April 25, 2024

Boone County Fair celebrates 60 years at Route 76 location

Featured at the Boone County Fair on Aug. 12 will be popular country music singer and songwriter Tracy Byrd with special guests Feudin’ Hillbillys taking the Grandstand stage at 6:45 p.m.

Boone County Fair

Aug. 8-13

8847 Illinois Route 76

Belvidere, Illinois

BELVIDERE, Ill. — It all started in March 1963 when the Boone County Pomona Grange members decided to keep the Boone County Fair alive and purchased 80 acres of bare farmland on Route 76 one mile north of Belvidere.

This leap of faith by area Grange members 60 years ago kept the Boone County Fair going and growing.

Sixty years later, it has expanded to 183 acres with many buildings, barns, stages, a 2,000-seat grandstand, paved roadways, modern restrooms, dining hall, permanent food stands, gazebos, half-mile dirt track, extensive lighting and sound, 200 permanent benches along with a year-round administration building and grounds maintenance shop — a great venue for a wide variety of activities mid-April to Nov. 1, including the biggest event of them all, the Boone County Fair, voted the No. 1 festival/fair in the Rock River Valley for 2021 and 2022 in the “What Rocks” Community Choice Awards.

The Boone County Fair is the largest county fair in the state of Illinois, averaging 213,000 fairgoers attending each of the last five fairs. And 2023 should be no exception with six big days of fun Aug. 8-13.

This year’s grandstand shows feature country music artist Tracy Byrd on Saturday evening. Opening for him will be Feudin’ Hillbillys, a band from Champaign.

There will be gas and diesel pickup truck pulls along with super stock garden tractor pulls Wednesday evening, tractor and truck pulls all day Thursday, professional bull riding Friday evening, and two demo derbies on Sunday. It all kicks off Tuesday with the annual Miss Boone County Fair Queen and Little Miss Pageant at the Grandstand.

The fair features some of the best livestock shows in the state for draft horses, ponies, goats, beef and dairy cattle, sheep, rabbits, poultry and swine.

Three large commercial buildings will feature home ec, ag and art exhibits, as well as vendors. Spread throughout the grounds will be a wide variety of delicious fair food. Skinner’s Midway and Carnival features a new, expanded kiddie ride section. Free entertainment and attractions will be featured throughout the grounds daily, including the large Free Entertainment Pavilion, a restored one-room schoolhouse, huge antique tractor display, the Grange Hall and Museum and the 4-H Wee Farm Petting Zoo.

Free shows include the Pork Chop Revue, the Rhinestone Roper, the Cincinnati Circus Aerial Acrobatics, Mr. D’s House of Magic and Illusion, chainsaw wood carving, a glass blower, alpaca exhibit and Magic Mike along with a stilt walker roaming the grounds daily.

For ticket prices, fair schedule and information on entering in either the livestock or non-livestock competitions, go to www.boonecountyfair.com.