SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A favorite Illinois pastime begins this year in Clark County when the first of the state’s 105 county fairs opens an eight-day run on June 11 in Marshall.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture today released the complete schedule of 2006 county fairs.  Copies can be obtained by calling the department’s Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing at (217) 782-4231 or visiting its website at www.agr.state.il.us.  The electronic version on the internet includes a database that is searchable by both date and location.
“Illinois takes great pride in its county fairs,” Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said.  “Each summer, people throughout the state gather on their local county fairgrounds to renew acquaintances, celebrate our agricultural heritage and have a good time.  And, there’s certainly plenty to see and do.  From livestock shows and demolition derbies to games and carnival rides, county fairs offer entertainment the whole family can enjoy.”
Other county fair attractions typically include queen pageants, truck and tractor pulls, musical concerts and 4-H exhibits.  Thirty-eight county fairs feature harness racing.  Eight offer thoroughbred racing.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture supports the efforts of the volunteer boards that organize county fairs by providing funding for award premiums, the maintenance of facilities and agriculture education programs.  In 2005, this support totaled more than $7.7 million.
The 2006 county fair season concludes Sept. 17 with the Okawville Agricultural Products Fair in Washington County.  The full schedule follows. For further information, contact the appropriate fair association.
County Date Town Fair Association Phone Number
Adams July 27-Aug. 2 Mendon Adams Co. Fair Assoc. 217-964-2416
Bond  Aug. 2-8  Greenville Bond Co. Fair Assoc. 618-664-1412
Boone Aug. 8-13  Belvidere Boone Co. Fair Assoc. 815-871-1060 Brown Aug. 1-6  Mt. Sterling Brown Co. Fair Assoc. 217-894-6269
Bureau Aug. 23-27 Princeton Bureau Co. Ag. Board 309-525-3228
Calhoun Sept. 7-10  Hardin Calhoun Apple Advisory Club 618-576-2215
Carroll Aug. 7-12  Milledgeville Carroll Co. Fair Assoc. 815-493-2498
Cass July 18-22  Virginia Cass Co. Fair Assoc. 217-452-3054
Champaign July 11-15  Fisher Fisher Community Fair 217-897-6299
Champaign  July 21-29  Urbana Champaign Co. Fair Assoc. 217-367-8461
Christian Aug.30-Sept. 4 Pana Pana Tri-County Fair Assoc. 217-539-4263
Christian July 11-16  Taylorville Christian Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. 217-325-3381
Clark June 11-18  Marshall Clark Co. Fair Assoc. 217-826-6477
Clark June 25-July 1 Martinsville Martinsville Ag. Fair Assoc., Inc. 618-586-5175
Clay July 13-23  Flora Clay Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. 618-676-1046
Clinton July 16-22  Carlyle Clinton Co. Ag. Assoc. 618-594-3669
Coles July 30-Aug. 6 Charleston Coles Co. Ag. Assoc. 217-345-4526
