The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The Warren County Agricultural Fair is making significant strides with the construction of a new fair office. Work began on Wednesday, February 27th, with the demolition of the old barn and office building.
This project has been in discussion for years and marks the first new enclosed structure to be built on the fairgrounds in over 40 years.
“We cannot give enough praise to Amy and Carly Thompson as well as the rest of the building committee for spearheading this project. There have been hundreds of hours in planning and revisions to get to this point and I’ve enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm from those involved as it all comes to fruition,” said Jon Strickler, President of the Illinois Warren County Agricultural Fair Board.
With the incredible support of many local businesses and groups, over 80% of the project has already been funded. The majority of the building is expected to be completed by fair time in July.
The new structure will be much more than just an office space. It will feature a brand-new, up-to-date kitchen that will replace the old food tent. It will include new restrooms and serve as a general project exhibition area.
The shelter house in the park, a block from the fairgrounds, has been serving as the general project space and has required a lot of work from the fair staff and volunteers to enclose and prepare the structure for the fair.
This new structure will bring exhibition space back to the fairgrounds, save a lot of time for set-up and take-down, and allow the fair to operate more efficiently. The staff will also enjoy the larger, climate-controlled office space.
With the added exhibition space, the fair board hopes to bring 4-H projects back to fair week in Roseville. Last year the 4-H General Project show was held at the Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau Auditorium in Monmouth.
The general projects are a big part of the fair and having the proper space to be able to display the creativity of Warren County will be an exciting addition to the fair.
The new building is not just for the one week of the fair; it will also be a great place for many other local groups to hold events and meetings.
“We look forward to this new and exciting project in hopes of providing the best experience for our exhibitors, attendees as well as our board members as we all come together to form the backbone of our community to make this fair happen,” Strickler stated.
This year’s Warren County Fair is scheduled for July 12th through the 19th.