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!