Illinois State Fair
The Illinois State Fair, operated under the Illinois Department of Agriculture since 1853, runs an 11-day annual exposition in Springfield, Illinois, serving Illinois residents and visitors with livestock shows, agricultural exhibitions, midway entertainment, and food concessions, plus year-round fairground venue rentals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1853
- HeadquartersSpringfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Illinois State Fair does
The Illinois State Fair is a government-operated annual exposition established in 1853 and administered under the Illinois Department of Agriculture. It runs an 11-day event in Springfield, Illinois, with the 2026 edition scheduled for August 8-18, featuring livestock competitions, agricultural exhibitions, carnival midway, entertainment programming, and food concessions. The organization operates with a lean 14-person staff led by Director Jerry Costello II and Manager Rebecca Clark.
The entity's revenue model is built around three streams: admission ticket sales during the annual fair, vendor and exhibitor fees from concessionaires and livestock entrants, and year-round facility rentals on the Springfield fairgrounds when not in use for the signature event. The only disclosed technology infrastructure consists of an official website and a mobile app used for ticketing, schedules, and visitor information, indicating minimal digital platform investment beyond consumer-facing ticketing.
As the officially designated state fair of Illinois, the entity holds a monopoly on its branding and event identity that no private competitor can replicate. Its competitive position is anchored in 170-plus years of brand heritage and state-level institutional support, but the operation remains narrowly scoped to one fixed-location event per year, with no disclosed expansion into adjacent markets, geographies, or product lines beyond off-season venue rentals.
Illinois State Fair firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Illinois State Fair
- Legal name
- Illinois State Fair
- Website
- https://illinoisstatefair.info
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1853
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Illinois State Fair, operated under the Illinois Department of Agriculture since 1853, runs an 11-day annual exposition in Springfield, Illinois, serving Illinois residents and visitors with livestock shows, agricultural exhibitions, midway entertainment, and food concessions, plus year-round fairground venue rentals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Illinois State Fair industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Fair & Event Services
- NAICS
- Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)
Keywords
Where Illinois State Fair is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Springfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Illinois State Fair business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Admission and Event Tickets: Revenue from selling general admission tickets, grandstand concert tickets, and MegaPass unlimited carnival ride passes during the annual fair event held each August.
- Vendor and Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from food vendors, retail vendors, and exhibitors who pay fees to operate at the annual fair. Includes special competitions like the Illinois Wine Experience, Craft Beer Competition, and Golden Abe's Fantastic Fair Food Contest.
- Year-Round Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting fairgrounds facilities and equipment to outside event organizers throughout the year when the fair is not in session. Includes the Emmerson Building and other fairgrounds venues.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Annual Fair Admission - General |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | MegaPass (Unlimited Carnival Rides) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Grandstand Concert Tickets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Year-Round Facility Rental Rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Illinois State Fair product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Illinois State Fair is an annual 11-day agricultural exposition and entertainment event held each August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL. It offers livestock and agriculture competitive events, a national-tour Grandstand concert series, a MegaPass unlimited carnival ride program, food and merchandise concessions, and year-round fairground facility rentals for external events and organizers.
Product overview
The Illinois State Fair is an annual 11-day state fair event held at the Springfield, Illinois fairgrounds, operating through a digital ecosystem comprising an official website and mobile app for ticketing and visitor services. The fair features multiple entertainment venues including the Grandstand (concert series), Arena (auto races and events), Free Entertainment Stages, and Harness Racing. Attractions include MegaPass Carnival rides, the Butter Cow display, Conservation World, Happy Hollow (family/kids area), and the Village of Cultures. The competitive events program includes livestock, horse, and general show competitions. Food and vendor marketplaces, the Illinois Wine Experience, and Craft Beer Competition are also featured. Year-round facilities rental enables private event hosting outside fair dates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Illinois State Fair An 11-day annual agricultural and entertainment exposition held each August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL, featuring livestock shows, agricultural competitions, a national concert series, carnival rides, food and merchandise vendors, and family entertainment for individual consumers and families across Illinois and the Midwest.
- Grandstand National Concert Series A ticketed concert series held on the Grandstand stage during the annual Illinois State Fair, featuring national-tour recording artists for fairgoers and individual ticket buyers.
- MegaPass Carnival Ride Wristband An unlimited-ride wristband product that grants fairgoers access to carnival rides on the midway during the annual Illinois State Fair, sold as a single all-inclusive pass for individuals and families.
- Livestock and Agriculture Competitive Events Program A competitive exhibition program spanning more than 14 competition classes for 4-H, FFA, livestock breeders, and agricultural producers, held during the annual Illinois State Fair with judging, premiums, and showcase opportunities.
