Kane County Fair returning to Kane County Fairgrounds on Wednesday

After being cancelled last year because of the pandemic, the Kane County Fair will return to the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles starting Wednesday.

The 152nd edition of the Kane County Fair will take place from Wednesday through Sunday at the Kane County Fairgrounds, located at the intersection of Randall Road and Oak Street in St. Charles.

There is no gate admission on Wednesday. Only the carnival will be operating that day.

Kane County Fair Board President Larry Breon said cancelling last year’s Kane County Fair was a hard decision to make.

“It was one of those decision where the way things were going in the state, the country and the world, you had to make that decision,” Breon said. “It was just one of the things that had to happen.”

On June 11, Kane County and surrounding counties entered Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan. Illinois businesses, restaurants, bars, large-scale events, conventions, amusement parks, zoos and seated spectator events are able to operate at full capacity and larger outdoor festivals can be held at no patron capacity restrictions.

In addition, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask indoors and outdoors, which is in line with face mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Hopefully, we’ll have nice weather and I’m hoping that people will be ready to get out and do something,” Breon said in talking about the upcoming fair.

He missed greeting people attending the fair.

“You kind of miss the whole aspect of it,” Breon said.

Popular activities returning to the fair this year include racing pigs, a petting zoo, bull riding and a demolition derby. In addition, kids can participate in a number of activities in the Prairie Events Center building.

“Everybody seems to like the demolition derby,” he said.

New this year, Waterman-based 5B’s Catering Service will be serving such fare as barbecue chicken and pork chops at the fair.

“We had them many years ago,” Breon said. “We thought we would give people a chance for a different venue for food.”

Also new this year is a truck pull, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the grandstand area.

“We haven’t had that for a long time,” Breon said.

Those who attend the fair will also be able to see a chainsaw wood carver at work.

“We haven’t had that for a few years,” he said.

A classic car show will be held on Saturday and Sunday and a wide variety of music will be featured at the Kane County Fair. Free soundstage live acts include Hillbilly Rockstarz at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Rosie & The Rivets at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Hi Infidelity at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 7th Heaven at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

4-H clubs will also be showing off their projects at the fair. That includes animals.

“That’s the main thrust of the fair, to give the 4-H’ers a place to exhibit their projects that they do during the year,” Breon said.

The 4-H projects are his favorite part of the fair.

“I kind of grew up with that and that still intrigues me,” Breon said. “I think 4-H is a good organization for young people to belong to. They learn competition, they learn to get along with people and lots of other things that young people need to know. And it’s a real good environment.”

More information is available at the Kane County Fair’s website, kanecountyfair.com.