From Livestock to Lemonade

Every summer in our area we have a county fair. It’s an eclectic combination of activities and food at a very unusual venue. The thought of planning this five day event makes me sweat. Not because of the amount of work, the number of contracts involved, the liability, or the sheer number of people in attendance. It’s the fact that I would literally be sweating for two weeks straight: at least the five days of the event, what I suspect is five days of setup, and probably 2-3 days of tear down. I am of the age where I generate my own heat from the inside out. Give me an ice cold convention center any day. The fairgrounds where the fair is held is an odd compilation of outdoor spaces, roof-only spaces, might-as-well-be-outside indoor spaces, cavernous echoing spaces, and trailers. And, the fair is held in July in Illinois, just when summer hits its stride.

Heat aside, the five day event itself has daily ongoing activities as well as several scheduled sub-events. Things like inflatables, carnival rides, funnel cakes, food trucks, a petting zoo, and beer tents are available all the time. You can also visit cows, sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, horses, rabbits, and chickens at your leisure. And, as if this wasn’t enough fun, there is a recurring magic show and pig races all day long throughout the week.

Some of the scheduled events include things like bull riding and cowgirls, barrel racing, and demolition derbies in the outdoor arena and grandstands. Every night there are performances on the main stage, and on the last two days you can stroll through the car show and participate in a livestock auction in case you were looking to bring home a cow as a momento.¹

Just thinking about the basic logistics, you’d need lots of parking for not only guests, but all of the animal trailers, carnival ride semis, feed storage, and general fair equipment. Porta potties, handwashing stations, trash cans (and larger dumpsters to empty these into), picnic tables, and tents are all things that would need to be rented if they’re not already stored somewhere. Electrical hookups to keep cold things cold and hot things hot as well as run generators and light trees are a must. Ticket booths, wristbands, credit card machines, cash boxes, fencing, signage, and lots and lots of people whether they’re paid or volunteer are essential to make the event run smoothly.

Then you have to think about the more important aspects of an event of this nature such as safety and security, medical standby, veterinarian standby, liability waivers, contracts, and traffic enforcement to let groups of cars off and on the main road from the fairgrounds. Animal feeding and pen cleaning schedules, maintenance of restrooms, porta potties, food outlets, eating areas, and beer garden all need to be considered. Safety inspections for the demolition derby, bull riding, grandstands, staging and rigging will need to be performed-most likely by a fire marshal or safety officer, and AV and lighting for musical performances, talent trailers, emcees, and backline gear need to be confirmed.

Certainly there is marketing and advertising, website maintenance, vendor screening and selection, and talent scouting happening well in advance of the event. Travel and lodging accommodations for outside guests may need to be reserved. And, the county fair is where 4-H Club projects are submitted and judged. Several students are entering animal projects they have been working on for months for exhibition and competition. There is a manual outlining in great detail what they can and can’t do, wear, or enter, as well as livestock care and health requirements they have to adhere to. This is a really big moment in the lives of these students as there are several types of trophies, awards, and ribbons they are competing for this week.² There is most likely space for these items to be on display, an area for judges to either wait or to use for deliberation, and possibly a hospitality room for those who have entered the 4-H competition.

The fair in general is not my personal cup of tea, however, it is estimated that between 60,000-78,000 people over the years have attended the Kane County Fair each year over the five day event. That’s a lot of guests to host no matter what type of event you’re having. I can only imagine the size of the planning team as well as how large the team becomes during the event itself. Then, multiply that out for a larger county or even for a state fair. Kudos to you, fair planners! If I were tapped to assist with county fair planning, I would definitely be calling someone who’s done it before for some much-needed guidance.

The Kane County Fair in particular, the one near my home, celebrated 156 years in 2025. It began in 1868 and settled at it’s current location in 1955. This is a family-friendly event which many people look forward to it every year because it’s a low-cost event, and with a few exceptions, once you’re inside, everything except food is included in your ticket price.³

After doing some research, I have a newfound appreciation for what goes into planning a county fair. How about you?

Have you worked on a county fair in any capacity? What is one takeaway you can share with us? Add it as a comment below or send me an email!

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1.Kane County Fair, Fair Information. 2025. https://www.kanecountyfair.com/Fair-Information
2.Kane County Fair, 4-H Information. 2025. https://www.kanecountyfair.com/4H-Information.
3.Shaw Local. Kane County Fair Celebrates 156 Years of Summer Fun. June 30, 2025. https://www.shawlocal.com/kc-magazine/art-and-entertainment/2025/06/30/kane-county-fair-celebrates-156-years-of-summer-fun/