BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT
Knight’s Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure Who hasn’t spent a summer day at Knight’s Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure either floating on the wave pool, riding the go carts, knocking golf balls, hanging in the batting cage or just goofing off in the arcade? A Springfield area institution for decades, the family-owned and operated business originally started at the east end of South Grand Avenue and opened the current 62-acre amusement park off of I-72 many years ago. Knight’s consistently offers a tradition of fun in the sun for area residents. Recent road closings due to the improvements to I-72 and the wet and unseasonably cool summer of ’09 most certainly affected attendance numbers, but enough central Illinois folks decided Knight’s Action Park is by far the favorite spot for a family to be entertained. Coming in at a distant second was the Illinois State Fair. The Route 66 Drive-in, a part of the Knight’s complex, scored a well-placed third.
Runner-up: Illinois State Fair

BEST DOWNTOWN EVENT
Old Capitol Blues and BBQs When choosing a favorite downtown event it seems our fine citizens have no problem as long as they can have several winners. There was only a six-point gap between top vote getter the Old Capitol Blues & BBQs and a tie for third between Old Capitol Farmers’ Market and the Old Capitol Art Fair, with the Taste of Downtown — the only high-scoring downtown event that doesn’t mention the Old State Capitol in its title by the way — hovering in the middle. In looking for similarities in all four winners other than location, there is the obvious connecting factor of food and art in varying degrees which bodes well for the refinement factor of our populace. The art fair wins in the longevity contest by several decades, but with Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) firmly supporting the remaining three events the future of these favorites in our city culture looks very promising. Runner-up: Taste of Downtown

BEST NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING EVENT
Chatham Sweet Corn Festival Central Illinois residents enjoy their sweet corn and proved it by voting the Chatham Sweet Corn Festival their favorite nonprofit fundraising event. Then again maybe it’s the Illinois Champion Cow Chip Throw that attracts the crowd. Or perhaps the live music shows and the added attraction of blues bands on Saturday afternoon or maybe the availability of cold beer on a hot July day is what does it. Let’s assume the combination of all these factors and more makes this one of most popular events of summer in Sangamon County. Mark your calendars now for the 37th festival coming soon on July 16 and 17, 2010. Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, polled second with the Edwards Place Fine Arts Fair coming in at number three. All in all, each and every nonprofit fundraising event is a worthy cause and a winner at every level of consideration.
Runner-up: Relay for Life