Crawford July 22-29  Oblong Crawford Co. Fair Assoc. 618-592-3517
Cumberland Aug. 20-26 Greenup Greenup-Cumberland Co. Fair 217-923-3034
DeKalb Sept. 6-10  Sandwich Sandwich Fair Assoc. 815-786-2159
DeKalb Aug. 4-6  Sycamore Sycamore Farmer’s Club Junior Fair 815-756-6361
DeWitt July 18-22  Farmer City Farmer City Fair Assoc. 217-736-2477
DuPage July 26-30  Wheaton DuPage Co. Fair & Expo Assoc.  630-668-6636
Edgar July 22-29  Paris Edgar Co. Fair Assoc. 217-466-0905
Edwards July 19-29  Albion Edwards Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. 618-445-2842
Effingham Aug. 5-12 Altamont Effingham Co. Fair Assoc. 888-854-3247
Fayette July 8-15 Brownstown Fayette Co. Fair Assoc. 618-245-6221
Ford July 9-15 Melvin Ford Co. Fair of Melvin 217-388-2398
Franklin July 6-12 Ina Franklin Co. Fair Assoc. 618-625-3341
Fulton July 24-29 Lewistown Fulton Co. Fair & Racing Assoc. 309-547-2532
Gallatin  Sept. 2-10 Ridgway Gallatin Co. Fair Assoc. 618-272-8971
Greene June 17-24  Carrollton Greene Co. Ag. Fair Inc. 217-942-3148
Grundy June 30-July 4 Morris Grundy Co. Ag. District Fair 815-448-5473
Hamilton June 30-July 8 McLeansboro McLeansboro Fair Assoc. 618-773-4625
Hancock July 19-23 Augusta Hancock Co. Fair 217-842-5804

Henderson July 1-8 Stronghurst Henderson Co. Fair Assoc. 309-924-1195
Henry June 20-25 Cambridge Henry Co. Fair Assoc. 309-944-4321
Iroquois July 19-24 Crescent City Iroquois Co. Ag & 4-H Club 815-457-2947
Jasper June 24-July 1 Newton Jasper Co. Ag. Assoc. 618-783-3901
Jefferson July 14-22 Ina Jefferson Co. Youth Fair 618-246-2430
Jersey July 8-16 Jerseyville Jersey Co. Fair Assoc. 618-498-5848
Jo Daviess July 21-23 Elizabeth Elizabeth Community Fair 815-858-3789
Jo Daviess Aug. 2-6 Warren Jo Daviess Co. Ag. Society 815-789-4581
Kane July 19-23 St. Charles Kane Co. Fair & Ind. Expo. 630-584-6926
Kankakee Aug. 2-6 Kankakee Kankakee Co. Fair and Expo. 815-932-6714
Kendall Aug. 3-6 Yorkville Kendall Co. Fair Assoc. 630-553-2860
Knox Aug. 1-5 Knoxville Knox Co. Ag. Board & Fair Assoc. 309-289-2714
Lake July 25-30 Grayslake Lake Co. Fair Assoc.  847-223-2204
LaSalle Aug. 31-Sept. 4 Mendota Tri-County Fair Assoc. 815-627-3143
LaSalle July 12-16 Ottawa LaSalle Co. Junior Fair Assoc. 815-433-0371
Lawrence July 29-Aug. 5 Sumner Lawrence Co. Junior Fair Assoc. 618-936-2114
Lee July 27-30 Amboy Lee Co. 4-H Fair & Junior Show 815-453-2200
Livingston Aug. 9-12 Cullom Cullom Junior Fair 815-689-2146
Livingston Aug. 16-20 Fairbury Fairbury Fair Assoc. 815-692-3222
Livingston  July 17-20 Pontiac Livingston Co. Fair Assoc. 815-842-2753
Logan Aug. 1-6 Lincoln Logan Co. Fair Assoc. 217-732-3311
Macon June 13-18 Decatur Decatur-Macon Co. Fair Assoc. 217-877-8941
Macoupin July 17-22 Carlinville Macoupin Co. Fair & Ag. Assoc. 217-854-9422
Madison July 23-28 Highland Madison Co. Fair Assoc. 618-644-5441
Marion July 28-Aug. 5 Salem Marion Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. Inc. 618-547-3164
Marshall/Putnam July 12-16 Henry Marshall-Putnam Fair Assoc. 309-364-2814
