|
| |
The Western Illinois Fair is one of the first fairs in the State of Illinois.
In the mid-1800's, a decision was made locating the county seat in Pittsfield. The county fair was located in Griggsville because of the railroad which ran through the town. In 1888, we opened with the name of The Illinois Valley Fair.
People would come
on the train in droves to see the harness races which were the main
event, with sulky ridden horses. People came in from other states to participate. Griggsville had the nicest track in Illinois at the time. Visitors would bring picnic lunches and stay for the day till the train came back to get them
that evening. It was the largest event in Pike County. This
event continues to this day.
The fair was closed during WWII, and did not reopen until 1947. At that time it took on the name of Western Illinois Fair and has been in existence ever since.
|
 |
Starting with the 2002 fair season "new blood" in
the Board of Directors undertook the challenge of revitalizing the fair.
Thanks to the support of the public and untold thousands of hours of
volunteer labor, the fair is financially solvent once again. Better
events and increasing numbers of attendants have both allowed us to make
drastic improvements in the fair grounds, and attract higher quality events
and sponsors, making us one of the premier events in the area.
Many of the improvements are unnoticed by the
public. Lighting and electrical distribution are necessary items that most
don't consider, but were one of our major headaches. Buildings and
grounds are
being remodeled, and several new permanent event areas have been built. Our attention now turns to our ailing grandstand.
Motocross racing was added in 2003, and the wild
success of that first year prompted us to to build a permanent Motocross
track starting in the 2004 season.
2003 also was the first year for our school bus
demolition derby, and event that continues to grow in popularity both among
spectators and participants.
2004 brought the first Mud Bog to the fair. We
anticipated 20-25 entries, and were delighted by the response of over 75
participants making 400 runs through our bog. '14 was also the first year of
many technical improvements; most of these will go un-noticed by attendees,
but from our side of the counter we can't believe how much better things
are.
For 2005, we performed a MAJOR renovation to our
aging "turn of the century" grandstand. While keeping the traditional
roofline (and shelter from sun and rain) we installed new aluminum
bleachers. We also broke with tradition and moved the harness racing to
Wednesday Evening. For the first time in 117 years, horses raced under the
lights. This was so well received by participants and spectators alike we
have decided to keep this as an evening event.
2006 saw the return of the popular Mud Bog event,
with more than double the expected participants running through the muck.
The event will return in 2007.
In 2007, the City of Griggsville voted to abolish their prohibition
laws. For the first time in almost a century, the 2007 Fair will
feature controlled alcohol. Let's face the facts: for years the
consumption of alcohol has been a common feature of the evening activities,
often with uncontrolled and unpredictable results. With the Fair Board of
Directors now able to strictly control the consumption of alcohol, we feel
that the 2007 Fair will be a safer and better policed event.
The availability of alcohol also means that we can now bring back the
popular Friday Night Grandstand Bands. Another Chance will perform popular
music suitable for any age starting at 7:00, followed by the more adult
Antidote at 9:00
Don't miss the fair!
On behalf of the Staff and Sponsors, THANK YOU!
|
|