Cronin suggests DuPage Fair's days could be numbered

If Republican state Sen. Dan Cronin is elected DuPage County Board chairman in November, the future of the county fair might be at stake.

Cronin suggests the fair could be moved away from the county complex in Wheaton, freeing valuable land for other, revenue-generating purposes.

"The fiscal issues will dictate policy in the next several years and I feel obligated that we have to look at every program and every asset," he said. "There really ought to be no sacred cows, no pun intended."

Cronin suggested discussion about the fair's future should be part of any talks regarding the sale of the 40-acre county fairgrounds in Wheaton.

"The fair is a wonderful event, but that's not to say it couldn't move to a forest preserve or other large venue somewhere in the county," he said. "The fairgrounds is a valuable piece of property and we should be looking at it as an asset that could be developed."

The fairgrounds used to be a much bigger parcel, but over the years the county has taken some of the property away as it expands the adjacent government complex. A federal courthouse has been the most-speculated potential development for the fairgrounds property.

"I like the idea of a courthouse there," Cronin said.

Cronin's Democratic opponent in the chairman's race, Carole Cheney, said moving or eliminating the fair is a distraction from real issues.

"The residents want to talk about jobs, not county fairs," she said. "I think jobs are the most important issue right now, not trying to dictate the fun out of DuPage."

Cronin isn't the first one to suggest the fair should move or be eliminated. As recently as 2007, current Chairman Bob Schillerstrom suggested moving the fairgrounds to a 108-acre parcel near DuPage Airport in West Chicago. In 2000, the county was in serious talks about moving the fair to the Danada Forest Preserve in southern Wheaton, but neighbors thwarted that proposal.

Fair advocates expressed concern about Cronin's suggestion.

"I'd be very disappointed if the fair was eliminated because a lot of volunteers put a lot of time and effort into making the fair something the county can celebrate," said Jim McGuire, president of the DuPage County Fair Association.

The fair association has a lease on the fairgrounds through 2020. McGuire said the fair hasn't been profitable in recent years, but he believes operational changes implemented recently will reverse that trend. The fair association generates most of its revenue from renting the fairgrounds throughout the year, McGuire said.

Cronin also said the focus of the fair might have to change along with its venue, but McGuire believes the county's agricultural heritage and educational outreach is a necessary component.

"It's not about rural life," McGuire said. "The fair is intended to be an agricultural fair to educate residents about the importance of agriculture in Illinois and the county."

DuPage Farm Bureau General Manager Mike Ashby agrees with McGuire. The farm bureau is a regular exhibitor at the fair and partners with the fair association regularly. The fair began in 1955 when much of the county was farmland. However, both men agree farming in DuPage County is all but extinct.

"Agriculture is still the biggest industry in the state and drives the economy," Ashby said. "One in five jobs in Illinois is related to agriculture in one way or another."

Cronin maintains the idea is worth exploring despite knowing the history of failed past attempts to relocate the fair. He said any decision won't be made unilaterally.

"We can accomplish a county fair without maintaining this expensive piece of property 365 days a year," he said. "You might need to redefine the scope of the fair."