The good news is that the gates to the 2025 McLean County Fair open July 23 for five days of festival entertainment and food: the not-so-good news is that road construction will likely make getting there a challenge for some people.

More on that below; first the good parts.

General admission gives fair goers an array of free activities. On the fairway, there’ll be wandering minstrels, lumberjack skill displays, Ride a Pony at M & A Stables, a magic show, and a “rolling robot named BOT.”

The air-conditioned “Food + Farm Fun Zone” will let kids of all ages have hands-on experiences with baby chicks, piglets and other animals.

Carnival hours are 1-11 p.m., July 23-25; noon to 11 p.m. July 26; and noon to 8 p.m. July 27. A FunPass re-loadable card or carnival wristband must be purchased for access to carnival rides and games. The fair is offering a variety of deals on different days for different groups. Go to https://mcleancountyfair.org/carnival/ for details.

On July 25, attendees can take advantage of the Merchant’s Day Carnival Special between 1 and 6 p.m. to purchase a $35 Unlimited Ride Wristband for $30 or $25 after picking up a $5 off Ride Coupon from one of the merchant sponsors, including Country Financial’s McLean County representatives, McDonald’s, Heartland Bank, Carl’s Ice Cream and Avanti’s.

Grandparents will appreciate the July 24 special, allowing one senior to ride free with one paid child until 5 p.m.

Events

As for the ticketed events, at 6 p.m. July 23y, there’s the Big Smokers Tractor Pull & Local Pickup Truck Pull-offs. At 6:30 p.m. July 24 monster trucks take over the Grandstand arena. Tickets are $10, but can be purchased in advance online for $15, which includes general admission At 6 p.m. July 25, it’s bull tiding and barrel racing (advance online only, for $20, including general admission). Demo Derby is at 7 p.m. July 26 for $15 grandstand seating.

The beer tent is open from 4-11 p.m. July 23-26, offering domestic beers and local brews.

For more than 80 years, the Fair Royalty Program has supported youth in agriculture and helped them reach their educational goals.

At 4 p.m. July 27, a total of 21 McLean County youth will compete at Heartland Community College Astroth Community Education Center for the chance to be named McLean County Fair Royalty. The community is invited to watch the free event; Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

The program selects youth to serve as ambassadors to promote agriculture in the county throughout the year. A Queen, Junior Miss and Little Miss will be crowned. The 2025 King and Queen will receive a scholarship to help them pursue their educational goals.

Candidates will be scored on a private interview with a panel of judges and their on-stage presence and communication skills. People’s Choice voting is open online through July 26 at  https://www.spotfund.com/teams/mcleancountyfairroyalty2025.

One candidate from each age division will be given the People’s Choice during the July 27 program.

Little Miss

Little Miss candidates are:

• Engeline Baumann, 6, of Bloomington
• Cindy Brown, 7, of LeRoy
• Paige Burkhart, 8, of Stanford
• Arya Hill, 8, of Downs
• Alexis Maurer, 7, of Bloomington
• Trinity Murry, 7, of Normal

Junior Miss
Junior Miss candidates are:

• Lauren Burkhart, 13, of Stanford
• Kat Chambers, 13, of Downs
• Kinlynn Dryer, 13, of Merna
• Molly Frietsch, 13, of Carlock
• Brooklyn Grice, 11, of Saybrook
• Josie Hill, 13, of Downs
• Eleanor Jenkins, 10, of Hudson
• Madelyn Miller, 11, of Bloomington
• Libby Murphy, 13, of Heyworth
• Payton Norin, 13, of LeRoy
• Peyton Skelton, 11, of Heyworth
• Sophia Smith, 12, of Bloomington

  Queen

  Queen candidates are:

• Adelina Baumann, 17, of Bloomington
• Sarah Hill, 17, of Downs
• Aubrey Tiller, 17, of Downs

Road and lane closures

Fair attendees will want to be aware of road and lane closures that may effect their access to the fair, particularly those coming from the north.

U.S. Route 150 has had detours since June 16, with access from the north to College Avenue re-routed. Access to the north side fair entrance off of College Avenue is limited to eastbound traffic only — cars traveling westbound on College will not be allowed to turn into the fair entrance.

Officials say the road closure status is fluid, and urge people attending the fair to plan ahead and get updated road reports.

“Multiple road construction projects surrounding the McLean County Fairgrounds could affect your travel plans. Please check ahead of traveling for the best route,” fair officials said.

To the south and east of the fairgrounds, West Market Street is just one lane in either direction.

Wylie Drive on the east fairgrounds boundary has had lane closures for resurfacing the past month. People with questions can call McLean County at (309) 663-9445 during normal business hours or go to

https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/319/Road-Closures-Construction-Map.