Sign Up for the Ag Tour sponsored by BRANDT

We are so excited that this year we will have the opportunity to take fairgoers on a behind the scenes tour of Illinois agriculture.

Ag tours sponsored by Brandt is a new attraction at this year’s fair!

This twice daily tour will depart from the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent and take fairgoers on a guided tram ride throughout the fairgrounds.  On the tour you will tour and talk to specialists about Illinois beef, dairy, horse racing, grains and so much more! This tour is a chance for you to have a seat, relax, and learn about a very important industry in the state of Illinois. 

Make sure you make it out to one of these great new tours and learn all about what Illinois Agriculture has to offer.  Each Ag Tour participant will receive a coupon to the commodities pavilion where you will be able to sample some of Illinois finest agriculture products!

Ag Tour sponsored by BRANDT

Friday, August 14  10:30am & 3:30pm

Saturday, August 15  10:30am & 2pm

Sunday, August 16  10:30am & 2pm

Monday, August 17  10:30am & 3:30pm

Tuesday, August 18  10:30am & 3:30pm

Wednesday, August 19  10:30am & 3:30pm

Thursday, August 20  10:30am & 3:30pm

Friday, August 21  10:30am & 3:30pm

Saturday, August 22  10:30am & 2pm

Looking for thrills, chills, and shrills?

Looking for thrills, chills, and shrills?

The Illinois State Fair Mega Pass is the thing for you! 

For $70 you can ride all the rides you want for all 11 days of the fair every hour that the carnival is open. That’s less than $7 a day! But hurry because after July 31st the price goes up to $90, which is still a great value at only $9 a day.

There is only two weeks left until this amazing deal is gone.

AVOID THE LONG LINES, and the increased August prices, with extended hours in the Mega Pass Office! 

The Mega Pass office is open:

Saturday, July 25 from 9a-1p 

July 27-July 31 from 8a-6p

Don’t wait!  Come in and get your great deals today!

Click here: Mega Pass, Tickets, Rides

NEW LOCATION for the ILLINOIS WINE EXPERIENCE!

Mark it on your calendar ASAP! Come taste different wines and beers from Illinois wineries and craft breweries inside the Artisans Building from Noon to 10 p.m. daily at the 2015 Illinois State Fair, August 13th-23rd! The Illinois Wine Experience is sponsored by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association which was established in 1992. Today the Illinois wine industry creates a direct economic impact of more than $253 million annually. At the 2015 Illinois Wine Experience, admission is free with sampling tickets available for just $1 each! A complementary wine glass is provided when you buy more than 10 tasting tickets. Wine may also be purchased by the glass, bottle and case from each winery at the fair. The event is open to anyone, but you must be 21 years of age or older to taste the wines. Come check out the event and get a little taste of Illinois wineries right here at the Illinois State Fair!

Have Camera Will Travel....

Baby Photo Contest

Do you have a recent photo of your baby that shows off their cuteness, uniqueness and their very own personality? Enter into the 2015 Illinois State Fair’s Baby Photo Contest by sending in or hand delivering a recent photo of your baby by August 1st, 2015 to the Special Events Office in the Emmerson Building on the fairgrounds. 

All photographs will be on display during the entire Illinois State Fair, August 13-23, in the Kids Korner area, to the south of the Emmerson Building. 

Don’t worry if your photograph is not perfection, judging will be based on personality and appeal! 

Be sure to stop by the 2015 Illinois State Fair to see this year’s baby photo contest!

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

 

Come to the Fair - Stay Just Feet From All the Action!

Do you want to get the full experience of the fair but live too far away? Well then stay at the Illinois State Fair campgrounds. These grounds are located inside the Illinois State Fair so you could literally be staying where all the fun and action is going on. All you need to do is apply, be accepted, and pay! The earlier you apply the better your chances are of getting a spot. See the information below for the new policies effective this year and make sure you get your applications submitted

 

NEW IN 2015 ---

• ABSOLUTELY NO CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR 2015 CAMPING

• ONLY EIGHT (8) APPLICATIONS PER PERSON WILL BE ACCEPTED

• CREDIT CARD INFORMATION MUST BE PROVIDED AT TIME OF APPLICATION OR

APPLICATION WILL BE RETURNED.

• CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS WILL BE PROCESSED BEGINNING JULY 1, 2015

2015 RATES:

• $40/night for campsite with camper

• $20/night for tent camping with vehicle

• $15/night for tent camping without vehicle

Husband & Hog Calling Contest

Suey, Suey, Suey, here piggy piggy!  

That is just one of the noises that will be heard from the Lincoln Stage on August 16^th.  Starting at 3:30pm you will hear calls such as these ringing through the fair grounds. 

Hog calling isn’t the only sound you will be hearing though, we will also be having a husband calling contest. Now ladies, I know we all have that special way of getting our man’s attention when he isn’t in speaking distance. So why not enter into the contest and see if all the practice of yelling for your man over the years has payed off! 

Entries into the husband and hog calling contests can be as original as you want. Weather you yodel, sing, bark, yell, or whisper to get your husband or hogs attention, come on out to the Lincoln stage, on the 16^th, to see if your call will win.  

You can register for this fun filled event one of two ways. The first way is to come on the 16^th, 30-minutes before the contest begins and fill out a form to enter. The second way is the guaranteed way to get your call on stage and all you have to do is email Teagan.Smith@illinois.gov with your name, age, and the county you are from. We will take down this information and then all you need to do the day of the contest is to show up and call away. 

This year’s husband and hog calling emcee is Rita Frazier. So get those registrations in and come out to the Lincoln Stage, at the Illinois State Fair, on August 16^th at 3:30pm to participate in the laugh filled, family fun event!

Throwback Thursday -- Illinois State Fair

In 35 short days, hundreds of people will be entering into the fairgrounds to see what this year’s fair has to offer! On this Throwback Thursday we wanted to talk about one of the most iconic images of the fairgrounds. 

Join us as we travel back to 1910.  That's when the main gate to the fair was built at Eleventh Street and Sangamon Avenue. It was an ornate brick building with a barrel-tiled roof, stucco medallions and red-white-and blue trimmed arches. The original thought behind the design was to spruce up the entrance where street cars once rumbled onto the grounds. Though cars no longer enter through the main gate, it still sees a lot of pedestrian traffic. 

In 1985 the gate received an overhaul, pictured above. Workers used a picture of the original gate off a postcard to rebuild and remodel the gate. 

Though the gate has changed since it was first built it is still a historic monument and marks the grand main entrance into the Illinois State Fair. It welcomes people, every year, from all over the state and country to the fair and reminds them that though times have changed, history still remains.

Let's Talk About FAIR FOOD..... Yum!

This year, the Illinois State Fair is going to feature a plethora of new food vendors. While the traditional vendors are phenomenal, it is always a pleasure to add new and exciting foods to the Illinois State Fair. 

This year at the fair, you will be able to taste a host of new and old foods. Some of the new foods include items such as: potato pancakes, buffalo snack sticks, BBQ ribs, hot links, and mushroom ragu. 

There are many more new food items, and we even have a list available on our website --- it's sure to whet your appetite! 

So make your list today of all the food you want to try at the 2015 Illinois State Fair.  Remember to come with an empty stomach!! We'll see you, and your appetite, at the Illinois State Fair! 

Check out the new food items at the 2015 Illinois State Fair:
http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/vendors/whats-new/

Shake-Up Springfield

You put the lemon in the cup and you shake it all up! 

Can you guess what we are about to talk about? 

Lemon Shake ups are an Illinois State Fair staple and are a delicious and refreshing drink after a long day at the Fair. These sweet and tangy drinks are a fan favorite among kids of all ages. Not only is it a delicious drink but it is also a blast to watch the vendors make them. There must be a special trick to it because anytime you try make them at home they never come out as good as the ones you get every year at the Fair. We cannot wait for the lemon shake ups at this year’s Fair. 

Only 37 more days until they put the lemon in the cup and they shake it all up!