Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Happy Birthday to you...


Today is the Army of the United States 240th anniversary. The Illinois State Fairgrounds has shared a history with the U.S. Army since the 1900’s. In 1917, solders waiting to go to war were housed in the Dome building, until it burned down. In 1919, American soldiers from 3 wars; the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I gathered at the State Fair to celebrate Victory Day in commemoration of the end of WWI. The fairs tie to the Army does not end there.  Between the years 1942 and 1945, no fair was held. This was due to the fact that the fairgrounds were being used as a U.S. Army Air Force supply depot. The grounds were also used during that time to train over 1,000 Chinese military personnel.  The tie between the Illinois State Fair and the U.S. Army is strong and dates back almost a century. This is one of the reasons why each year at the fair, we take a day to honor our veterans, not just of the Army, but of all branches of the military. Without their service and dedication to our country the fair we all love and know may not exist.  This year, Veterans Day at the Illinois State Fair will be Sunday, August 16th. All veterans, current service members, and their immediate family receive free entry into fair. The fun does not stop there though.  On the Lincoln stage, beginning at 10am, there will be various activities in honor of our veterans. These activities run until 3pm and include a luncheon at 1pm. The Veterans Day festivities will end with a parade at 4pm. The parade starts at gate 3 and will end at the goat barn and will conclude the schedule of events for the Veterans Day celebration, but it does not have to conclude your fun at the fair. The fairgrounds will be open until 11pm for you to enjoy all the fair has to offer. See a detailed list of the Veteran’s Day activities below!

 

****All activities take place at Lincoln Stage except the Parade****

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Helping Our Hometown Heroes benefits fair

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.   Memorial Service

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.   Special Performance - Sound Celebration

12:00 p.m.           Official Program

1:00 p.m.             Lunch served

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.       Musical Entertainment - Patt Holt Singers

3:30 p.m.             Parade line up at Gate 3 near the Fire Station

4:00 p.m.             Parade begins

 

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