 On display in the tent are roughly 10 rotating wineries from around
the state, each with glasses and bottles of wine available for
purchase. Fairgoers also have the option of buying tickets for $1
each, which will allow them to taste a wine of their choice. Samples
are roughly 1 ounce, said Brenda Logan, part-owner of Baxter's
Vineyards & Winery in Nauvoo, Illinois' oldest winery, established
after the Prohibition. Fairgoers who buy five tickets get a free
complimentary "Illinois Wine" glass."It's a great opportunity to
sample a lot of Illinois wines in one place," she added.
Baxter's, which has been on display for over 10 years at the
state fair, offers 11 wines, from sweet and semisweet to dry and
semidry. Bottles range from $10 to $16, and a glass of wine is $4.
Logan said the most popular wines are the sweet wines, the Concord
Wine and the White Sweet.
She said the grapes used for their wine is grown in the Midwest
and carefully selected, as that is one of the most important steps
in making good wine.
"The grapes determine the wine. If you have not-so-good grapes,
then you don't have good wine," she said. "It starts with the
grower."
Bruce Morgenstern, part-owner of Pheasant Hollow Winery, said
that this sense of Illinois pride also applies to the wine business
as a whole for him, which he calls a "cooperation."
"I have the entrepreneur drive; I want to be the best and sell
the most," he said. "But if the wines I'm selling are not your
taste, I just assume that you go to another Illinois winery and find
one that does."
And, apparently, that attitude has worked. In a 2000 MKF economic
impact survey, Illinois wineries made $20,000. Now they make nearly
$230,000, Morgenstern said.
That's not all. In July 1999, Pheasant Hollow was the 16th winery
to open in Illinois. Now, there are roughly 75 wineries in Illinois.
"What other industry in Illinois has that kind of exponential
growth?" he asked. "It's just exploding."
At the Pheasant Hollow Winery exhibit, 11 wines are on sale,
ranging from $11 to $16. Morgenstern offers a number of
fruit-blended wines, one of which, the Midnight Medley, won the
Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association's Governor's Cup for
best fruit-blended wine.
Pheasant Hollow Winery also offers the only sparkling wine in the
tent, the Muscat de Canelli. The wine is also one of the only
sparkling wines in Illinois, with Morgenstern adding that his
company is the only winery that has the machinery to make sparkling
wine. There may be another winery in the state that still does it by
hand.
"We are the only winery in the state capable of producing
sparkling wine the way we do," he said. "And we do it on purpose."
Fairgoers visiting the Illinois Wine Tent will also find
brochures and other handouts detailing activities and tourist
attractions located near the wineries.
Located next door to the Wine Tent is the Farmer's Market, which
features some of the finest produce from around the state, and, in
the meantime, proves that fairgoers don't have to go out of state to
get the freshest fruit.
"Local producers are just as good as anybody else," said Harry
Alten, chairman for the Illinois Specialty Growers." If they're in
season, they may be even better."
All the fruits for sale, except the peaches that came from a
producer in Virginia, are produced in state. For example, the apple
cider came from Tanner's Orchard in Speer and Curtis Orchard in
Champaign-Urbana, and the sweet corn is produced at Twin Gardens
Farms in Harvard. Also for sale is Illinois-produced cantaloupe and
watermelon and healthier snack options including popcorn, the
popular egg-on-a-stick, garden salads and vanilla ice cream. Apple
cider slushes are also available, which Alten said is the most
popular item because of the heat.
Needless to say, the Farmer's Market's produce is also some of
the healthiest of food options at the fair and a great alternative
for both the young and old.
Alten relayed a story of a lady who came in with her 7-year-old
son, who tried watermelon for the first time at the Farmer's Market,
a fruit he had previously didn't like.
"He thought it was fair food," he said. "Now he likes watermelon.
'I can't believe it; he ate the whole thing!' she told me."
All sugars in the produce are natural and the produce is not
processed.
