The Illinois State Fair is right around the corner. With it come questions about how the fair will be handled this year with a new manager, and given a slate of changes that have occurred in the past year. New Illinois State Fair manager Kevin Gordon sat down with Prairie Farmer recently, right in the stands of the junior livestock ring, for a chat about how plans are shaping up, what exhibitors will see, and how the fair is responding to both controversy and lack of state budget.

PF: What’s new and different this year from what we’ve seen in the past?

FROM THE BARN: Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon says the state fair will again focus on agriculture this year. “It’s always been an agricultural fair, and it’s been around for 160-plus years. We’re trying to educate the public about the number one industry in the state.”

Gordon: We’re definitely planning to stick with “Selection Saturday” and the Sale of Champions in the Coliseum, but we tweaked it a little bit. We’re starting at 5 p.m. and we’ll have no time constraints. We moved the society horse show up a day so we have that whole day on Saturday in the Coliseum. One of the issues last year was we had to make sure judging was done. They’ll have more time this year because we won’t start until 5 p.m. You’re not going to have the big bleachers sitting down on the floor, either. They made sightline on the floor really bad last year, and reduced airflow. We’re also talking about splitting into two different rings – east and the west – and within them we’ll have two rings, so we’ll be able to run the different breeds into the different rings. It should run a lot smoother this year.

IN THE BARN: Governor Rauner was frequently seen in the livestock barns last year. Gordon says, “He’s a huge, huge fan of the fair. We’ve already had a call with his office talking about the schedule. He was out here 10 out of 11 days. He likes to come out just for himself. Some days came out twice.”

We’re also kicking around an idea to limit the number of people on the floor during the Parade of Champions. Let’s say the kid that comes in with champion steer gets 4 passes that allow 4 of his individuals down on the floor. Hopefully, we’ll steer the rest of them up into the stands. Last year, had all the animals on the floor, all those people and it was 90-plus degrees down there. Hopefully we can clear it out, keep the population down on the floor and steer them up to the stands. I think it’ll work really well.

I think having those events in the Coliseum was a big hit last year for the agriculture community. It really focused the spotlight on them and I think they really, really enjoyed it. That’s what it’s all about. We moved the Ag Tent to the middle of the fair last year. Barn tours are back this year and will be bigger and better, too. And obviously, our Sale of Champions on Tuesday.

PF: You’re calling the Parade of Champions “Selection Saturday” – is that a new thing?

Gordon: You know, behind the scenes, we’re calling it Selection Saturday – the NCAA has Selection Sunday, so we pulled off of that. But it’s still officially known as the Parade of Champions in the program.

BIG WIN: Says Kevin Gordon of last year’s Parade of Champions in the Coliseum, “I think having those events in the Coliseum was a big hit last year for the agriculture community. It really focused the spotlight on them and I think they really, really enjoyed it. That’s what it’s all about.”

PF: Part of the idea last year in moving the Parade of Champions to the Coliseum was to draw in some non-farm fairgoers. Did it work? 

Gordon: Might have seen an influx of that last year. I think you’ll see more this year.

PF: How about the junior exhibitor picnic that was started last year?

Gordon: The junior exhibitor picnic will continue this year, again on the Wednesday before, after showmanship. Poe’s Catering has a big contract with us – been in place for long time – that gives them exclusive sales on the Director’s Lawn. There’s an in-kind amount built into their contract that we can use for whatever we’d like on the grounds. We use it for things like this. We allotted for 500 meals last year and used about that amount. Now that people know it’s free, we may have to double it this year!

PF: How about the governor? We saw him at the fair a lot last year, making his way through barns and talking with exhibitors. Will we see him this year, too?

Gordon: Absolutely. He’s a huge, huge fan of the fair. We’ve already had a call with his office talking about the schedule. He was out here 10 out of 11 days. He likes to come out just for himself. Some days came out twice.

Previous governors you may have seen them out here for an hour at the Sale of Champions – maybe the parade. The governor coming out as often as he does really brings a wow factor. He’s very personable and down to earth – people enjoy having him here. Keeps us on our toes, too.

PF: Talk to us about the admission price changes. It’s gone up this year?

Gordon: Last year, it was $7 for adults and $7 to park, $3 for kids and seniors. This year, the entire run of the fair, kids 0-12 are free. Adults are $10 and seniors are $3. Parking is $10 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $5 every other day. Preview day will be $5 for adults, $2 for seniors and $5 to park.

