CHICAGO (CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS) — Illinois’ two state fairs drew over 1 million combined visitors for the second year in a row, the governor’s office announced Tuesday.

About 714,000 visitors attended the Springfield fair, while a record 287,000 visited the one in Du Quoin. Springfield’s attendance was the third highest in its history but set a new single-day attendance record of nearly 104,000 visitors on Friday, Aug. 21.

The Springfield fair also set a pair of concert attendance records with both Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson drawing 15,533 fans to sold-out shows.

Other featured concerts included The Chicks and Wiz Khalifa. The Springfield fair sold 72,143 concert tickets, which set a new overall record for grandstand performances.

The fair also featured the traditional 800-pound butter cow sculpture and political events for the state’s primary parties.

Read more: ‘Miles of Smiles’ is State Fair’s theme in celebration of Route 66 | ‘More than just a road’: Illinois communities celebrate Route 66’s centennial

The theme of this year’s fair in Springfield was “Miles of Smiles,” a nod to the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ historic Route 66. 

Affordability at the Fair

While both Democrats and Republicans stressed affordability concerns in party messaging at the fair, Illinois’ fairs were some of the most affordable in the Midwest, according to a comparison conducted by Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. 

The average cost for a family of four to attend Illinois’ state fairs — including parking, entry tickets, two ride passes and food — was $145, according to the office.

Read more: 13 takeaways from political days at the Illinois State Fair

“Our State Fairs bring people together to celebrate all the things that make our state special,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Affordable family fun remains a priority, and we delivered on that again this year in both Springfield and Du Quoin.” 

He said the state fairs positively impact Illinois’ economy and showcase the state’s agriculture industry.

Fair organizers made a concerted effort to make food more affordable. Promotions offered daily $5 classic fair food options and $3 sample-sized portions at the Village of Cultures, where food from more than 15 nationalities was on display.

Entry to the fair for adults cost $5 and rose to $10 on Fridays and Saturdays. It cost $3 for seniors and was free for kids up to 12. A Tuesday “TWOsday” promotion also offered $2 entry for adults and seniors and $2 carnival ride fare.

Dedicated carnival riders could pay $80 for unlimited access to all rides for the full eleven days, or $90 if they wanted to add access to the giant slide, which would otherwise cost $4 per run.

Entertainment and the economy

The fair also offered over 160 hours of free entertainment, including concerts and daily circus performances by jugglers, clowns and trapeze artists, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which oversees the fairs.

For the first year ever, the Route 66 experience at the fairgrounds also boasted a 25-foot-tall Cozy Dog sculpture, an ode to the Illinois family that first popularized serving corn-battered hot dogs on a stick at the 1946 Illinois State Fair.

The visitors fueled the economy in areas around the fairs, according to IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. 

“When more than a million people attend our State Fairs, they’re not just spending money inside the gates,” Costello said in a statement. “They’re staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, filling their cars with gas, shopping locally and supporting businesses throughout the area.”

Planning for the 2027 state fairs is underway, according to the governor’s office. The Illinois State Fair in Springfield will run Aug. 12-22, while the Du Quoin State Fair will run Aug. 27-Sept. 6.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.