Illinois State Fair organizers said the 2022 event drew a record number of visitors. Over 636,700 came to the fair, the highest attendance since industry calculation was put into effect.
Weekend attendance during the fair saw an increase of nearly 95,000 people over 2021. Grandstand revenue also set a record, despite ticket sales lagging recent years.
Officials also said the fair brought in an estimated $6.4 million in estimated revenue, just short of the 2019 record of $6.5 million. But they also point out percentage-based vendors have yet to begin their payment. Also, two Illinois State Fair events generally held during the fair's run, the Illinois State Fair Rodeo and the Bettenhausen 100, will be held at later dates in 2022, adding to the overall revenue numbers.
“Once again, the Illinois State Fair was a resounding success,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the leadership of Director Costello and Fair Manager Clark, thousands of Illinoisans and people throughout the nation descended upon Springfield for eleven days of exciting exhibits, delicious food, and community fun—all while honoring our state’s legacy of strong agricultural traditions. To every attendee: thank you for making the Illinois State Fair a part of your summer. Until next year!”
A grandstand revenue record was set in 2022, with over $2.3 million coming in for the nine shows. 2022 eclipses the previous record of over $2.2 million set in 2019. Overall, tickets sold this year for the Illinois Lottery Grandstand came in fourth out of the last five years with 48,104.
“We were blessed with 11 days of great weather, which meant large crowds and even larger smiles for our fairgoers,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “While it is great to have these amazing numbers, it was even better seeing so many people enjoying the Illinois State Fair. We now get back to work planning for 2023 and we hope to see you all back again.”
The 2023 Illinois State Fair is set to run August 11-21.
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
Total
2022
42,208
59,717
79,298
80,331
49,082
47,555
43,585
43,908
75,182
54,691
61,143
636,700
2021
21,015
49,940
63,604
61,756
38,708
32,746
34,190
30,178
51,390
45,161
43,700
472,388
2019
35,961
39,053
59,040
59,925
44,044
36,818
37,897
37,732
51,641
51,515
55,274
508,900
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