The Biggest Fairs in Illinois

Illinois' flagship state fair drew a record 773,000 visitors over 11 days in 2024, up nearly 66,000 from 2023. Running since 1853 and permanently anchored in Springfield since 1894, the fairgrounds include the historic Dome Building — a repurposed structure from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair — and a Grandstand that set its own attendance record in 2024.

Illinois' second state fair drew a record 204,000 fairgoers in 2024, its first time topping 200,000. Founded in 1923 on a 1,400-acre southern Illinois site, Du Quoin is built around the "Magic Mile" harness-racing track, which hosted the sport's premier race, the Hambletonian, from 1957 to 1980.

The DeKalb County-based Sandwich Fair drew an estimated 184,682 visitors over its five-day run in 2025 — its best showing in years despite a rain-soaked opening day. Held annually since 1888, it bills itself as the oldest continuously running fair in the Midwest and consistently draws the largest number of exhibitor entries of any fair in the state.

The McHenry County Fair draws an estimated 75,000 to 80,000 visitors over its six-day run each August, according to the fair board — a crowd the board has described as growing every year. It's one of the larger county fairs in the Chicago exurbs, held at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock.

Kane County Fair leadership has estimated roughly 60,000 attendees in recent years, with turnout heavily weather-dependent. Held at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, the five-day fair pairs traditional agricultural exhibits with professional bull riding, demolition derbies, and live music.