(The Center Square) – The Illinois State Fair is expected to generate about $100 million of economic impact after taxpayers invested nearly $190 million for infrastructure and programming.
The fair is set to run from Thursday morning until Sunday, August 23 at the state fairgrounds in Springfield.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said both the Illinois State Fair and the Du Quoin State Fair are important to the economy.
“We’ve got a lot of local retailers, local suppliers, who benefit from the enormous crowds that are showing up,” Pritzker said at the fair’s butter cow unveiling on Wednesday.
The 2025 state fair in Springfield drew more than 723,000 people.
The 2025 Du Quoin State Fair in southern Illinois drew more than 282,000, pushing total state fair attendance in Illinois last year to more than one million people.
Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello said the fairgrounds are an economic engine.
“If you look at the last economic impact study that was done, I think it was done in 2014, we’re currently doing another one. At that point in time it was about an $84 million economic impact, just the eleven days of the fair,” Costello said.
Costello estimated the current economic impact to be over $100 million.
When asked about taxpayer spending on the fair in Springfield, Costello said the state has put in about $190 million.
“We’re talking about $117.8 million capital investment from the governor’s capital bill as well as about $68.5 million from the Department of Agriculture budget,” Costello said.
In 2025, more than $140 million in taxpayer funds contributed to the fair’s infrastructure and programming. The event generated $2.6 million in sales tax revenue and an estimated $86 million or more in local and regional economic impact.
This year’s fair theme, ‘Miles of Smiles,’ celebrates the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
Pritzker said there is a miniature version of the Mother Road at the fairgrounds.
“This year will be chock full of smiles for the entire family, music and entertainment, something that we’ve upgraded over the course of my term in office,” the governor said.
The fair runs through Sunday, August 23.
Regular admission rates are $10 for adults on Fridays and Saturdays, $5 for adults on Sundays through Thursdays and $3 for seniors. Children 12 and under get in free.
The Du Quoin State Fair is scheduled from August 28 through September 7.
Catrina Barker contributed to this story.
