Prairie State Wire

Governor JB Pritzker announced record attendance at the 2023 Illinois State Fair, with over 700,000 attendees marking it as the most attended fair since industry standards were established. "Once again, the hard work of the Department of Agriculture and hundreds of dedicated fair staff have resulted in shattered attendance records, serving as a testament to the value of our increased Fairgrounds funding and the spirit of Illinois," stated Governor Pritzker. Attractions such as the new Multi-Purpose Arena and concerts drew significant crowds.

Jerry Costello II, IDOA Director, noted that weather played a role in attendance but emphasized the impact of new programming at the renovated Multi-Purpose Arena. "The 2023 Fair also greatly benefited from new promotions and big attractions aimed at bringing visitors to the fairgrounds mid-week to capitalize on discount admission days," he said.

The fair introduced theme and discount days like County Fairs and Horse Racing Day on August 10 and TWOsday on August 15, which saw an increase in attendance by more than 27,000 people. State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark highlighted efforts to enhance visitor experience: "Providing additional entertainment on Opening Day... are priorities that proved to be a driving factor in the growth we experienced at the 2023 Illinois State Fair."

High attendance was reflected in various metrics: Grandstand ticket sales were among the highest in five years; there was an 86% increase from 2021 ticket sales for events at MPA; carnival revenue reached $1.58 million due to strong Mega & Jumbo pass sales. The dry weather allowed for two popular auto races during the final weekend.

Governor Pritzker has committed over $80 million for infrastructure improvements at the fairgrounds. Upcoming projects include road construction along 8th Street and roof replacements on several buildings. Planning is underway for next year's fair scheduled from August 8-18.