Besides selling Illinois-produced food, the Farmer's Market also
informs the fairgoers about fresh produce in their area. The Prairie
Bounty of Illinois, a handout that lists farm markets throughout
Illinois, offers fairgoers a chance to purchase fresh produce
outside of the fair. Brochures are available on local orchards as
well.
[to top of second column]
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 Friday events
Futures for Kids Day
Campus Town: University of Illinois-Springfield, 9 a.m.-4
p.m.
Video presentations and a virtual classroom and dorm room
experience highlight the University of Illinois-Springfield's
presentation at the 2007 Campus Town area. Faculty presentations
take place each hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., giving prospective
students and their families a better look at why UIS should be their
future destination. Giveaways, free popcorn, water and candy
highlight some of the perks of the UIS exhibit. Women's volleyball
and cheerleading demonstrations, along with an appearance by UIS's
mascot and photo opportunities round out the entertainment. Come see
why UIS is the hidden gem of the University of Illinois system.
Hometown Pride: Quincy, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
For those looking for attractions in the Quincy area, look no
further. On hand will be a number of informational outlets aimed at
teaching fairgoers about historical events and attractions in
Quincy. Booths in their tent will showcase the Pike County Lincoln
Project, the fall Haunted Historic Quincy tour, a wine festival in
the Quincy area called the Great River Grape Escape and the Early
Tindusters Fall Color Run, which is an annual car show featuring
over 800 vintage cars from 1949 and earlier.
Final day of harness racing: Noon
Due to inclement weather, the harness races for Thursday were
postponed to Friday, with a noon post time. A number of $50,000
purses will be given out Friday at the Illinois State Fair Colt
Stakes Championships. Other races scheduled are the Illinois State
Fair Colt Stakes Consolations and the IDOA State Fair Races, where
$10,000 and $5,000 pursues will be given out, respectively. For a
complete list, visit
http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/horse/.
Grandstand entertainment: Martina McBride with Carolyn Dawn
Johnson, 8 p.m.
One of country music's longest-reigning superstars hits the
Grandstand stage at 8 p.m., as Martina McBride comes to Springfield.
With a career spanning over a decade and including many awards and
accolades, McBride will no doubt put on one of the more memorable
shows of the 2007 Illinois State Fair Grandstand lineup. Since
garnering her first No. 1 hit in 1995, McBride has sustained her
success behind the strength of singles like "Blessed," "Where Would
You Be" and "Concrete Angel," earning two CMA Female Vocalist awards
in the process. Don't miss what will undoubtedly be a great night of
country music.
Arena: Professional Championship Bullriders tour, 6 p.m.
Professional bull-riding is an up-and-coming sport here in the
United States, and especially right here in the Midwest. The
popularity in the past five years has soared to incredible heights.
Bull-riding has become a new form of an adrenaline rush, as a
2,000-pound bull with two enormous horns bucks and turns furiously
in front of a large crowd of people. This year the Professional
Championship Bullriders will really step it up when it comes to fun
and excitement at the Illinois State Fair.
Country Junction: Smile Contest, 1:30 p.m.
Many parents and relatives like to think that their child has the
best smile of all. Now, they have a chance to prove it. At 1:30
p.m., the 2007 Illinois State Fair will crown a handful of young
people as having the best smiles in the annual Smile Contest. There
are seven divisions between the ages of 5 and 15, and divisions are
separated for boys and girls. All participants will receive a "Smile
Kit" filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, pamphlets and other
treats, compliments of the Illinois State Dental Society.
Conservation World: Chain saw carving, daily demonstrations,
10 a.m.-7 p.m.
If you're looking for a unique take on sculpture and art, look no
further than Conservation World. Chain saw carvers will turn
6-foot-plus logs into a wide variety of detailed figures such as
woodland animals, bears and eagles. The carvers will complete
several projects each day. So come out and enjoy as chain saw
artists create wonderful sculptures right before your eyes.
[Text
from
Illinois State Fair news release received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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