DuPage County Fair kicks off with some new additions

If visitors at the DuPage County Fair this week are looking for something they've never seen at the fairgrounds before, they've got plenty to choose from.

The fair opened Wednesday, and fair manager Ellen Sietmann said among a bounty of new attractions, several vendors are new this year as well. She said at least five food vendors and some 10 to 20 commercial vendors are first-timers to the annual five-day event.

"The economy had a lot to do with it," she said. "People that would normally travel long distances don't want to now because of the gas costs."

Camel rides, circus acts, diving dogs and a DuPage County Forest Preserve fish tank are some of the more noticeable new features.

The 4,000-gallon fish tank featuring some 60 fish from two DuPage lakes and the West Branch of the DuPage River was a big hit on opening day, attracting throngs from each wave of visitors entering the fairgrounds.

"There are 11 species in there, which is a pretty good representation of what we manage and stock," said Don LaBrose, the forest preserve district's fisheries biologist. "When the fair's over we'll release them all back into the river system."

Fair management leased the tank for the forest preserve to provide educational programs as well as fishing demonstrations every hour between noon and 5 p.m.

Kids have been able to ride ponies at the fair for as long as the fair has been around, but when 9-year-old Francesca Payne had the choice between ponies and a camel, she went with the exotic.

"I've never seen a real camel before and I like to ride horses, so I thought it would be fun to ride a camel too," the Lombard girl said.

Matt Schoebel brought his camel, Herbie, and several ponies down from Wisconsin where he operates Animal Entertainments. He joked about entering Herbie in one of the cattle judging contests, but admitted it probably wouldn't go over well.

"The cattle and other animals don't seem to appreciate him as much as maybe they should," he said. "They're not really scared of him, just kind of standoffish."

Around the corner from the carnival were blindfolded acrobats practicing in their "skywheel" while listening to the sounds of splashing dogs leaping into a nearby pool. The circus has regular shows throughout the event. The dog-leaping competitions also hold regular events.

"We wanted to put an emphasis on free entertainment this year," said one of the fair directors, Jim McGuire. "We wanted to enhance the family experience."

Homer Glen woodcarver Scott Cochrane has been displaying his creations at the fair for years, but even he was trying something new this year. He created a mammoth bucking bull sculpture out of an American Elm that he called "Pocket Rocket."

"It's the first time I've ever made one," he said. "I saw this piece of wood and thought I could make a bull out of this. You start by cutting away everything that doesn't look like a bull and theoretically when you're done cutting, you've made a bull."

He named his creation after the small, but speedy chain saw he used to cut away the pieces that didn't look like a bull to him.

And while fair regulars appreciate the new stuff, they still have a fondness for traditional features.

"It's nice that there is some new stuff," said Wheaton resident Dave Brinkman, "but in a way, it's good to have some of the same things every year."