The DuPage County Fair is back in action this weekend with all the staples from carnival rides to games to treats, plus some new attractions bringing fresh energy to the 185-year-old tradition.
The fair kicked off on Thursday at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, located at 2015 Manchester Rd. in Wheaton.
New vendors, activities highlight this year’s fair
This year, the fair has a new way to get around.
“We have a train. We call it the [Fairgrounds] Flyer,” said Bonnie Paganis, president of the DuPage County Fair Board. “It goes around the fairgrounds to four different stops.”
A new vendor at the fair is Ikonic Glass, where visitors can participate in a 20-minute glass-blowing class to make a pendant.
Future Farmers of America student showcase
Another highlight — a new showcase featuring Farmers of America, giving students a platform to share their passion for agriculture.
“The two schools that we invited out here were so excited to come and show their knowledge about how to grow your own food and why it’s important,” Paganis said.
Students from Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and the Gary Comer Youth Center are leading interactive demonstrations all weekend long.
“We have the internal anatomy of a cow, where we display [the cow], and we do an activity where we basically tell the kids to draw what they’ve seen and tell us about it, and they’ll take it home with them,” said Devin Zavala, a student at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. “Not many people know about what we do at our school, and many kids really like our activities that we have.”
“We have amazing honey that is from our farm,” said Aniyah Smith, Illinois Section 8 FFA treasurer and a member of the Gary Comer FFA chapter. “We also have mint that we put in the bags. Then we also have some plants and some FFA projects that we’re showcasing here, so we share some more light to our students.”
Fairgrounds construction changes layout
The layout of the fairgrounds has also changed due to construction on the new Highway Maintenance Garage.
“It’s affected the west part of our fairgrounds. So that’s kind of off limits for now. But other than that, we’re the same fair we’ve always been,” Paganis said.
Returning favorites
Despite the many changes, visitors can still enjoy fair favorites.
“There is so much to do in the four days that we’re here,” said Paganis. “Everybody always loves the rides, and they always like to walk through the animal barns and see the animals. Our home ec. department has competitions for both 4-H and for open class exhibitors of all ages.”
The fair continues 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free for children 5 and under and active military personnel.
“It’s all around just a great, great experience for the whole family,” Paganis said. “You won’t be bored at the DuPage County Fair.”
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