current site reveals why the foundation is embarking on such an ambitious endeavor. For the past 16 years, memories of agricultural shows, horse and truck races, concerts and other state fair memorabilia has been prominently displayed for public viewing in an area under the grandstand during the fair, and quickly boxed up immediately following the event. Currently, most of the items are stored in stacks of boxes in the hot, stuffy, leaking space.

“Fortunately we’ve been able to save all of our material, despite the leaks,” Gray said, while carefully making her way around puddles of water. She added: “This is not a way to house this material. It needs to be in an air-conditioned space year round. I want this material to still be around for viewing 150 years from now. “To me, these items are about the people,” says an enthusiastic Gray, as she rifles through the collection. With hundreds of newspaper articles and state fair programs, and thousands of photos of past beauty pageant queens, politicians, including several U.S. presidents, and ordinary people enjoying the fair, it’s easy to conclude that the Illinois State Fair is indeed about the people.

Gray eagerly recounts stories of excited fairgoers viewing old photographs of themselves or their relatives. A few years ago while working the fair, Gray heard the loud screams of two women who noticed a 1970 photo of themselves dressed in their cheerleading uniforms.

The women returned with their husbands the following day and had photos taken of themselves standing next to the old picture. “People get excited when they recognize themselves or other people they know in the photographs. That’s what the museum is all about,” she added.

Most recently, an 80-year-old man donated boxes of ribbons won by his grandparents, parents, children and great-grandchildren, dating as far back as 1899. Other memorabilia includes postcards of past state fairs, a photograph of President Rutherford B. Hayes giving a speech during the 1879 fair, a 1940 picture of a cow carved out of butter, and a group of tents set up on Eighth Street in 1940. Fairgoers could rent tents for $4.50 to $18 a week, and blankets and cots for 75 cents.

To add to the museum’s collection, the foundation, along with the Illinois State Fair, is starting a new tradition, “Illinoisans of the Day,” created to recognize Illinoisans who are making a difference. Each day of the fair, a different individual, chosen from nominees from the public, will be honored during an award presentation. They will also receive free admission to the fair and grandstand show, hotel accommodations, and other gifts and accolades. The winners will be announced at the Corndog Kickoff. Nomination forms can be obtained from the foundation’s Web site, www.statefairmuseum.org

The Corndog Kickoff, to be held in the Orr Building, begins at 5:30pm. Tickets, obtainable online or by call 866/996-1853, are $40 in advance, $50 at the door.