SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Fairgoers will have one more option to purchase tickets for Illinois State Fair Grandstand concerts starting this weekend. The Grandstand box office opens June 6 with special Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to noon. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The box office will reopen on Saturdays starting July 18.

 "We are excited about our lineup this year," Illinois State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick said. "We feel like there is something for people of all ages. Ticket sales have been great so far, and we expect that by opening the box office, we will see even more people coming out to purchase tickets to one or more of these great concerts."

The Illinois State Fair Grandstand concerts begin Friday, Aug. 14, with Rock 'n Roll Hall-of-Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Bo Bice, a former runner-up on American Idol, will open the show.

Former Idol champion and pop-rock star Kelly Clarkson and special guest Eric Hutchinson take the Grandstand stage Aug. 15.  On Sunday, Aug. 16, country sensation Josh Turner will perform with Jamey Johnson and Chuck Wicks.

Montgomery Gentry opens the second weekend of concerts on Friday, Aug. 21, along with rising stars Kellie Pickler and James Otto. Female rock pioneers Heart and The Bangles follow on Saturday, Aug. 22.  Nat and Alex Wolff (from Nickelodeon's The Naked Brothers Band) and 15-year-old Tiffany Giardina will close the Grandstand shows on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Tickets also are available for the USAC Silver Crown Series Auto Races Aug. 22, as well as the ARCA Super Series Auto Races Aug. 23.

All concerts begin at 8 p.m. except for the Alex and Nat Wolff concert, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets also are available on the internet at Ticketmaster.com or in person at any Ticketmaster outlet. Concertgoers can call 1-800-745-3000 to purchase tickets over the phone through Ticketmaster, or (217) 782-1979 to order them from the Grandstand box office. Ticket order forms can be downloaded on the Illinois State Fair website at http://www.illinoisstatefair.info/.

All adults and children 3 years of age and older must have a ticket.  All sales are final. The fair does not provide refunds or exchanges on ticket purchases.