The 160th Illinois State Fair kicks off with the Twilight parade on Thursday, Aug. 9.
It runs from Thursday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 19, at the fairgrounds in Springfield.
This year, the State Fair will be celebrating Illinois’ bicentennial. In 200 years, the fair has changed in many ways, but it continues to attract people from all over the state and country.
Admission:
The admission charge at the fair is $10 for adults 13 and older and free for children 12 and under.
Attractions:
- The Dairy Building: This is where the famous Butter Cow resides during the fair. It takes about 500 pounds of unsalted butter to sculpt the cow, which has been a tradition since the 1920s.
- Conservation World: This area features a number of free and unique attractions, including fishing clinics, youth archery and BB gun ranges, dog demonstrations, a rock climbing wall and a lumberjack show.
- Thrills: There is a new entertainment zone known as Thrillville debuting this year. It will offer free entertainment including an acrobatic team (Pirates of the Sky), a hypnotist (Two Blondes and a Redhead), a magician (Nick Sharp) and BMX pros.
- Rides: A much-anticipated new attraction this year is a roller coaster named Crazy Ride. One-day wristbands, good for all carnival rides, are priced at $30 on certain days of the fair.
- Grandstand: The main-stage line-up at the fair this year features country, rock ‘n roll and rap. Some artists to perform include Foreigner with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Sunday), Luke Combs (Tuesday), Thomas Rhett with Danville Bradbery (Aug. 16) and Flo Ride and Ludacris with Childish Major (Aug. 18).
