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Scenes from the State Fair - posted on August 25, 2009
Another year of the Illinois State Fair—that Mecca of fried food, livestock, and carnival rides—has drawn to a close. From the Midway excitement to the threat of a tornado, there wasn’t a dull moment at this year’s festivities. Relive the highlights with our first-ever photo essay, featuring snapshots of this year’s fair action.                               Rainy, stormy weather early in the week may have hindered attendance, but Thursday was a beautiful day to attend the Illinois State Fair. Photo by Julie Collins.                           A vendor dishes up a Philly cheese steak sandwi...

State Fair Deals - posted on August 17, 2009
Attending the Illinois State Fair is a bit pricier this year. For the first time since 1990, admission rates increased. Expect to pay $5 for adults (up from $3 last year) and $2 for kids between the ages of five and 12 (they used to get in for free). Kids younger than five still gain free admission. Still, five dollars is pretty cheap entertainment. Spend the day viewing butter cows and real-life cows, listening to live music, and watching the variety of people who make an appearance at the fair each year. Plus, for a few dollars more, you can taste the myriad fried foods and beverages (yep, you can even get fried beverages—this year one vendor is offering fried Pepsi).If you're looking for some bargains, there are still a few deals left you can take advantage of: Carnival B...

It's County Fair Time! - posted on July 7, 2009
Ah, Illinois county fairs. Each one is a veritable mecca of fried food, livestock, carnival games, live entertainment, and fierce competitions involving demo derby cars and smiling teen queens (though, fortunately, not at the same time). County fairs offer a smaller-scale taste of the big state fair held in Springfield August 14–23. See for yourself by visiting one of these Central Illinois county fairs in July and August. Whether you go for the corn dogs and funnel cakes or the tractor pulls and carnival rides, you won’t be disappointed. Moultrie-Douglas County Fair: July 5 to 11, Arthur Fisher Community Fair & Horse Show: July 7 to 11, Fisher  Marshall-Putnam Fair: July 8 to 12, Henry Morgan County Fair: July 8 to 12, Jacksonville Heart of Illinois Fair: July 1...