New dates, better carnival for Henry County Fair

CAMBRIDGE, Ill. — For the 2022 Henry County Fair, it’s a numbers game — and some of those numbers have changed.

The biggest numbers that fairgoers need to know about are the dates. This year’s Henry County Fair starts on June 15 and ends on June 19, Father’s Day.

The change, explained Fair Board President Todd Verheecke, was to return the midway to the high standards that the fair board expected, but felt was lacking.

“In the past three to four years, our carnival had not been what we would like it to be, as far as the number and quality of rides. We talked to different carnivals and we were able to get Swyear Amusements, which we had at the fair about 10 years ago,” Verheecke said.

The only catch was that the chosen carnival couldn’t make the fair’s traditional dates work.

“They said they would come, but it would have to be a week earlier than the fair usually is. There was a lot of discussion and checking with other activities, especially the livestock show people,” Verheecke said.

The new dates overlap with the Illinois FFA State Convention and some of the young people who will be attending that convention are planning to show livestock at the fair.

But the fair board tried to reschedule the livestock shows that would conflict with the convention.

“We did a lot of planning so the people who are planning to go to the FFA state convention can still come and show at our fair,” Verheecke said.

Other numbers that fairgoers need to know as they save the dates for the 2022 Henry County Fair:

• 5 — The fair board decided to make the fair a five-day fair instead of the former six days.

• 163 — The fair will be marking 163 years in 2022.

• 2021 — The year that “Just the Way,” the single by Henry County Fair country concert headliner Parmalee, in collaboration with Blanco Brown, star of “The Git Up,” topped the charts. Parmalee will perform in concert on June 17 with The NATU Band, from Bloomington, as the opening act.

• 4 — Wednesday is the fourth day of the week and the new day for the Henry County Fair queen pageant, which had been conducted on Tuesday night.

• 17 — June 17 is Father’s Day and Family Day at the fair. The grandstand event is harness racing and the fair also features a talent show, a chainsaw wood sculptor, along with other kid- and family-friendly activities.

• 6:30 — The Henry County Fair Demo Derby will start at 6:30 p.m. on June 18. The event does require a separate ticket, available on the fairgrounds the day of the event.

Concert ticket information and more events, including times and additional ticketing information, can be found at www.henrycountyfairillinois.com or by calling the fair office at 309-937-3391.