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The Logan County Fair has the distinction of being one of the best
and cleanest in the state of Illinois.
Darrell Deverman, treasurer of the Logan County Fair board, said,
"The volunteers doing their part and our sponsors' support are the
most important factors to keep this fair going."
The fair would not operate as well as it does if it were not for
the countless volunteers working behind the scenes and the sponsors
who help support it.
The Logan County Fair board of directors consists of nine elected
seats.
In all, there are 25 different departments. In the competitive
events, each department is run by a superintendent and they each
have a set of assistants aiding them, also on a volunteer basis. "We
couldn't pull it off without the dedication of volunteer staff,"
said Penny Thomas, office manager. She added, "And the sponsors
donating trophies, prizes, money, etc. It's all so important."
Livestock shows and 4-H contests are scheduled throughout the
week. The barns are open daily and filled with numerous judged
displays in the areas of floriculture, agriculture, fine arts and
textiles. Several popular culinary contests take place, such as the
chili cook-off and cake contest. Grandstand events are scheduled
each day, with horse racing in the morning and the fair queen
pageant scheduled on the opening day.
Although the fair only lasts a week, preparations are a
year-round job. To plan such a grand event, organizers start
thinking of the next year's details as soon as that final demolition
car prevails victorious in the closing of the year's fair.
According to Thomas and Deverman, the demolition derby and the
tractor pulls are the highest ticket sellers for the grandstand
events.
And what would the fair be without the food. For your
convenience, a few of the concession stands will not only be
accepting cash, but also debit cards and all major credit cards.
You can count on satiating your taste buds with those wonderful
Culler's french fries, a bite into a Sivori corn dog or whatever
your favorite fair food or drink is when you visit this year.
There is an exciting addition to the food this year. It is a
Mexican eatery brought in by Wingo's Foods.
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Every year, food vendors are put on a waiting list to get their
business on the fairgrounds. "I think that's because we try to keep
a good variety for the people," Thomas said, "but we also try to
limit the number of them so that everyone gets fair business."
Luehers' Ideal Rides will
once again provide amusement rides, games and food.
The Logan County Fair began in 1937 in a wheat field, at the site
where the fair is still located today. Every year volunteers would
to come into Lincoln and plow the wheat field to prepare the
grounds. Everything at those early fairs was carried out under tents
until the buildings slowly started making their way into the
fairgrounds. Today, the oldest standing building is the horse barn.
There are just over 100 county fairs in Illinois, and just under
half of those fairs have horse races. "I think that's one of the
factors why our county fair is one of the best in the state,"
Deverman said, "The horse racing brings in a lot of folks from out
of town."
When Thomas was asked what her favorite part of the fair is, she
said, "You meet so many different people from different walks of
life when helping to set this up. It makes it very interesting."
If you would like to come to the fairgrounds to take part in your
fair favorites or discover new ones, the official kickoff is at 9
a.m. Tuesday and the fair runs through Sunday.
[By JANELL WOOLARD]
For a full fair schedule, you can find it all at
http://logancountyfair.ccaonline.com. |
