McHenry County Fair starts Tuesday – and it’s serving up new eating contests: What you need to know

The McHenry County Fair, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, is about to open the gates for the 76th year starting Tuesday, July 30, and running through Sunday, Aug. 4.

This year’s fair will feature some of staples like the Miss McHenry County pageant and carnival rides, but new this year is the chance to devour as many pickles and apple pies, among other things, as you can.

Competitive eaters can enter the pickles contest Tuesday and a corn-eating contest Thursday. The competitions also include a pie-eating contest Wednesday, pizza on Friday and donut holes Sunday. Registration is online and will only be open to the first eight contestants per age group, Kim Martin, secretary for the McHenry County Fair Association, said.

Gates open for the season at noon Tuesday, with a flag-raising ceremony to kick things off.

Admission Tuesday is also at a discount, with $5 tickets for adults. Carnival rides start up at 4 p.m. Tuesday. A $30-per-day unlimited ride special will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, A new wristband is required for each day.

Other attractions include Joe Stebbing’s woodcarving, K9 cop demonstrations, clayworkers’ demonstrations, a piano juggler, prime-time racing, cookie decorating, a look-a-like contest and more. Puppy Pals will take the stage throughout the fair.

Tickets to the fair are available on presale ahead of the fair’s opening. Pre-opening costs are $8 for adults and $4 for children, seniors and military members. Season passes are also available for $30. At the door, tickets cost an additional $2.

Some of the grandstand events require additional tickets. Those include performances by Tommy DeCarlo and 38 Special Saturday night, a Monster Truck Rally Thursday evening, Bull Riding Friday evening, Tractor and Truck pulls Sunday morning and a demolition derby Sunday evening.

Tickets at everything but 38 Special and Tommy DeCarlo cost $15. Tickets to 38 Special and TommyDeCarlo cost $30 to $125.

Other grandstand events include the Miss McHenry County pageant Tuesday night. Admission to the pageant does not cost extra. Draft Horse Pulls will take place at the grandstand Wednesday night and also don’t cost extra.

Martin said she anticipates about 80,000 people will attend the fair this year.

Agriculture will have a prominent presence at the fair, including a spray simulator designed to simulate farmers spraying their crops.

There’s also scheduled to be a tractor parade at 4 p.m. each day of the fair except Sunday at the Livestock Barns. For the kids, there’s a pedal tractor riding area.

The McHenry County Farm Bureau will have a food booth at the fair, featuring pork burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and shakes, Dan Volkers, the Farm Bureau manager, said. The booth helps raise money for the farm bureau’s agriculture in the classroom program, scholarships and internships.

“We try to source stuff” fairly locally, Volkers said.

Some of those local items include the pork burgers from Henning Farms in Marengo and the buns from Sullivans in Marengo.

But it’s not just agriculture and carnival rides at the fair.

Earlier this summer, fair official Judy Porter, who serves as the antiques show superintendent, had been trying to recruit more participants to sign up to show off various homemade and collectible items at the fair in the dozens of categories including crafts, sewing, photography and others.

Some of the more memorable items from years past include a tobacco harvest tool and a Purple Heart. Porter said someone who had a family member who died in World War II brought the Purple Heart in, the first of its kind entered.

It “affected me a lot,” Porter said.

Porter said she hasn’t seen any of this year’s items but it’s “fun to see” all the things people bring into the fair. “It’s like Christmas.”

The fairgrounds are located at 11900 Country Club Road in Woodstock.

To get more information, see a complete schedule or purchase fair tickets, go to mchenrycountyfair.com.