It's A Great State Fair -- Just like the musical

The Illinois State Fair
August 16th, 2008


The carnival used to be down in Happy Hollow. They still call this 'Happy Hollow' but 'tis not in a hollow as can be plainly seen. But we don't do rides.

But a lot of folks do.


We do the Dairy Building,

Where we found the butter cow. This year the cow expanded to a pastoral scene with tree, log calf, and skunks. The lady who make these travels around the land creating these for over forty years.

We also 'found' a delicious cream horn. It was wonderfully flaky French pastry stuffed with rich, buttery, ice cold whipped cream. It was outstanding!


These are called the '25 barns'. They are lettered from A to Q, are all brick with concrete floors except in the two strips of stall area in each.

When I was sixteen I got a job at the fair for the summer. I was on a crew of laborers who worked twelve hour days preparing these and other buildings by sweeping the floors day after day using floor compound until we brought up a shine on the concrete. Some of the buildings had over 3 acres under roof. An acre is 46,560 square feet. That is a lot of sweeping.



Here sits Sally on a huge bale of hay. I'm glad I never bucked bales this size.


Here's 'Turkey in the Straw' in picture rather than song.


This horse was perpendicular to the aisle. The little girl grabbed a lead and swung it gently round and round just brushing his flank and he kept moving over. When she stopped he started to step back into the aisle and she just leaned against his flank until folks passed. He didn't have a clue he could knock her out of his way. And she had no trepidation at all.


This is an Ayrshire cow. I always liked their markings. It's as if the dye bleed on the cloth a bit. You can see the 'shadow' around all their markings.


These were pretty heifers. I like the soft blending of their colors.


LINE UP -- I bet the farmer recognizes each one.


This little girl is ready to enter the show ring. Another child who is growing up around stock and is completely comfortable controlling an animal many times her size. Good for self-confidence.


This is a picture of two things. 'Happy Hollow' today which holds a handful of hokey shows like a 'gator rassler' and a petting zoo, and a small menagerie. And the exhibition hall on the hill. the original hall burned many years ago and was rebuilt. This is one of those three acre buildings with a mezzanine. I think the architecture of the buildings on the fairgrounds is really remarkable.

We rode the sky trams from one corner up to the grandstand and back. This is the crowd at the high dive show. It was a big draw. As we rode over I could not for the life of me see the folks talking, singing or diving. Must have needed to get the 'special glasses' to make them visible.

This is the Fire Museum now. In my day it was the public safety center. The fire and first aid station were here and the windows under the canopy were manned by state police who would take complaints and give directions. The action there was always impressive to me with the police coming and going.

'Tex' found him some shade to stand in. It just seemed like a good image to me. Notice the sign in front of him, "No golf carts beyond this point". Also notice the golf cart just past it to the right.

These signs are all over the fairgrounds but so are the golf carts. I don't understand.

This is down the street in front of the Coliseum on the left and the row of '25 barns' on the right.

The Coliseum is used for horse shows.

As you can see the grand stand is practically empty. The sprint cars were done racing and they were setting up for the stage show. They have top name acts through-out the fair.

This is looking back to the East, carnival on the left and Food-O-Rama on the right. We do food rather than the rides.

These are $3 farm trains. You can pay your $3 and ride them around the grounds all day.

This is looking South to the Main Gate. It is just by the brick building in the distant right top corner. The Ethnic Village is to the left and the Exhibition Hall is the brick building on the right.

A two tractor parade at Farmarama Lane. Look at the gray tractor closely. He is driving one handed and talking on a cell phone. Wonder what that sounds like on the other end?