Wilson Family Rides has been a staple of the Whiteside County Fair for years. The Carnival is an attraction for toddlers to teens, day into night. Its sounds and lighting add a distinct energy to the fair grounds. If one does not purchase the Mega Bands, good for rides all week, there are ATM machines to assist in ticket purchases.
At left below, Jamie and Jennifer White‘s children and a friend, all from Morrison, IL, enjoyed the Ring Toss game. Left-to right are Avery White, counting her dollar bills, with five-year-old kindergarten student Gabbi Stitcher and Evan White. The White twins are 6-year-old first graders. Evan was back to win a second prize for his sister. His air-born red ring is visible against the dark apron of the attendant.
Bump Cars are a safer version of the Demolition Derby, with considerable less impact.
Gavin Alden is 14, a ninth grader from Lyndon, IL. He won a small prize by shooting water at upside-down cups on a shelf. “I did get two cups in one shot. I got a red spider cat. I thought maybe I could give it to my brother” (now five.)
There are tame, Rio Grande Old Timer train rides for little ones and the Rock Star guitar for folks who like to be “stirred” in mid-air.
Once-a-year “fair food” adds to the enjoyment of this August event. What options might have been available to attendees when the Whiteside County Central Agricultural Society began on May 28, 1872? Futuristic Whiteside County Fairs will surprise us, no doubt!
