The 2022 Illinois State Fair kicks off Thursday in Springfield with carnival rides, fair food, musical acts, contests, giant dinosaurs — and of course, a 500-pound, unsalted butter cow sculpture.
From famous fair food to the iconic 500-pound butter cow sculpture, the 2022 Illinois State Fair is officially underway. But there's only a few days left to catch the action.
Along with classic carnival rides, fried Oreos and a wide variety of entertainment and contests on the fairgrounds, several special events and musical performances are still set to take place in the fair's final five days. Here are the events and performances on tap:
Wednesday, Aug. 17
- Governor's Day
- Shaggy and TLC (Grandstand)
- Paint Night Experience
- Harness Racing
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Thursday, Aug. 18
- Republican Day
- John Pardi with Lainey Wilson and Chapel Hart (Grandstand)
- Paint Night Experience
- Harness Racing
Friday, Aug. 19
- First Responder Day
- Trevor Noah (Grandstand)
Saturday, Aug. 20
- Park District Conversation Day
- Outlaw 5J Rodeo (The Coliseum)
- USAC Bettenhausen 100 (Grandstand)
- Disturbed with Nita Straus (Grandstand)
Sunday, Aug. 21
- Family Day
- ARCA Menards Series Atlas 100 and Sportsman Nationals (Grandstand)
- Sammy Hagar & The Circle with Ann Wilson of Heart (Grandstand)
In addition to the special events, more than a dozen stages will host daily, free entertainment. Here's a full list of the stages and what they are hosting.
Local
Tickets for musical acts and some special events are sold separately, and are on sale here.
The fair runs until Aug. 22 and fairgrounds are open from 7 a.m. to midnight each day. Tickets start at $10 for adults, with discounts for seniors and children. Some events may require additional tickets.
