The Oldest Fairs in Illinois

Held annually in Marshall, the Clark County Fair is a six-day early-August celebration in Clark County, the second of two Clark County fairs serving the agricultural communities of this southeastern Illinois county.

The Lake County Fair in Grayslake is a five-day late-July celebration in Chicago's most affluent suburban county, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from the North Shore and surrounding region. With roots going back to 1851, it's among Illinois's oldest continuously held fairs.

The Illinois State Fair, based in Springfield, is an eleven-day mid-August spectacular at the state fairgrounds, drawing over one million visitors to Abraham Lincoln's home city for the premier annual celebration of Illinois agriculture. Founded in 1853, it stands as one of Illinois's most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

Wheaton's DuPage County Fair is a four-day late-July celebration in one of the nation's wealthiest suburban counties, drawing hundreds of thousands from the western Chicago suburbs. Founded in 1854, it stands as one of Illinois's most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

In Harrisburg, the Saline County Fair is a seven-day mid-July celebration in the coal mining country of southern Illinois, serving the communities of Saline County in the Shawnee Hills.