From 4-H Club events to the carnival midway, there are several new attractions at this year’s Kane County Fair, which is being held daily through Sunday at the St. Charles fairgrounds.
“Those include an ice cream eating contest for 4-H kids we’ll be holding at 4 p.m. Saturday in lieu of our milking derby,” said Lydia Nickels, Kane County 4-H Youth Development Program coordinator.
Nickels, nearly a year into her job with the University of Illinois Extension in St. Charles, said this is her first time overseeing the 4-H programming at the fair. She comes from a family that works in agriculture in Kane and DeKalb counties.
“With my job here, I love working with the volunteers and a community that cares,” she said.
At the fair that means overseeing the livestock presentations and about 20 project areas.
“Those range from aerospace to woodworking,” Nickels said. “There’s a place for every project. If you can imagine and create it, there’s a category for you.”
Among the projects are categories for short, stop-action animation LEGO movies and “Passport to the World” presentations, which are deep dives into various cultures, she said.
All told, about 250 members from a dozen 4-H Clubs will be taking part in the fair this year, Nickels said. Collectively they will be displaying about 800 general projects and 700 or so livestock entries and taking part in other activities, including a family bags tournament Friday afternoon.
On the weekend, fair hours are noon to midnight Friday and Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Weekend admission rates are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for any child under the age of 3.
The general public is welcome to view 4-H projects and farm animals throughout the fair. Nickels recommended stopping by the sheep area late Friday afternoon and the horse and pony area about noon Saturday to see animals and their caretakers dressed in matching costumes.
“And the livestock auction will be at 1 p.m. Sunday. That’s always exciting,” she said.
As for new fair attractions, Kane County Fair spokeswoman Pat Szpekowski said the carnival midway will feature the Sky Rider, which spins people seated in swings 90 feet above the ground.
Making its fair debut will be Orquesta Iluziones, a 13-piece orchestra that plays salsa music. They’ll be performing from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday on the Miller Lite Sound Stage. Live music is free with paid admission.
“The Rhinestone Roper Show for kids is also free with fair admission.” Szpekowski said. “It alternates every hour with racing pigs and the Balster Kid Bucks game show.”
Other free-with-admission attractions include chainsaw carver Chad Kilpatrick and the JP Classic Car Show Saturday and Sunday.
Grandstand events, which cost extra to attend, include championship bull riding Friday and Saturday night and a demolition derby, with two showtimes Sunday afternoon.
The fairgrounds are at Randall Road and Oak Street, St. Charles. Parking is free.
For more information, call 630-584-6926, go to www.kanecountyfair.com or follow on Facebook.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
