Classic rock trio ZZ Top and the highest-selling duo in the history of country music, Brooks and Dunn, will perform at the 2008 Illinois State Fair.

This year's fair theme "A Family Tradition" compliments the Grandstand line-up, which includes artists for family members of all ages, including Grammy Award-winning Huey Lewis and the News and Vanessa Hudgens, the star of the hit movie "High School Musical."

"Once again, the Illinois State Fair has attracted top notch entertainment for the entire family," Gov. Blagojevich said. "I encourage everyone to come out and experience all the great things the fair has to offer."

ZZ Top will bring the sounds of boogie and blues to the Grandstand, Friday, Aug. 15. In 2004, the trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their 1973 album, Tres Hombres, reached #8 on the charts and became the first in an unbroken string of eleven gold and platinum albums for Texas trio.

Toyota Tundra presents Brooks and Dunn the same evening (Aug. 15). The duo has sold more than 30 million records, had 23 #1 hits and won over 80 major industry awards.
Huey Lewis and the News has been one of the quintessential American rock bands for more than 25 years. The Grammy Award winning band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide and hit #1 on the Billboard charts four times. The group will take the stage Sunday, Aug. 10.

Weird Al Yankovic, the king of pop-music parodies, will perform Saturday, Aug. 9. Yankovic has won two Grammy's for his work, one for "Eat It," a parody of Michael Jackson's smash hit "Beat It," and another for his 2003 "Poodle Hat" album.

Hudgens, the 17-year-old star of Disney's "High School Musical," will perform songs from her debut solo album, V, a mix of pop, rock, electronic and R & B, Saturday, Aug. 16.

Baritone Trace Adkins will entertain Sunday, Aug. 17. Adkins, a Grand Ole Opry inductee in 2005, landed a surprise smash hit with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" from his album Songs About Me, which sold nearly two million copies. Adkins and opening act Trent Tomlinson will conclude this year's Grandstand concerts.

Besides musical entertainment, the Grandstand also will feature horse racing and motor sports. Harness racing is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 8 through Thursday, Aug. 14, with the exception of Sunday, Aug. 10.

The USAC Silver Crown cars and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series will race on the famous one-mile dirt oval at the fairgrounds Saturday, Aug. 16. On Sunday, Aug. 17, the ARCA Car Series will run the Allen Crowe Memorial.

New this year, go carts will race Saturday and Sunday night at twilight in the Multi-Purpose Arena. Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9 the Arena will host Moto X events.

The ZZ Top/Brooks and Dunn concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. All other concerts begin at 8 p.m. Grandstand reserved seats and track tickets will go on sale Saturday, May 10, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

Tickets can be purchased either on the internet at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-827-8927 or visiting any Ticketmaster outlet. Ticket order forms can be downloaded on the Illinois State Fair website at www.illinoisstatefair.info. The Grandstand ticket office will open Saturday, June 7, at 9 a.m.

All adults and children 3 years of age and older must have a ticket for both concerts and tractor pulls. All sales are final. The fair does not provide refunds or exchanges on ticket purchases.