DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The annual Macon County Fair is one of the most treasured events in Macon County, and the board is ready to make long-overdue upgrades.

The fairgrounds were built 70 years ago, and critical facility improvements have now become a top priority for the board.

Executive Board President Evan Hall said the time to act is now.

"The number of patrons coming through the gate is up tremendously in the past few years," said Hall. "We need to address the grounds and the infrastructure, and that's a can we've kicked down the road probably for far too long."

The upgrades will cost nearly $80,000 and will include new bleachers, gutters on buildings, a new maintenance tractor and renovations to bathrooms across the fairgrounds.

Hall said the board plans to tackle the improvements one project at a time.

"We want to fundraise the funds, do the project, and then continue to improve the grounds," Hall said. "The fair has grown tremendously in the past few years, and it's heading in the right direction — we just want to help it get there."

Hall said one of the main reasons people come to the fairgrounds is for agriculture, and he wants to maintain that importance to the community.

"The whole purpose of the fair is to educate the community about agriculture and promote our local agriculture producers," Hall said. "We feel like we're doing a pretty good job of that, and we want to continue to build on it."

The board is calling on the community and local business owners to help fund these improvements.

The campaign is expected to take around five years, and Hall stated that the community can look forward to even more changes down the road.

"Looking forward to the next five years, there's a lot more to come," Hall said.

To help donate to the fairground's improvement campaign, go here. 

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