DuPage County Fairgrounds slowly returns to hosting large-crowd events indoors and out
After a long hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton is slowly but surely getting back to the business of holding entertainment events - including indoor pavilion shows.
This Sunday sees the return of The Great Midwestern Train Show on a mostly monthly basis. Then on Aug. 21, Zurko Midwest Promotions' popular Wheaton All-Night Flea Market returns for nocturnal bargain hunters.
"It's nice to get back to some of our more traditional shows and activities," said Jim McGuire, the CEO of the DuPage County Fair Association, which leases the site from DuPage County.
The fairground's tagline is "The Place Where Community Gathers." McGuire said this has also been the case for more than a year and a half throughout the pandemic, but largely not for fun reasons.
DuPage County designated the fairgrounds as its main hub for COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and early voting. The site's rare family event was adapted with safety in mind, such as last year's Dinosaur Adventure Drive-Through.
"The COVID-19 vaccination site left the fairgrounds back in mid-July," McGuire said. "So we started moving toward getting contracts and getting back to our regular programming."
To be on the safe side, the fairgrounds has initially booked mostly outdoor events. McGuire said there was a three-day Eid Fest last month that attracted an estimated 20,000 guests, plus a Catholic Charities' Back To School Fair that was adapted as a drive-through event on Wednesday.
And from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, the Aurora-based Illinois Tejano Organization brings in bands and DJs for its 18th annual TejanoFest to raise scholarship funds.
McGuire said the fairground association rigorously follows COVID-19 guidelines laid out by the Illinois Department of Public Health. He hopes recent spikes of the coronavirus delta variant around the country do not force another lockdown.
Show presenters and exhibitors also are apprehensive about the health landscape ahead. But they also see a push for people to gather again.
"There's absolutely lots of pent-up demand," Great American Train Show chairman Dave Swanson said. "We've already sold more advance tickets for this upcoming Wheaton show on Sunday than any of the shows we had in 2019."
Show promoter Bob Zurko also sees tremendous demand for the 2021 All-Night Flea Market.
"The Travel Channel designated it as one of the 'Best 10 Flea Markets in the United States,' so it's well-known," Zurko said. "We still want people to be safe, so we're encouraging masks and social distancing."
According to McGuire, the loss of both the 2020 and 2021 DuPage County Fairs has been tough. But he was pleased the fairgrounds was still able to hold a members-only 4-H event in July to designate DuPage County finalists to show their animals and projects at next week's Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
McGuire added that other DuPage County Fair activities such as its talent show and competitive art exhibits will be blended into a DuPage Community Arts Festival at the fairgrounds from Sept. 24 to 26.
"We're trying to keep and redistribute all the pieces and parts," McGuire said. "Next year we're hoping to come back bigger and better than ever."