SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A week-and-a-half of carnival rides, fair food, livestock, and more is now underway in the state’s capital.
Thursday marked the first day of the 2026 Illinois State Fair. A ribbon cutting ceremony that featured Governor J.B. Pritzker and other state dignitaries took place to mark the start of the fair.
This year’s theme for the state fair is “Miles of Smiles,” which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road.
“It celebrates a century of Route 66, a road started in the state of Illinois, and has helped shape America,” said Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello.
Costello noted that the Illinois State Fairgrounds is the only fairground in the country that sits on where Route 66 weaved its way through America.
Costello noted some of the improvements this year, which were mostly visual. He says buildings have new roofs, fresh paint, and lighting, as well as new roads and fans all over the fairgrounds.
The fairgrounds also have new tactile maps this year to assist those who are visually-impaired. And Special Olympics athletes will partner with FFA and 4-H exhibitors to show livestock for the first time.
