Illinois State Fair kicks off with food, music and dancing

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois State Fair opened to the public with great fanfare Thursday.

The annual event takes place at the fairgrounds in Springfield and features tons of food, exhibits, contests, music, and more.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other state officials came together to celebrate the opening of the 2023 fair Thursday morning.

They said the state fair is something everyone looks forward to every year.

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"So the state fair brings in many, many visitors to the economy to come see the fair but if you look at all the agriculture that is represented within the fair, the people that come to display their sheep, their cows, their pigs, they are all staying on our fairgrounds and the surrounding hotels," Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher said. "The state fair is a huge economic investment to our community."

The state fair runs through Aug. 20.