MCFB invests in fairgrounds

As a dedicated champion of the McLean County Fair for generations, McLean County Farm Bureau plans to invest $1 million over the next three years in vital improvements, maintenance, and upgrades to the fairgrounds.

“We’re proud of our long history of support for the McLean County Fair and the facilities at the fairgrounds,” says Darren Davis, who serves dual roles as the President of both the McLean County Farm Bureau and the McLean County Fair boards. “Investing in our fairgrounds is one way we continue to support agriculture education for local youth and our community.”

McLean County Farm Bureau established the McLean County Fair Association in 1932 and has helped provide facilities for the fair for more than 90 years. For much of that history, McLean County Farm Bureau has owned the land and buildings, while the Fair operates the county fair and the facility rentals for public and private events throughout the year. The 2026 McLean County Fair will mark 30 years at the current fairgrounds on the west side of Bloomington.

“As we reach the 30-year mark for the grounds and most of the buildings, we have some bigger maintenance items to address and some improvements we want to make,” says Katie Rader, McLean County Fair and Events Manager.

“Our goal is to continue to offer an excellent venue for all of the events we host during the year, especially the county fair.”

The list of planned projects for 2026 includes HVAC improvements, concrete repairs, electrical work and updates to the Mini Expo kitchen. The fair also plans to install large fans in all livestock barns, complete repairs and tuckpointing on the Beef & Dairy Barn, and replace about one-third of the pens in the Sheep & Goat Barn.

“Maintaining safe, high-quality facilities for youth to exhibit livestock and other projects is one of our top priorities,” Davis says. “We’re also making some upgrades to increase our energy efficiency.”

Thanks in large part to an Ameren Lighting Efficiency Program, interior and exterior lighting in all the barns and enclosed buildings is being replaced with LED bulbs and fixtures. The fairgrounds will also install solar panels in the coming months to help offset rising energy costs.

“As we plan for the future, we’re asking for community input to help us identify additional needs and prioritize improvements,” Rader says. “We’re inviting the public to join us for our ‘McLean County Fair Fanfare’ event on May 30 to see our recent updates, and we also have a survey on our website.”