SPRINGFIELD - More than 70 Illinois food companies, wineries, and agriculture associations will gather at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield to take part in the 17th annual Illinois Products Expo.

The expo will be open on March 7 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and on March 8 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Illinois State Fairgrounds' Orr Building.  Admission will be $5, with no fee for children ages 10 and younger.  Food sampling will be free, but wine and beer tastings will be offered at a small cost.

Some of the products that will be available for sampling and purchase include fresh meat products, seasonings and sauces, homemade jams and jellies, soy candles, and agriculture-based soaps and lotions.  Attendees will also have the chance to learn from a local chef on Saturday, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

We've included a list of vendors who will be participating in this event below:

Ahruns Famous

American Egg Board

Bloodshot Bloody Mary Mix

Butch's Pizza

Chocolate Enrapture

Coming Home Candles

Consolidated Brands

Country Lights Soy Candles

Crowridge Farm Ice Cream

Eagle Bridges Soy Candles

Engrained Brewing Company

Flat Branch Farm

Four Score and 7 Ribs Ago

Freedom Halal Farm

Galena Garlic Company

Golden Prairie Popcorn

Gramps Gourmet Foods, Inc

Grand River Spirits

Happy Baked Goods  

Hickory Grove Products

Homestead Bakery

IL Association FFA

IL Pork Producers/Bloomington Meats

IL Specialty Growers Assn

Irish Indulgences

J.D. Mullen Co

Java & Co.

Jerk Bros, Inc

Jimmy B's Super Salsa

Jones Boys Market

Kelly's Gourmet

La Mexicana Inc.

Linda's Salsa

Ludwig Farmstead Creamery

M & G Foods

Meatsmack

Oakland Noodle Co.

Onofrio's Classic Sauces

Papa's Midwest Kettle Corn

Pasta Alley

Perfect Pasta

Reinneck Ranch, Inc  

ReMARKable Caramels

Rolling Meadows Brewery

Ropp Jersey Cheese

Sasse's Apiary

Scrumptious Pantry

SenTEAmental Moods

Smo Diddley's Inc

Spice of Life

SS Backwards Longhorn Meats

Sweet Betty Jane's

The Cousins Dog Biscuit Co

Toohill Beef

Turasky Meats

Two Fat Guys Gourmet Sauces

Uncle Joes

V Walker Enterprises (Anthony's Southern Sauces)

Voss Pecans

Wind Ridge Herb Farm

Nut Hatch Hill BBQ

Dave's Coffe Cake

Pilot Knob Comforts

Raised Right LLC (Sullivan Pheasant Farm)