PHOTO BY Cayti costell, Illinois state fair
“Adventure Awaits” is the theme of the 2025 Illinois State Fair, and that adventure this year includes a few new wrinkles such as a pickleball tournament, craft beer contest and the return of the Budweiser Clydesdales. But it all starts on Thursday, Aug. 7, with the Twilight Parade, and this year’s grand marshal is the American Business Club of Springfield, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The club has operated the gate admission and assisted at the Grandstand since 2004 and has partnered with the Illinois State Fair since 1954.
PHOTO BY DAVE BLANCHETTE
American Business Club Springfield President Jerry Boster speaks during Illinois State Fair media preview day, when the organization was announced as the parade marshal for the fair’s Twilight Parade.
“Every year it takes between 25,000 and 30,000 volunteer hours between the admissions and the grandstand to make this run as smoothly as it does,” said American Business Club of Springfield President Jerry Boster. “We would never have been able to achieve the amount of community giving we do without our partnership with the Illinois State Fair, and we are looking forward to our continued partnership so that we can continue our giving within our community.”
The Twilight Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. in Lincoln Park and travels onto Sangamon Avenue, entering the fairgrounds through the Main Gate. From there, the parade marches down Main Street, Grandstand Avenue, past the Grandstand, and exits through Lot 21.
“The Twilight Parade is the perfect way to kick off this adventure,” said Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “This year’s theme invites every fairgoer to discover something new, and it all starts with the parade.”
Once inside the grounds during the fair’s week-and-a-half run, pickleball enthusiasts may want to head to the Orr Building where the fair will host its first-ever pickleball tournament, open to all who preregister on the State Fair website.
“If competition is not your speed there will be a free demonstration and challenge court so fairgoers can learn more about this sport,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “No equipment is necessary, just bring a great attitude and comfy shoes.”
A two-day Craft Beer Competition, held in The Shed at the fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8-9, will feature 13 Illinois brewers vying for Best in Show.
“Buy a pint or a sample pass which will allow you to sip your way across 10 different five-ounce samples and enjoy some of the best breweries Illinois has to offer,” Clark said of the contest, which is a joint initiative with the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Competing breweries include Engrained Brewing Company and Springfield Beer Company, both of Springfield.
The Budweiser Clydesdales will return to the fair, their first appearance there since 2021, and will be headquartered in Barn 118 along the Avenue of Flags near the Grandstand. They will be featured in the Twilight Parade, Veterans Day Parade and two additional parades throughout the fairgrounds on Aug. 15 and 16.
Another new event, the Sangamon County High School Cheer and Dance Showcase, will be held Sunday, Aug.17, in the Illinois Building and will feature a dozen teams from Sangamon County school districts. Audience participation will be a key deciding factor in the competition, Clark said, so she encouraged visitors to bring their school spirit on Aug. 17.
The fair features a new collaboration with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, with Dolly Days Story Time every day at 2 p.m. in the Sensory Station at the Emmerson Building. A naturalization ceremony will be held Aug.13 at the Orr Building, with 400 people expected to take the citizenship oath. The Selfie Gallery in the Expo Building will feature two new Mind Illusion booths and a larger group selfie setting. The Big Top Adventures circus, Off Axis Stunt Show, Extreme Dog Stunt Show and High Dive Show all return this year.
PHOTO BY DAVE BLANCHETTE
Two volunteers in the Dairy Building get a display ready in the days leading up to the Illinois State Fair.
The Golden Abe’s Fantastic Fair Food Contest also returns, where vendors go head to head in a culinary showcase. Awards will include best savory food, best sweet treat, best specialty dish, best notable newcomer and the overall Golden Abe Grand Champion. The judging will take place the first Friday of the fair, then starting Saturday, Aug. 9, visitors will have the chance to vote for the People’s Choice Award.
This year’s Grandstand entertainment lineup includes Jake Owen on Aug. 8, The Black Crowes Aug. 9, a sold-out Megan Moroney show Aug 10, and a free concert on Monday, Aug. 11, featuring country music performer Randy Houser with classic rock group Night Ranger.
Tuesday, Aug.12 will feature Cheryl Crow; Aug. 13, Snoop Dogg; Aug. 14, Brad Paisley; Aug. 15, The Chainsmokers; Aug. 16 the USAC Bettenhausen 100 race at 2 p.m. and rock group Def Leppard at 8 p.m.; and Aug. 17, the ARCA Menards Series Springfield 100 race at 1 p.m. and the country music group Turnpike Troubadours at 8 p.m
Clark made a “buyer beware” caution about grandstand ticket sales.
“With sold-out shows already, we are seeing scams on social media and third-party sites that are scalping,” Clark said. “If you have not purchased your tickets yet, we urge you to be aware of scams and offers that may be too good to be true. Illinois State Fair grandstand tickets are only sold at Ticketmaster and our box office.”
The State Fair’s iconic Butter Cow will be unveiled early in the fair, but one thing we do know from the buttery bovine’s home in the Dairy Building is that the Flavor of the Fair milkshake is chocolate chip cookie dough.
“It combines the nostalgic taste of cookie dough with smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream,” said Kendra Anderson of the Midwest Dairy Association. “In addition, our strawberry shakes use berries sourced from Cobden in southern Illinois.”
There aren’t a lot of major construction projects underway at the state fairgrounds this year, but recently completed work has made a difference, according to Kristi Jones, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
“We are proud of the rich history of the Illinois State Fair, which dates back to 1894 on these grounds, but with that age comes wear and tear, the maintenance of which was often deterred,” Jones said. But projects “from roads, restrooms, tuckpointing and accessibility, all the way to the transformed Arena and Coliseum, updates are happening continuously,” she added.
Jones placed the fair’s economic impact to the Springfield area at $86 million last year, including sales tax revenue of $2.6 million. A record 773,000 visitors were welcomed in 2024.