State fair grandstand ticket sales off to smashing start

Two-week promotion nets more than half of 2004 total ticket sales

[JUNE 1, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick announced the results of a special two-week promotion for this year's grandstand tickets. The early Internet and phone sales, which ran April 30-May 14 through Ticketmaster, resulted in the sale of 13,818 tickets to grandstand concerts, more than half of the 24,507 tickets sold for acts at the fair last year.

"We are thrilled at the response and excitement generated by the early ticket sales," Bliefnick said. "This year we worked hard to not only book great bands and present a solid musical lineup, but also to get tickets on sale early so people could start planning their summer activities and make arrangements well in advance to come to the state fair."

Country music artists Rascal Flatts and Blake Shelton took the lead in the first two weeks of ticket sales. It was the earliest tickets have gone on sale in at least a decade.

Tickets are now available at all Ticketmaster locations as well as by phone and Internet. Tickets can also be purchased at www.illinoisstatefair.info. To order tickets by phone, call 1 [phone] or TTY 1 [phone]. The state fair ticket office will open June 4.

Grandstand schedule
(Date; performers; ticket prices: reserved, track)

• Friday, Aug. 12 -- Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton; $27.50-22.50-17.50, $27.50
• Saturday, Aug. 13 -- Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cross Canadian Ragweed; $18, $18
• Sunday, Aug. 14 -- REO, Cheap Trick, Head East; $18, $18
• Monday, Aug. 15 -- Evening harness racing; free admission
• Tuesday, Aug. 16 -- Evening harness racing; free admission
• Wednesday, Aug. 17 -- Velvet Revolver; $30-25-20 , $30
• Thursday, Aug. 18 -- Tractor pulls; $10-5
• Friday, Aug. 19 -- Brad Paisley, SHeDAISY; $22.50-17.50-15.00, $22.50
• Saturday, Aug. 20 -- Simple Plan, Jesse McCartney; $27.50-22.50-17.50, $27.50
• Sunday, Aug. 21 -- Illinois Symphony; free admission

[Illinois State Fair news release]