PF: Last year, the fair – and manager Patrick Buchen – became embroiled in controversy about fair attendance and how it was calculated. How are you planning to calculate attendance this year?

Gordon: We’re going to a very scientific method here. Years ago, the midway used to weigh tickets and the carnival paid us based on weight of tickets. We will weigh tickets at our gate this year. It’s gonna be interesting. Still have a couple factors in there – Senior Day and Veterans Day, when they get in free, and kids get in free every day. We’re hoping our parking vendors will throw in dummy tickets for them. This is an original idea – other state fairs have not tried this.

PF: Could you comment on last year’s method?

Gordon: The previous fair manager, because he worked in the trade show field, had his own way - or an industry way - of calculating attendance. I really don’t know. I don’t think there’s any way numbers were what they were last year. This is how we’re doing it moving forward.

PF: With no state budget in place and none in sight, people are asking why we have a state fair – even though it’s part of state statute. Will the budget climate affect the mood of the fair?

Gordon: Possibly. The state fair has been a huge tradition for 160-plus years. We have two of them. Something people don’t hear a lot about is that the state fair has a $84-86 million impact on the surrounding area. Hotels, restaurants, gas stations - the fair is a huge part of their money.

No contractor has called me and said they’re not coming back. Some are apprehensive but they are coming back. Our hands are tied on this end. We can tell them, you will get paid eventually. Until the legislature passes a budget with meaningful reform, we’re all in the same boat. And 95% of our vendors come back every year.

Last year, a lot of our vendors who didn’t receive money could go through VSI program. If their bill is more than 90 days old, they can take 90% immediately and the last 10% when the budget is settled - no interest though. A lot of people have taken us up on that. Interest is only 1% per month, compounded, so a judge who was to get $250, that’s 2.5 cents a month. He was very happy to go through VSI.

PF: Another question we’re hearing is that given the budget situation, do we need two state fairs?

Gordon: I think there needs to be two state fairs. Plus, we would have to change state statute to combine fairs. Economy down there has taken a huge hit. It’s very important to southern Illinois to have that fair. Saw statistic that in 2015, the average household income in that area was $31,000 a year. The DuQuoin State Fair employs a lot of individuals. It’s important to DuQuoin, reaches Carbondale and Marion and the surrounding area. We’re doing a study after this year’s fair on economic impact.

PF: We understand that last year, and in years past, some 2,500 free tickets were issued for political rallies, for both parties. Yet junior exhibitors pay for every parking pass, admission fee and more. Can you explain what’s going on there?

Gordon: For every single event on the Director’s Lawn, they pay to get on the lawn and they’ve always paid for parking. So let’s say you want an event on lawn. You have 250 people in your party; you’re required to purchase 250 meals. In return, we print passes, they give the pass at the gate, they pay for parking, they use bottom of the invite to get on lawn. We make a good chunk of money off the events on the lawn. It’s really not free. We’re enticing people to the fair, to get on the event at the lawn. Once their party’s over, they’re on the grounds. Now they’re going to our concerts, hitting up vendors, buying beer and doing other things. It’s not free, per say.

PF: With so much upheaval a few months ago surrounding then-state fair manager Patrick Buchen, would you like to respond to that situation?

Gordon: Patrick is very, very knowledgeable about agriculture. I learned a lot from him. He was very, very passionate about the fair. The rest of the stuff that happened, honestly, I wasn’t part of that. I had no idea what happened behind the scenes. Not my business. We go on. 

PF: Tell us about your background?

Gordon: I grew up in Morris, Ill, which is at the intersection of 47 and 80. Back then, there were 8,000 people and it was a farm town. You made summer money walking beans and bucking bales - fist fighting in the barn to see who could be on the rack, because it was 130 degrees in the barn! I went to Joliet Junior College, then Eastern Illinois University, and I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates my senior year. I played 5 years of pro ball, about 135 years ago. I met my wife at Eastern, and she was from Springfield. I worked for the state and have been married for 28 years. Sixteen were here at the Department of Ag, where I’ve worked as operations manager and assistant manager. And then I had this wonderful opportunity to manage the state fair. I get out of bed every day and feel blessed to have this opportunity, this position here.

A long time ago, Governor Edgar said it best: you can plan and plan and plan, but 85% of fair is weather. The other 15% is planning. I tell you what, there’s a lot of truth to that.

PF: It’s like farming.

Gordon: Exactly.