro Gordo Piatt Co. Junior Fair Assoc.
Pike June 25-29 Griggsville Western Illinois Fair Assoc.
Pike July 14-19 Pleasant Hill Pike Co. Fair Assoc.
Pulaski Aug. 11-16 Pulaski Pulaski Civic & Community Fair
Randolph July 11-20 Sparta Randolph Co. Fair
Richland July 4-12 Olney Richland Co. Farm & Fair Assoc.
Rock Island July 15-20 East Moline Rock Island Co. Ag Fair & Expo.
St. Clair Aug. 5-9 Belleville St. Clair Co. Fair Assoc.
Saline July 20-26 Harrisburg Saline Co. Ag. Assoc.
Sangamon June 18-22 New Berlin Sangamon Co. Fair & Ag. Assoc.
Schuyler July 1-6 Rushville Schuyler Co. Fair
Scott July 27-Aug.1 Winchester Scott Co. 4-H & Junior Ag. Show
Shelby July 28-31 Shelbyville Shelby Co. 4-H & Junior Fair
Stark July 25-28 Wyoming Stark Co. Junior Fair Assoc.
Stephenson Aug. 19-24 Freeport Stephenson Co. Fair Assoc.
Tazewell July 28-30 Pekin Veteran’s Memorial Fair Assoc.
Union Aug. 16-23 Anna Southern Illinois Fair Assoc.
Vermilion June 24-28 Oakwood Vermilion Co. Fair & Expo.
Vermilion Aug. 3-9 Georgetown Georgetown Ag. Fair Assoc.
Wabash July 19-25 Mt. Carmel Wabash Co. Youth Exhibition
Warren July 20-26 Roseville Warren Co. Ag. Fair Assoc.
Washington July 5-12 Nashville Nashville, Washington Co. Fair
Washington Sept. 12-14 Okawville Okawville Ag. Fair Assoc.
Wayne July 12-19 Fairfield The New Wayne Co. Ag. Fair
White July 25-Aug. 2 Carmi White Co. Ag. Society
Whiteside Aug. 12-16 Morrison Whiteside Co. Central Ag. Society
Will Aug. 20-24 Peotone Will Co. Fair Assoc.
Williamson Aug. 2-9 Marion Williamson Co. Ag. Assoc.
Winnebago Aug. 12-17 Pecatonica Winnebago Co. Fair Assoc.