Illinois State Fair
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The Illinois State fair is an annual festival, centering on the theme of agriculture, hosted by the U.S. state of Illinois in the state capital, Springfield. The fair has been celebrated almost every year since 1853. In 2006 there were more than 700,000 visits up five percent from 2005, making it the 13th largest state fair in the United States.[1] Currently, the fair is held annually over a 10-day period in mid-August of each year. In 2008, the State Fair will be held on August 8-17.
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[edit] History
The first Illinois State Fair was celebrated in 1853 in Springfield. The 1850s were a golden age of agricultural journalism, with a wide variety of editors offering many suggestions, well-founded or not, to increase farm productivity. The first State Fairs, in Illinois and other states, were created and organized by farmers in order to compare notes with their colleagues and distinguish between good and bad advice.
During the years after the Civil War, the rules of agricultural judging became standardized, and more and more farmers began to show their farm products. Increasing knowledge of genetics inspired the breeding and showing of purebred farm animals at both county fairs and the Illinois State Fair.
In the first half of the 20th century, the internal combustion engine revolutionized life on the American farm, with manufacturers of agricultural machinery eagerly taking advantage of occasions like the Illinois State Fair to demonstrate their new products.
The Illinois State Fair was held almost every summer during this more than 150-year-long period. On a few occasions it was suspended. In 1893, for example, the organizers of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago prepared to offer a larger lineup of agricultural products and machinery, so the Illinois State Fair canceled itself for one year.
The Illinois State Fair, like many state fairs, moved during the first 40 years of its life, 1853-92, from place to place. It was celebrated as far north as Freeport and as far south as Du Quoin. In 1894, the State of Illinois began to use a 366-acre (1.48 km²) parcel of land on the northern boundary of Springfield, which became the permanent Illinois State Fairgrounds.
[edit] Present
Starting with the end of World War II, the growth of productivity in agriculture began to reduce the number of jobs in American farming, both as a percentage of total population and in absolute numbers. State fairs began to transition themselves from agricultural trade shows to entertainment operations.
In Illinois, the State Fair Grandstand, originally built as a place to watch harness racing (and still used for that purpose as of 2008) became a venue for concerts and recitals. The "state fair circuit" became a recognized part of the overall live-music industry for many performers, especially but not exclusively in country-western music. Noted concerts held at The Grandstand include The Who (an an opening act) in 1968.
Agricultural show operations, competitions, and judging continued in Springfield, but many State Fairgoers in 2007 were attending the fair to watch parades and spectacles, enjoy the festival rides, listen to music, or attend one of numerous "beer tents." The fair is noted for its annual butter cow, a life-size animal formed of pure butter applied to an armature by a sculptor wielding an oversized palette knife.
The Illinois State Fairgrounds now contains more than 100 permanent buildings. In addition, participants set up countless pavilions and trailers during the period the State Fair is in operation. The Illinois State Fair is operated by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which states in the state's official "Illinois Blue Book" that the purpose of the State Fair is to "showcase Illinois agriculture and offer wholesome family entertainment." [2]
David Foster Wallace covered the 1993 Illinois State Fair for Harper's, and the essay is reprinted in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. Many do return, however. Reported attendance at the Illinois State Fair was approximately 650,000 in 2003, 671,333 in 2004, 672,615 in 2005, and approximately 705,000 in 2006. [3]
The Illinois State Fairgrounds are also used as a venue for other competitive and entertainment operations throughout the year, such as motorcycle and car racing, horse shows, and rodeos.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Attendance Up 5% At Illinois State Fair Accessed September 10th, 2006
- ^ "Illinois Blue Book: 2005-2006", page 215.
- ^ Jason George, "A blue ribbon for attendance", Chicago Tribune August 20, 2006, page 15.
