Illinois State Fair officially opens

Illinois State Fair
Illinois County Fair Queen Claudia VanOpdorp helped kick off the opening of the Illinois State Fair on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Illinois State Fair)

By WJBC Staff

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Fair is officially underway in Springfield.

Gov. Bruce Rauner cut the ribbon and kicked off the 11-day fair. He urged everyone to come out and enjoy the good food, carnival rides and free entertainment.

“I’ve been getting pretty anxious for this because the fairgrounds have been getting prepared for a number of days and all the action and it’s right in our front yard,” Rauner said. “This is going to be a wonderful fair and this is a time to celebrate everything that’s great about the state of Illinois and our awesome farm families.”

Tickets are still available for grandstand concerts and you can purchase your admission and parking passes online this year at www.illinoisstatefair.info for all the details.

Two local bands took top honors during the fair’s Twilight Parade. The Normal Community Marching Ironmen won first place for marching bands, while Normal West’s band took second place.

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