- Fairgrounds Facility Rentals Year-round rental of indoor and outdoor spaces on the 366-acre Illinois State Fairgrounds to external event organizers, trade shows, motorsports promoters, and other groups requiring large-scale central-Illinois event space.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 160 competitive classes offered across livestock, horse, and general show categories
Companies that use Illinois State Fair
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Illinois State Fair technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Illinois State Fair partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Illinois Department of AgriculturecoreThe Illinois Department of Agriculture is the parent agency overseeing the Illinois State Fair. The fair operates under state government authority and is integrated with state agricultural programs and initiatives. The Department logo appears on the fair website footer, indicating a direct operational relationship.
- Duquoin State FairminorThe Duquoin State Fair is a related state fair event also under Illinois Department of Agriculture oversight, located in Duquoin, Illinois. Linked as a related site on the Illinois State Fair website, representing a sister state fair operation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Illinois State Fair competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Minnesota State Fair: One of the largest state fairs by attendance in the U.S., operated by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society with a comparable mix of livestock competitions, concerts, food vendors, and fairgrounds rentals in a single Midwestern metro.
- Ohio State Fair: State fair in Columbus operated by the Ohio Expositions Commission with a comparable livestock, concert, vendor, and facility rental business model in a neighboring Midwestern state.
- Wisconsin State Fair Park: State fairgrounds in West Allis operated by a state authority, running an 11-day fair plus extensive year-round racing, event rentals, and a major concert series — directly analogous operational and business-model peer.
- Texas State Fair: State fair in Dallas operated under a similar government-authorized mandate with multi-week annual run, livestock shows, concerts, vendors, and year-round fairgrounds rentals — directly comparable scale and business model to the Illinois State Fair.
- Duquoin State Fair: The Illinois sister state fair under the Illinois Department of Agriculture, located in Duquoin; same parent oversight, similar livestock and concert programming, and a linked "Related Sites" relationship on the Illinois State Fair site.
- Iowa State Fair: Midwestern state fair operated by the Iowa State Fair Authority with 11-day run, livestock programs, Grandstand entertainment, vendor fees, and similar Illinois Department of Agriculture-style oversight — a close operational peer.
- Indiana State Fair: State fair in Indianapolis operated by the Indiana State Fair Commission under state government oversight with a similar 11–17 day annual run, livestock programs, concert series, and year-round fairgrounds event rentals.
Broad incumbents
- Live Nation Entertainment: Large-scale live entertainment promoter and venue operator that books concert acts into fairground grandstands and competes for premium entertainment talent — an incumbent counterpart to the Grandstand concert programming stream.
- AEG Presents: Global live events and venue operator that produces concert tours at fair venues and competes for talent with state-fair grandstand lineups — broad incumbent in the entertainment programming layer that the Illinois State Fair depends on.
Emerging players
- North American Midway Entertainment: Largest mobile carnival midway operator in North America providing the MegaPass carnival rides and midway attractions at hundreds of fairs — a key ecosystem supplier and partial-business-model peer to the rides segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Illinois State Fair social profiles
Digital presenceIllinois State Fair financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Illinois State Fair leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Illinois State Fair funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Illinois State Fair M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Illinois State Fair
What does Illinois State Fair do?
The Illinois State Fair is an annual 11-day agricultural exposition and entertainment event held each August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL. It offers livestock and agriculture competitive events, a national-tour Grandstand concert series, a MegaPass unlimited carnival ride program, food and merchandise concessions, and year-round fairground facility rentals for external events and organizers.
Is Illinois State Fair a public or private company?
Illinois State Fair is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Illinois State Fair founded?
Illinois State Fair was founded in 1853. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Illinois State Fair based?
Illinois State Fair is headquartered in Springfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Illinois State Fair make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Admission and Event Tickets are the primary driver. The others are vendor and Exhibitor Fees and year-Round Facility Rentals.
Who are Illinois State Fair's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Minnesota State Fair, Ohio State Fair, Wisconsin State Fair Park, Texas State Fair, Duquoin State Fair, Iowa State Fair and Indiana State Fair. Broad incumbents are Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents. North American Midway Entertainment is listed as an emerging player.
Does Illinois State Fair have an API?
No public API is recorded for Illinois State Fair.
What industry is Illinois State Fair in?
Illinois State Fair's product category is Agricultural Fair & Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAAAH, Fairgrounds & Expo Parks, with a secondary code of MPAGAFAA, General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows. Its NAICS code is 713 and its SIC code is 7900.