Coliseum Ready for Re-Opening at State Fair

BY JIM TAYLOR FARMWEEKNOW.COM

Illinois State Fair officials are ready to show off the new and improved Coliseum.

“It looks tremendous,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon.

A grand reopening ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 9 and include Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan. The Illinois State Fair runs Aug. 8-18.

The $10.2 million renovation project was scheduled to be done by the end of July but crews finished early.

“The fencing went down just a few days ago,” Gordon said during a recent conversation with RFD Radio Network. “It’s ready to go.”

The Coliseum was built in 1901 and is a large, three-story, enclosed oval-shape amphitheater housing a show ring for horses. The 60,000 square foot facility seats just under 2,700 spectators, and is now protected by a much-needed new roof.

“They’re now doing the inside work,” Gordon said. “We had to pull 8 inches of gravel off the inside.”

New footings are in place and speakers are being hung from the center of the ceiling.

This is Gordon’s second stint with the Illinois State Fair and he’s happy to see much needed physical improvements to the state fairgrounds. 

“That’s one of the reasons I came back,” he said. “I can’t thank Director Sullivan enough and the new administration enough for having the confidence in me to bring me back.”

Sullivan became state ag director in January and his agency oversees both the Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairs as well as the county fair system.