Kane County Fair celebrates 156 years of summer fun

Wow! The Kane County Fair in St. Charles is celebrating its 156th year in 2025. The longevity and legacy of the Kane County Fair spans decades of honoring the agricultural community and providing good old fashioned family fun for everyone to enjoy. Just think, that when the Kane County Fair was formed in 1868, General Ulysses S. Grant was elected as President of the United States.

Its lasting tradition has woven throughout Kane County from Aurora to Wing Park in Elgin to St. Charles, where the present Kane County Fairgrounds settled on Randall Road in 1955.

The Kane County Fair will be held this year on July 16-20. The first day begins with a carnival only. The carnival with unlimited ride specials is brought by the family-owned Fantasy Amusements. It continues the next four days along with 4-H animal exhibitions; lots of kids events; fabulous fair food; live music entertainment; and thrilling grandstand events.

County fairs throughout the United States and our own State of Illinois have been the conduit to spread the good news about our local farms, show off their animals and livestock, and the generations of families who work unceasingly to take care of the animals or work the land from sunrise to sunset.

The Kane County Fair is brought to the community by the Kane County Fair board of directors, who each have their own stories of involvement with 4-H throughout their lifetime. Larry Breon, board chair, can’t remember a time when he wasn’t involved with 4–H and the Kane County Fair.

“My father Cliff was a farmer and 4-H was an important part of our life as a family,” says Larry says. “It was exciting when the Kane County Fair took place each year. I was just a kid when we placed the first flagpole right here in the fairgrounds.”

This year’s Kane County Fair includes many of the fairgoer’s favorite events including the Swifty Swine Racing Pigs, Balster Kidbuck$ Game Show, and the Friendly Farms Petting Zoo.

The whole family looks forward to these fun activities each year. The weekend also includes the JP Classic Car Show. See the line-up of beautiful vintage cars owned by car enthusiasts.

The grandstand thrills, including the Professional Championship Bullriders and Cowgirls on Friday night and two shows on Saturday; as well as the smash-em, bash-em Demolition Derby with two shows on Sunday, are a huge hit with everyone. Who can deny the minute-by-minute action of both of these wild events where bull riders hang on real tight to ride the bull and flip in the air, or watch the demo derby cars bang into each other with rising smoke not far behind?

Live music on the Miller Lite Soundstage keeps toes tapping and hands clapping, not to mention that many get up and dance the night away by the stage, too. This year’s musical line-up includes Eric Chesser; Tripping Billies; Mark Atkins; Hillbilly Rockstarz; and How Rude.

Find out more about this year’s Kane County Fair by visiting www.kanecountyfair.com.