Champaign County residents baked pies, breads and other tasty foods to demonstrate their talents. They brought cattle, pigs and other livestock animals to win the title of Best in Class. Others came to buy sugary carnival food from vendors selling cotton candy and lemon shake-ups. Kids screamed with excitement as they spun around in a Tilt-a-Whirl and ran to lines of dozens of carnival rides. Once again the Champaign County Fair saw a successful week of competitions, food, rides and shows.

“There’s a lot of good people out here and people have had some good entertainment,” said Gary Hembrough, Chief Cook for Coach’s Cooking Team, a food vendor at the fair.

The 153rd Champaign County Fair brought thousands of people to the fairgrounds in Urbana July 22-30. Competitions for approximately 1500 entry classes of livestock, agriculture products, arts, textiles, culinary items, horticulture, floriculture, needlework and crafts kept judges and local participants busy and anxious throughout the week. Other events included a harness-horse race, demolition derby, tractor-pull, talent show and rodeo. Religious group Shiloh performed on July 24, and country musician Josh Turner performed July 29.

For many people, especially children, carnival rides are the fair’s main attraction. Saturday, July 30 was “Youth Day,” which gave unlimited rides with the purchase of a wristband. Kids ran from ride to ride as parents sat on nearby benches or stood near ride lines watching. According to Urbana resident Robert Harmon, 38, his favorite part of the fair is “leaving.”

“We sit here for five hours while the kids go on rides,” he said.

Carnival games and tents selling “Western novelties,” stuffed animals and balloons also attracted younger fair-goers. Children could play with goats and llamas in the free petting zoo or ride a pony around a pony circle.

“I like seeing the smiles on kids’ faces,” said Champaign County resident Mary Jo Miller, 50.

Hungrier fair-goers bought funnel cakes, corn on the cob, nachos and cheese fries. According to 20-year-old Missouri resident Annette Staten, an employee of Tinsley’s Amusements, cotton candy and corn dogs remain the favorites.

Many food stands travel from fair to fair, but others come from local groups. Coach’s Cooking Team, which started out as a competitive barbeque cooking team, sold barbeque sandwiches for the fourth year at the fair. Hembrough, Chief Cook and former football coach for Centennial High School, said he named the group one evening when his wife said to him, “You lost your football team, but now you have a cooking team.”

Other local organizations set up tents to inform people about their causes or businesses. Democrat and Republican organizations handed out information about their candidates and representatives.

“That’s the main message right there, ‘proud to be an American,'” said L. Fred Welch, President of Active Senior Republicans, as he pointed to a sticker with the slogan and American flag.

As with any outdoor event this summer, the weather may have kept some people home. Three days of extreme heat and a night on tornado watch might have prevented some from attending the fair.

“I’ve been around Champaign since 1957. It’s an old wives’ tale if you’re in a drought or anything. Wait until the Champaign County Fair; it will rain,” Hembrough said.

During Tuesday’s storm, fair officials kept people notified about weather conditions. Many people left the fairgrounds, but others took shelter in the Kessler building, under tents or below the grandstand. The fair closed early that night.