Jutta and the Highdukes will perform on the Village of Cultures stage during the Illinois State Fair.
That's right, friends and fellow fair folks, it's fair season again in Springfield. The Illinois State Fair is upon us, transforming our fair town into “The City of Fairs” almost overnight. Fair or not, this is our party, and I can think of few other events that impact our community as much as ISF. No matter how you look at it, things are going to change as long as the “fair influence” lasts, and of course live music is a big part of that. So let's take a look at what's happening on the grounds and even outside the gates. Well, why not?
Rumor has it that there has been a good response to this year's Grandstand show, as if someone got the memo to book some artists who are big names but will appeal to a diverse audience. The Grandstand lineup is always headline news and gets all the hype, but personally I love the variety and smaller performances that take place within the venue.
Well, I love the performances at the Village of Cultures (formerly known as the Ethnic Village), including the Waterloo German Band, the Zydeco Voodoo Band, the Terran's Greek Band, and the St. Andrews Dancers. Plus, with trees for shade and benches to sit on, as well as a few food booths and beer options, it's hard to complain.
Illinois Wine Experience, housed in the Artisans Building, is properly air-conditioned (and has real toilets) and hosts mostly singer-songwriter-type acts (yes, that includes me) on the weekends.
Pop-up stages include the Apex Stage near the grandstand, which primarily features up-and-coming artists, the Grand Central Stage at the south end of Reisch Pavilion (formerly Food-a-Rama), which features well-known artists (such as The Steel Woods, Marshall Tucker Band, Gin Blossoms, Kylie Morgan) in the evenings and local musicians and other artists the rest of the day, and the Lincoln Stage which hosts ongoing entertainment with a mix of music and more.
Ah, what would the fair be without the beer tents and the bands that play there? In 2024, beer backers will be down to just three companies: Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Bud Light, and most of the music will be produced by groups from the Springfield area. As you can imagine, this is a huge boon for local musicians. Not only do they get a chance to play on a bigger stage than most of the usual venues offer, it's also a chance to play to a bigger audience and make a little extra money while making music. If you can't find live music at the Illinois State Fair, that's your problem, and honestly, they probably will find you.
With the whole city in the midst of fair-related events, your go-to watering hole with live music will be busier than usual, depending on what's going on at the fair and when, especially those on the north end closer to the fair grounds. Other venues hold special events to coincide with the fair, like the Curve Inn, which hosts its annual Southside Fair, where popular local cover bands and other surprise groups take to the stage each night. Fair-style food and drinks are available for purchase, along with the ubiquitous corn dogs and lemonade shake-ups (though they do have vodka in them).
If that's not enough, keep an eye on your favorite weekly news magazine's annual Best of Springfield nomination poll. Illinois TimesIt will open on August 8th and close on August 19th.
Let's have some funCheck out our music listings for everything else happening and details.A detailed rundown of live music at the fair can be found on page 21.
