Food, fun and facts as DuPage County Fair opens

If you think suburban residents are more comfortable in the malls than on the farm, you might have a revelation this week.

The gates barely had opened Wednesday at the DuPage County Fair in Wheaton and scores of visitors already were scurrying about to celebrate an event that prides itself on its agricultural roots.

With almost 20 4-H competitions in categories involving goats, swine and dairy, it's hard to forget animals are at the heart of the annual celebration.

Then again, the fair also has grown in the past half-century to become so much more, incorporating carnival rides, fest food, craft vendors and concerts, such as tonight's show featuring Bob Marley's famed reggae band, The Wailers.

Organizers of the fair, which runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds at 2015 W. Manchester Road, say the goal is to incorporate as many elements as possible.

With so many options, fair organizer Jim McGuire said, visitors can seek out what appeals to them - and might even learn a thing or two along the way.

Lesson 1: Bring your appetite

There is absolutely no shortage of food on the fairgrounds. Of course there are snow cones, corn dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes and unusual soda like sarsaparilla. Hungry yet?

Even the Knights of Columbus has set up shop with its own cafe, offering menu items that include deep-fried turkey dinners.

Dieters will be hard-pressed to stick to their calorie count. And for couples like Beverly and Jerry Schimpf of Hanover Park, that's part of the fun.

"You always have to eat a hot dog at a fest, right?" said Beverly.

Lesson 2: Embrace the barn

Anyone unfamiliar with the sounds - and smells - of livestock might be intimidated by the 4-H exhibits.

But don't hurry by. Instead, brush up on fun facts posted outside each barn. (Did you know chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs, while chickens with red earlobes lay brown ones?)

Better yet, flag down animal owners like Brice Hintzsche of Lindenwood and Tyler Ott of Big Rock. The 15-year-olds, who each raise prize-winning pigs, will tell you everything you didn't learn reading "Charlotte's Web": how swine are judged, how they care for them, and why they stick with it despite ribbing from their classmates.

"I don't care what people think," said Hintzsche. "This responsibility keeps kids out of trouble."

The teens also say the DuPage fair is lucrative, with prizes totaling up to about $500 if their swine earn several titles. But Hintzsche said he's never tempted to blow the small fortune.

"It all goes back into raising the pigs," he said.

Lesson 3: Take a cue from the campers

When the fair opened Wednesday, the carnival and vendor areas proved to be the hot spots - especially for camp groups.

As children from area YMCAs and at least seven other organizations tested bubble blowers, played games such as Fool the Guesser or braced themselves for a ride on the Tilt-a-Whirl, watchful counselors worked to keep them in order.

More than 200 children from Hepzibah Day Care Centers traveled from Oak Park for their annual fair trip, which counselor Erik Publ said they love.

As his campers spent their energy scurrying through fun houses, Publ said it was good to prepare them for the long ride home.

"Spend their energy and sleep on the bus: that's the plan," he said.