DuPage County Fair ready to begin its five-day run

The opening of the DuPage County Fair was still a day away, but the fairgrounds in Wheaton already were bustling Tuesday as crews made last-minute preparations.

Dozens of workers were installing carnival rides. Vendors were stocking booths. And a variety of animals were arriving for today's start of the fair that runs through Sunday at 2015 W. Manchester Road.

Even the empty home economics, agricultural science and arts building was about to come alive with competitors setting up thousands of exhibits for everything from food and clothing to photographs and flowers.

"This is the everything-but building," said Holly Yeates, second vice president of the fair association board. "It's everything but animals."

When the gates open at 8 a.m. today, organizers say the five-day celebration will offer something for everyone.

Wilbert Hageman, fair association board president, says organizers believe the fair has a responsibility to feature more than livestock auctions, carnival rides and high-calorie food.

"We've got numerous festivals in DuPage County," he said. "The goal of this fair is to be educational."

Fellow fair board member Jim McGuire says the role of the fair is different than it was decades ago because most visitors no longer have a personal connection to farming,

"We are trying to educate people not only about the role that agriculture plays today," McGuire said, "but about the role it has played in the past."

Areas such as Ag-Ventureland will give fairgoers the opportunity to see cow-milking demonstrations and displays of historic farming implements, including antique tractors dating from the 1930s and '40s.

Representatives from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District once again will stock a 4,000-gallon tank with more than 60 fish from the Des Plaines River and two area lakes.

Don LaBrose, the forest preserve's fisheries biologist, said visitors last year were surprised to learn the fish weren't brought in from Wisconsin or Michigan.

"A lot of people could not believe those fish were found in lakes right here in DuPage County," he said.

On Tuesday, forest preserve workers were in the process of trying to catch largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike and a variety of other fish for the display. Smaller tanks will contain tadpoles, toads, frogs and turtles.

Even the fair's games and activities for children are designed to be both fun and educational.

"Kids need to know where their food comes from," fair board member Carey Peterson said. "They don't know."

Of course, some of us really like carnival rides and festival food - and the fair will have plenty of both.

Workers from Spectacular Midways were busy setting up about 30 rides on the northern end of the fairgrounds, including more than a dozen for kiddies.

Justin Benoit, a ride supervisor with the Palos Park-based company, said the fair has more rides than a traditional festival and the company brought three massive mobile generators to power it all.

Meanwhile, Adam McKinney and his family are back selling their hand-dipped corn dogs.

"We've been coming to this fair for years," the Texas-based food vendor said. "It's a good fair."

After a year of planning and days of setting up, McGuire said the payoff for himself and other volunteers is when visitors have a good experience.

"We take a lot of pride in what we do," McGuire said. "We are very proud of our fair. We want people to experience it, celebrate it and enjoy it."

If you go

What: DuPage County Fair

When: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. today through Sunday

Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton

Tickets: $10 for adults; $3 for children ages 3 to 12; free for children 2 and younger. Free for seniors 62 and older from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Friday

Info: (630) 668-6636 or dupagecountyfair.org

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