A new year of events at the Bureau County Fairgrounds
Everyone on the Bureau County Fair Board would like to wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! The board members are already hard at work planning the 157th annual Bureau County Fair which will run Aug. 22 to 26, 2012. Mark your calendars now, so you don’t miss a minute of the excitement during fair week! We will announce our country show entertainer later this winter. Watch the fair website at www.bureaucountyfair.com for the announcements of upcoming fair events.
Please help us in wishing our 2011 Bureau County Fair Queen, Hannah Sheeley, best wishes as she competes for the title of Miss Illinois County Fair Queen on Jan. 21-22, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Convention Center during the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs Annual Convention. Hannah will be competing in several different competitions during the pageant including evening gown, swim suit and public speaking. If you would like to offer Hannah some words of encouragement and support please use the email form located on our Bureau County Fair website Contact Page.
The fair board members will be at the state convention in January to finalize the free entertainment acts for the fair, meet with the carnival and other vendors to get everything scheduled for the upcoming fair. They also attend round table discussions with other fairs to brainstorm ideas for planning and implementing events at the fairgrounds.
Upcoming events in January include the Special Olympics Winter Games on Saturday, Jan. 7. Come out and watch the athletes from all over the state compete in snowshoeing and cross country skiing (if there is snow).
The next event will be the Second Sunday Flea Market on Jan. 8. Spaces are still available if you would like to sell at the flea market. Call 815-303-2905. The Sauk Trail Gun Collectors show and sale will be Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29.
The Night at the Races fundraiser for the fair will be held on Sat., Feb. 25. Tickets will be on sale soon, with a limited number available. Raffle tickets are on sale now for the Bureau County Fair raffle fundraiser. Tickets are $10 each and only 500 are sold. There are monthly drawings from March through August with $250 in monthly prizes and a $550 grand prize in August. Call 815-303-2905 or 875-2905 to request tickets or see any board member.
Gift certificates for fair grandstand shows are available now. They can be cashed in for tickets for the grandstand shows when they go on sale in June. To order a gift certificate call Nancy at 815-875-2176.
Nancy Monier is now the executive secretary and fairgrounds event manager. To plan your event at the fairgrounds or to set up at the flea markets, you call her at 815-875-2176 or on the fair cell phone at 815-303-2905. Her email is monier52@hughes.net.
I would like to thank everyone who I have worked with through the past several years and through the many different events as the event manager and executive secretary. It has definitely been a learning experience for me, as I learned about many new things including circuses, campers, alpacas, pigeons and antiques.
The Bureau County Fairgrounds is a great place to visit, and there is something for the whole family to enjoy. It’s close to home, and the events there shouldn’t be missed. Be sure to check our web page or our Facebook page frequently for updates on new events.
Kathy Costerisan is a representative for the Bureau County Fairgrounds.
