 "I'm very excited about this
year's lineup. We switched it up a bit to include a real variety of
entertainment," said Amy Bliefnick, fair manager. "We have country,
comedy, rock, rap, R&B and even a Broadway musical. There's
something for everyone."Ventriloquist and stand-up comedian
Jeff Dunham, the 2007 winner of "America's Got Talent,"
will open the state fair concerts Friday, Aug. 12. Dunham has
starred in several Comedy Central specials, including "Jeff
Dunham: Arguing with Myself," "Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity" and
"Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special."
The band 3 Doors Down, which rose to national fame
in 2000 with the release of their first single, "Kryptonite," will
take the stage Saturday, Aug. 13. Their fifth album,
"Time of My Life," is scheduled to be released this summer.
Jason Aldean, winner of the Academy of
Country Music Top New Male Vocalist Award in 2006 and nominee for
this year's ACM Entertainer of the Year Award,
will entertain fairgoers Sunday, Aug. 14. Five of
his songs -- "Why," "She's Country," "Big Green Tractor," "The
Truth" and "Don't You Wanna Stay" -- have reached the No. 1 spot on
the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Grammy nominee
Chris Young will sing his hit singles "Gettin' You Home,"
"Voices" and "The Man I Want to Be." Thompson Square also
will perform.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago cast of
"Million Dollar Quartet" will give a free concert Monday, Aug.
15. "Million Dollar Quartet" is inspired by the
famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons
Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the
first and only time. The musical is currently running on Broadway
at the Nederlander Theatre and at the Apollo
Theater in Chicago.
Luke Bryan will sing his chart-topping hits "Rain
Is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby" Tuesday,
Aug. 16. Trailer Choir, which is touring to support its debut
album, "Tailgate," will open for Bryan.
The legendary Oak Ridge Boys and Larry Gatlin and the
Gatlin Brothers will take the stage Wednesday, Aug. 17. The Oak
Ridge Boys have won dozens of awards and sold more than 30 million
records during their 30-year career. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin
Brothers became one of country music's most successful
acts of the 1970s and 1980s.
Allstar Weekend will entertain the younger crowd Thursday,
Aug. 18. Allstar Weekend released its debut album "Suddenly Yours"
and guest-starred on the popular Disney Channel series
"Sonny With a Chance" last fall.
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On Friday, Aug. 19, 38 Special will perform hits like "Hold
On Loosely" and "Caught Up in You." Loverboy, April
Wine and The Tubes also will rock the stage that night.
Rapper MC Hammer and Boyz II Men will headline the
Saturday, Aug. 20, concert. MC Hammer won numerous awards for
his 1990 smash hit "U Can't Touch This." Boyz II Men is the
best-selling R&B group of all time.
The Grandstand entertainment concludes on Sunday, Aug. 21, with
the return of country superstars Lady Antebellum. Lady
Antebellum's hit song "Need You Now" won five awards at this year's
Grammy Awards. The trio also won Album of the Year and Top Vocal
Group of the Year at the ACM Awards earlier this
month. Stealing Angels will open the show.
All concerts begin at 8 p.m. except for the Allstar Weekend
concert, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the 38 Special concert,
which starts at 5 p.m.
Tickets will go on sale April 30 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
Tickets can be purchased either on the Internet at Ticketmaster.com,
by calling 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet.
Ticket order forms can be downloaded from the Illinois State Fair
website at
www.illinoisstatefair.info. The Grandstand ticket office will
open June 4 at 9 a.m.
All adults and all children 3 years of age and older must have a
ticket. The fair does not provide refunds or exchanges on ticket
purchases. All sales are final.
(See lineup and ticket prices below.)
[Text from
Illinois State Fair file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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