History of The DuQuoin State Fair

The DuQuoin State Fair continues to fulfill the vision of its founder, W.R. Hayes. What began as a dream for this showman/industrialist in 1923 has blossomed into one of the premier multi-purpose attractions in the Midwest.

Hayes envisioned an annual show that would entertain the young and old alike and would showcase his passion, harness racing. Harness racing has been a fixture at DuQuoin since the first fair in 1923, when 150 horses completed to the delight of 60,000 visitors. The first fair also featured an auto show and races, a dog show, a speech by Illinois Governor Len Small, a fashion show, and a flying circus complete with stunt pilots, parachutists and a dirigible. At the second fair in 1924, new electric lights illuminated the first night horse show ever held. Five years later, the fair notched another first when the Music Box Revue performed at the first night stage show.

In the 1940s, the fair became one of the stops for Grand Circuit harness racing. After Hayes' death, his two sons were successful in bringing one of harness racing's most coveted event, the Hambletonian, to the fair in 1957. For 24 years, this legendary event was held on DuQuoin's one-mile dirt oval.

Built in 1942, the mile track opened in 1945 after a fire demolished the wooden grandstand at the half-mile track. The current grandstand seats 8,000 with accompanying bleachers that accommodate more than 9,000 people.

Today the track is home to the World Trotting Derby, which annually attracts some of the world's fastest 3-year-old trotters.

The English jeweler, Asprey's of London, designed the unique Trotting Derby trophy. The front of the 32-inch-high, sterling silver prize is etched with a view of DuQuoin's grandstand and a field of trotting horses sweeping around the first turn. The race emblem is engraved in the trophy's crown, which is graced by sterling silver leaf. A series of silver plates engraved with the names of each race winner encircles the trophy's base.

In 1986, the state of Illinois acquired the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, which had grown from a 30-acre tract to a 1,500-acre facility. Much of this additional land was once an abandoned strip mine purchased by Hayes in 1939. The grounds are now a country showcase that include nearly 800 acres of rolling hills interspersed with ponds. Visitors can picnic and camp among 2,500 majestic trees.

The DuQuoin State Fair offers more than horse racing amid beautiful natural surroundings. Auto races take over the track during the Labor Day holiday. The grandstand routinely draws some of the best in country music for nightly concerts. Competitions honor the area's best in livestock, hobbies and crafts. Carnival rides, games of skill or chance and a variety of exhibits provide entertainment for the entire family. In 1996, the fairgrounds became home to an annual agricultural equipment and technology exhibition, held concurrently with the fair.

Come enjoy these attractions and the home-grown hospitality of southern Illinois at the DuQuoin State Fair.