Will anyone notice that $700,000 less is being spent on this year’s Illinois State Fair?
Most likely the answer will be “yes.” Parking will be a buck more expensive
(rising to $7), and some of the free concerts may no longer be free. But officials
say any comparison to last year’s fair isn’t, well, fair.
Last year was the Illinois State Fair’s 150th anniversary, and a certain amount
of “extravagance” came with that, says spokesman Jeff Squibb. In 2002, for instance,
organizers spent $200,000 more on free entertainment than in previous years.
It didn’t cost a dime to take in such acts as Lonnie Brooks, Koko Taylor, .38
Special, and the Little River Band. These performances were meant to promote
the fairgrounds’ new open-air arena as well as to raise awareness of the anniversary,
says Squibb. While this year may not be better than last year, Squibb says,
you shouldn’t expect this fair to be worse than previous fairs–spending is only
being reduced to what it was before 2002.
Spending on grandstand shows will be cut by $50,000, but at a glance it doesn’t
seem to have hurt much. Last year, the “big” shows were Englebert Humperdinck,
Toby Keith, Journey, Kenny Chesney, and the Gin Blossoms (who canceled due to
rain). This year, according to www.pollstar.com, which tracks concert tours
worldwide, the grandstand line-up includes Kenny Chesney, Buckwheat Zydeco,
Goo Goo Dolls, Lisa Marie Presley, Hootie and the Blowfish, Everclear, Mary
Wilson, and Uncle Kracker. Not cutting-edge, but not bad for 50 grand less.
Tickets to the big shows cost $17 to $22, Squibb says, and fair officials are
considering charging $5 to $10 for the smaller arena’s shows.
There will be a reduced fireworks display. The workforce will be cut from
177 to 106. Money for contest prizes and awards will be slashed from $573,000
to $268,000, though the number of contests won’t decline.
“Our hope is that–and this is also my personal belief–competitors are not
involved for the money, but for the thrill of competing in the Illinois State
Fair and winning a blue ribbon,” says Squibb. “We’d like the prize money to
at least pay for the cost of entering.”
It should be of some relief that not everything’s been cut. “The high dive
act will be bigger and better this year,” Squibb says.
At least a million people attended each of the last three Illinois State Fairs.
This year officials considered hiking the admission price from $3 to $5, but
then decided against it. Illinois’ state fair remains one of the cheapest in
the country.
At
the Grandstand
As of press time, fair officials had not yet released
an official line-up of entertainment acts. Yet, according to Pollstar.com (Squibb
says, “I’ve never known Pollstar to be wrong”), all but a couple of slots have
already been filled. It lists the following grandstand acts so far:
Kenny Chesney, Saturday, August 9.
Montgomery Gentry, Sunday, August 10.
Nazareth, Sunday, August 10.
Buckwheat Zydeco, Monday, August 11.
Goo Goo Dolls, Tuesday, August 12.
Lisa Marie Presley, Tuesday, August 12.
Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Thursday, August 14.
Hootie and the Blowfish, Friday, August 15.
Everclear, Saturday, August 16.
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Sunday, August
17.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 4, 2003.
