The folks at the Sangamon County Fair are in high gear right now getting ready to kick off the five-day gem that is one of the highlights of summer in these parts. The fair crew does a great job of producing events and attractions that are the quintessence of classic Midwestern county fairs – livestock judging, pageants, carnival and midway temptations, a demo derby, miles of exhibits and lots of food. Grammy award-winning rap superstar Nelly will wake up the stage on Thursday evening, followed by the Academy of Country Music’s 2020 New Artist of the Year, Riley Green, on Friday. Not to be outdone, the Miller Lite Pavilion has a long lineup of local live music acts that stretches through the duration of the fair. Finally, some serious but friendly motorized competition takes place back over at the Grandstand on Saturday night with the truck and tractor pulls. General fair gate admission is $10 for ages 5 and older. Carnival wristbands and Grandstand admission carry additional charges. sangcofair.com.
Sangamon County Fair
June 16-20, Wed-Sun
316 W. Birch St.
New Berlin
217-488-2685
This article appears in A guide to Juneteenth.
