Throwback Thursday: Presenting the 1934 Illinois State Fair!

Every decade of American history is known for iconic figures, events, and intrigue. Starting at the beginning of the Great Depression, the 1930s was the age of natural as well as man-made disasters and famous gangsters.

In 1934, the Illinois State Fair ran from Saturday, August 18 through Saturday, August 25. Thirteen different bands performed at the Grandstand. Ten free vaudeville acts performed in front of the Grandstand for each afternoon and evening Monday through Friday. During this fair, admission was only 25₵ while admission to the Grandstand was a whopping 50₵. At the beginning of the 1930s, more than 15 million workers were unemployed. This meant that admission to the State Fair was still expensive by the day’s standards.

Along with all the amazing attractions at the 1934 Illinois State Fair, these were other notable events that occurred in America during the year:

Jan 1 - Alcatraz officially became a federal prison.

Jan 7 - Alex Raymond debuted his comic strip “Flash Gordon”.

April 19 – Shirley Temple appeared in “Stand Up & Cheer”, her first movie.

June 22 – John Dillinger was informally named America’s first Public Enemy Number One.

Sept 30 – Babe Ruth played his final game as a Yankee. The final score was 0 for 3. 

Share with us your favorite photos/memories/stories of making memories at the Illinois State Fair!

The 2014 Illinois State Fair runs Aug. 7 - 17.