Mason  July 24-28 Havana Mason Co. 4-H & Junior Ag. Show 217-482-5202
Massac July 14-22 Metropolis Massac Co. Youth Fair 618-524-7320
McDonough July 17-21 Macomb McDonough Co. 4-H Corp.  309-836-5488
McHenry Aug. 2-6 Woodstock McHenry Co. Fair Assoc. 815-338-5315
McLean Aug. 2-6 Bloomington McLean Co. Fair Assoc. 309-663-6497
Menard July 18-23 Petersburg Menard Co. Fair 217-636-8123
Mercer July 11-16 Aledo Mercer Co. Ag. Society 309-582-5659
Monroe July 23-30 Waterloo Monroe Co. Fair Assoc. 618-939-4695
Montgomery June 21-25 Butler Montgomery Co. Fair & Ag. Assoc. 217-272-4489
Morgan July 12-16 Jacksonville Morgan Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. 217-245-2709
Moultrie-Douglas July 9-15 Arthur Moultrie-Douglas Co. Fair Assoc. 217-543-3533
Moultrie July 28-30 Sullivan Moultrie-Sullivan Jr. Fair 217-874-2785
Ogle Aug. 2-6 Oregon Ogle Co. Fair Assoc. 815-946-2195
Peoria July 7-15 Peoria Heart of Illinois Fair 309-691-6332
Perry  June 17-26 Pinckneyville Perry Co. Ag Society 618-357-8910
Piatt June 20-25 Cerro Gordo Piatt Co. Junior Fair Assoc. 217-763-6170
Pike June 21-25 Griggsville Western Illinois Fair Assoc. 217-833-2116
Pike July 17-22 Pleasant Hill Pike Co. Fair Assoc. 217-285-4832
Pulaski Aug. 14-19 Pulaski Pulaski Civic & Community Fair 618-342-6514
Randolph July 28-Aug 5 Sparta Randolph Co. Fair 618-443-6279
Richland July 7-15 Olney Richland Co. Farm & Fair Assoc. 618-863-2606
Rock Island July 18-22 East Moline Rock Island Co. Ag Fair & Expo. 309-796-1620
St. Clair Aug. 8-12 Belleville St. Clair Co. Fair Assoc. 618-233-0052
Saline July 21-29 Harrisburg Saline Co. Ag. Assoc. 618-253-5126
 

Sangamon  June 14-18 New Berlin Sangamon Co. Fair & Ag. Assoc. 217-488-2685
Schuyler June 29-July 4 Rushville Schuyler Co. Fair 217-322-4409
Scott July 30-Aug.4 Winchester Scott Co. 4-H & Junior Ag. Show 217-742-9572
Shelby July 24-27 Shelbyville Shelby Co. 4-H & Junior Fair 217-774-4049
Stark  July 28-31 Wyoming Stark Co. Junior Fair Assoc. 309-286-7117
Stephenson Aug. 21-27 Freeport Stephenson Co. Fair Assoc. 815-235-2918
Tazewell July 31-Aug. 3 Pekin Veteran’s Memorial Fair Assoc. 309-348-2345
Union Aug. 19-26 Anna Southern Illinois Fair Assoc. 618-833-2406
Vermilion June 21-25 Danville Vermilion Co. Fair & Expo. 217-442-1309
Vermilion Aug. 6-12 Georgetown Georgetown Ag. Fair Assoc. 217-304-5963
Wabash July 22-28 Mt. Carmel Wabash Co. Youth Exhibition 618-262-7812
Warren July 22-29 Roseville Warren Co. Ag. Fair Assoc. 309-837-2230
Washington July 8-15 Nashville Nashville, Washington Co. Fair 618-327-4401
Washington Sept. 15-17 Okawville Okawville Ag. Products Fair Assoc. 618-243-5398
Wayne  July 15-22 Fairfield The New Wayne Co. Ag. Fair 618-842-3311
White July 29-Aug. 5 Carmi White Co. Ag. Society 618-382-2078
Whiteside Aug. 15-19 Morrison Whiteside Co. Central Ag. Society 815-336-2046
Will Aug. 23-27 Peotone Will Co. Fair Assoc. 708-258-9359
Williamson Aug. 5-12 Marion Williamson Co. Ag. Assoc. 618-993-2609
Winnebago Aug. 15-20 Pecatonica Winnebago Co. Fair Assoc. 815-239-1641