Whiteside County Fair Secretary Mary Beth Dombroski announced that the fair office will be open for business beginning Monday, August 7, for the entire week prior to the 147th annual Whiteside County Fair, which kicks off Tuesday, August 15, 2017.
The office of the Secretary and Treasurer are located in the building near the grandstand at the Whiteside County Fairgrounds, in Morrison, IL, and will be open the week before the fair from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, August 11. Saturday, August 12, the hours will be 8:00 a.m. to noon. During this time they will accept hand-delivered entries, processing those received by mail, selling reserved grandstand seating for the Demo Derby, season tickets, and Mega Passes.
Mega Passes can be purchased for $50 Monday, August 7, through Monday, August 14. Once the Fair starts, a Mega Pass price increases to $60 and will need to be purchased from the Carnival. This will let you ride any of the Wilson Family Rides when the Carnival is open.
Reserve grandstand seating for Saturday night’s Demolition Derby will go on sale Monday, August 7, at 8:00 a.m. in the Secretary’s Office for $8 per person. The Demo Derby is the only show that has reserved seating available and is sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limited number of seats available. Saving seats by using blankets, etc. for general seating is not allowed. Any items used for saving seats will be removed by the fair staff.
There are no entry fees for exhibits in the Departments of Agriculture, Floriculture, Horticulture, Textiles, Culinary, and Hobbies. However, adult exhibitors must purchase the $20 season membership ticket. Junior exhibitors that are 11 years of age and under must purchase the $5 season ticket to enter in junior departments. That ticket allows the exhibitor to enter items in any of the departments listed above and provides unlimited admission to the fairgrounds.
Livestock exhibitors are required to pay exhibit fees and should consult the website for details.
All exhibitors are urged to refer to the website for details on the requirements to enter the various competitions, which this year offer over $121,000 in premiums, purses, and prizes. Entry forms are available at banks throughout Whiteside County; they will be available the week before the fair at the fair office. Entries/Premium information can also be downloaded from the fair website at www.whitesidecountyfair.org in the premium section.
Entries must be done online or in writing, with the applicable fees submitted by the appropriate deadlines as listed on the website.
The office will accommodate those wishing to buy season membership tickets, which allows the ticket-holder unlimited admission to the fair. An adult season membership ticket costs $20 each; a child’s weekly pass is $5. Tickets for both children and adults may be purchased at the gate during the fair. Single adult daily admission for the fair is $8 for those 12 years and older, and $2 for children ages six through 11. Children five and under are free.
The fair officially starts at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 15, with the Western Horse Show at the “Gold Star F. S. Arena’ in the infield.
All the information you need to get ready for the Fair is at your fingertips on our website at www.whitesidecountyfair.org. Written inquires can be directed to the Whiteside County Fair, P.O. Box 88, Morrison, IL 61270.