Mid-summer is time for county fairs across the state. Neighboring counties will be holding their county fairs this weekend.

McLean

4-H members are preparing for the annual McLean County Fair on Aug. 3-7 fair. Gates will be open from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. each day. Exhibits will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug. 3-6, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 7.

Various activities will include farm family fun zone, petting zoo, comedy and magic shows, music tent with daily live broadcasts, face painting, antique tractor display, dog agility demonstration, emergency services display and balloon twisting artists.

A carnival will be held from 1-11 p.m. Aug. 3-Aug. 5, 12-11 p.m. Aug. 6 and 12-10 p.m. Aug. 7.

Featured meal service will be provided by the McLean County Beef Producers, Aug. 3, Aug. 5 and Aug. 7; and McLean County Pork Producers, Aug. 4 and Aug. 6.

The schedule for the evening grandstand entertainment and admission fees are as follows:

6 p.m. Aug. 3: Tobin’s Pizza Big Smokers Tractor Pull, $8 admission;

6 p.m. Aug. 4: Tobin’s Pizza Smokers Tractor Pull and Local Pickup Truck Pull-Offs, $6 admission;

8 p.m. Aug. 5: Country artist Neal McCoy, $5 admission;

7 p.m. Aug. 6: Don Owen Tire Demo Derby, $15 admission; and

5 p.m. Aug. 7: Music Night featuring local bands, $7 admission.

An extensive list of livestock exhibits and contests and details about other contests and shows can be found at www.mcleancountyfair.org/4h.html.

The fairgrounds are at 1106 Interstate Drive, Bloomington. Get more information by sending an email to info@mcleancountyfair.org or calling (309) 663-6497.

Tazewell County

For Tazewell County 4-H members, it all comes down to this: the annual Tazewell County 4-H Show and Junior Fair. From Aug. 1-3, members of 4-H — ages 8-18 — will showcase their projects, including horticulture, livestock, rocket launches, dogs shows and more at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin. Roughly 200 youngsters and teens will participate.

Here are highlights of the three-day schedule. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, with its first major activity: the horse show in the livestock arena. Other Aug. 1 activities will include leather demonstrations, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; a craft and vendor show, 12-8 p.m.; chalk art, 1 p.m.; an ice cream eating contest, 3-4 p.m.; and the four-cylinder mini rod tractor pull, 6 p.m.

The day will culminate with the grand opening ceremonies in the Memorial Ice Arena at 7 p.m., where royalty contest winners will be announced and the Farm Bureau Ice Cream Social will be held.

Aug. 2’s schedule is dominated by a poultry show, 8 a.m.; 4-H exhibits, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; cat show, 11 a.m.; Dan Barth’s Old Time Medicine Show, 12 p.m.; Teens as teachers, 2-4 p.m.; rocket launch, 4 p.m.; and lightweight antique tractor pull, 6 p.m. The Aug. 2 activities will end with a general awards presentation, livestock parade and club banner parade, beginning at 6 pm.

Aug. 3, the final day of the fair, will feature a swine show, 8 a.m.; dog show, 8:30 a.m.; dairy show, 9 a.m.; Pekin Fire Department safe house escape, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; sheep show, 1 p.m.; knocker balls, 3-5 p.m.; the 14^th annual antique heavy-weight tractor pull, 6 p.m.; and Youth project auction, in which participants will have the option to auction off their livestock and horticulture projects, 6:30 p.m.

Tazewell County Home and Community Education will once again host a food tent with a different special each day. Aug. 1’s special will be bratwursts; Aug. 2, ribeye sandwiches; and Aug. 3, pork chops.

For a full schedule of activities, go to the University of Illinois Extension website, web.extension.illinois.edu/.

Fulton County

From July 25-30 in Lewiston and organized by the Fulton Co. Fair and Racing Association.

Mason County

From July 25-28 in Havana and organized by the Mason Co. 4-H and Junior Agriculture Show Association.

Lee County

From July 28-31 – 165th Annual Lee Co. 4-H Fair & Jr. Show at the fair grounds located just 1/2 mile from the junction of Route 30 and Route 52. For more information, visit http://www.leecounty4hcenter.com.

For a complete list of all Illinois county fairs, click here

— Get ready for annual summer fun at county fairs across region —