press releases

 

 

July 29, 2026
Whiteside County Fair Press Release
26-04
 
For further information, contact:
Abe Houzenga, Director of Publicity
815/718-2164
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
WHITESIDE COUNTY FAIR OFFICE HOURS FOR ENTRIES AND TICKET SALES
 
     MORRISON –Whiteside County Fair office will be open for business beginning Monday, Aug. 10th, for the entire week prior to the 155th annual Whiteside County Fair which kicks off Aug. 18th.
     The office of the secretary and treasurer are in the building near the grandstand at the Whiteside County Fairgrounds, in Morrison, and will be open the week before the fair from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10th through Friday, Aug. 14th.  Saturday, August 15th the hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 12 Noon.  During this time they will be accepting hand delivered entries, processing those received by mail, selling reserved grandstand seating for the Demo Derby, season tickets, and Mega Passes.  
     MEGA PASS – Can be purchased for $65.00 Monday, August 10th through Monday, August 17th.  Once the Fair starts, Mega Pass price increases to $75.00 and will need to be purchased from the Carnival.  This will let you ride any of the Wilson Family Rides when the Carnival is open during the 2026 Whiteside County Fair.
     Reserved grandstand seating for Saturday night’s demolition derby will go on sale Monday, August 10th at 8:00 a.m. in the Secretary’s Office for $10.00 per person. The Demo Derby is the only show that has reserved seating available and is sold on a first-come, first-served basis with a limited number of seats available. Reserved seating may be purchased online beginning Tuesday August 11th at bigtickets.com. Saving seats by using blankets, etc. for general seating is not allowed.  Any items used for saving seats will be removed by the fair staff.
     There are no entry fees for exhibits in the Departments of Agriculture, Floriculture, Horticulture, Textiles, Culinary and Hobbies. However, adult exhibitors must purchase the $25.00 season membership ticket and junior exhibitors that are 6-11 years of age must purchase a $10.00 season ticket to enter in junior departments.  That ticket allows the exhibitor to enter items in any of the departments listed above and provides unlimited admission to the fairgrounds throughout the fair’s five-day run.
     Livestock exhibitors are required to pay exhibit fees and should consult the website for details. 
     All exhibitors are urged to refer to the website for details on the requirements to enter the various competitions, which this year offers over $119,000 in premiums, purses and prizes.  Entries/Premium information can also be downloaded from the fair website at www.whitesidecountyfair.org in the premium section.
     Entries must be done online or in writing, with the applicable fees submitted by the appropriate deadlines as listed on the website. All entries close on Saturday August 15, 2026.
     The office will accommodate those wishing to buy season membership tickets, which allows the ticket-holder unlimited admission to the fair.  An adult season membership ticket costs $25.00 each, while a child’s weekly pass is $10.00.  Tickets for both children and adults may also be purchased at the gate during the fair.  Single adult daily admission for the fair is $10.00 for those 12 years and older, and $4.00 for children ages 6 through 11.  Children 5 and under are free.
     The fair officially starts at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 18th with the Pleasure Horse Show at the Alternative Ag Services Arena” in the infield. 
     All the information you need to get ready for the Fair is at your fingertips on our website at www.whitesidecountyfair.org.  The written inquires can be directed to the Whiteside County Fair, P.O. Box 88, Morrison, IL  61270.

July 23, 2026
Whiteside County Fair Press Release
26-03

For further information, contact:
Abe Houzenga, Director of Publicity
815/718-2164

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE 155th ANNUAL WHITESIDE COUNTY FAIR, WHICH STARTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th, AND RUNS THROUGH SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd, WILL HONOR KENNY RYALS AS FRIEND OF THE FAIR.

MORRISON – Each year, the Whiteside County Fair Board of Directors seeks to honor those who are an integral part of making our fair so special. We recognize this honor by naming a Friend of the Fair, and this year we are pleased to announce that our 2026 Friend of the Fair is Kenny Ryals.

Kenny shared his heartfelt response to being a recipient of this honor with us:

To begin, this fair and its patrons are truly our dear friends.

Kenny’s journey with the Whiteside County Fair began 50 years ago, working alongside his parents at just ten years old, serving up classic treats like popcorn, cotton candy, and candy apples. Forty-one years ago, Kenny married Denise, who was also raised in the concessions business. Together, alongside their adult sons, Blake and Grant, they proudly continue the family tradition at this very fair.
As the “Friend of the Fair” honor beautifully demonstrates, a fair and a business like ours cannot succeed without an extended family of friends. We are deeply honored to be invited back year after year. The Whiteside County Fair remains one of our absolute favorites, and building a relationship with everyone here has been effortless.

We meet countless people in this line of work, but those we see year after year – the customers we’ve watched grow from children into adults – hold a truly special place in our hearts. Please stop by, wave, and say hello. Our philosophy has always been simple: make life easier for others, bring solutions instead of complaints, and always remain grateful for your blessings.

The Whiteside County Fair Board of Directors remains grateful to Kenny and his family for their continued contribution to upholding tradition at our fair.

Thank you for supporting the Whiteside County Fair so we can continue on with this important part of our county’s heritage for years to come. Check out our website for more information about the fair at www.whitesidecountyfair.org

July 15, 2026
Whiteside County Fair Press Release
26-02

For further information, contact:
Abe Houzenga, Director of Publicity
815/718-2164

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ENTRIES NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2026 – 155th ANNUAL WHITESIDE COUNTY FAIR, WHICH RUNS TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th THROUGH SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd.

MORRISON – 2026 Entry Information. Online entries are now being accepted for the 155th Annual Whiteside County Fair, which runs August 18th-22nd. The Whiteside County Fair no longer publishes Premium Books, but the pages are available online at www.whitesidecountyfair.org Look for the “Entries/Premiums” at the top right corner of the website page and click on it for all the information you need. There is over $119,000 in premiums offered in prize money to the winners in over 1,500 different classes.

The Whiteside County Fair accepts Visa and MasterCard for entries and ticket purchases. You can make your entries online by following the premiums link and use your Visa or MasterCard for payment. All the information you need to get ready for the Whiteside County Fair is at your fingertips on our website. You can also print the “Entry Blank” form and fill it out. Entries must be delivered to the Secretary’s Office the week prior to the fair in person or mail them to P.O. Box 88 Morrison, IL.

Check out our website for more information about the fair at www.whitesidecountyfair.org

 

 

April 29, 2026
Whiteside County Fair Press Release
26-01

For further information, contact:
Abe Houzenga, Director of Publicity
815/718-2164

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MORRISON — The Whiteside County Fair is extremely excited to announce that we will have Full Throttle Monster Trucks back again on THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2026, and the famous BIG FOOT truck will be back to tear up the track at this year’s fair once again.

Monster trucks have been a popular form of entertainment and excitement for decades. Since the 1970s, monster trucks have raced, done tricks, and smashed countless cars. Make sure you don’t miss this thrilling night of entertainment at the Whiteside County Fair. You will get to see a variety of trucks in front of the grandstand at 7:00 p.m.

The Fair opens on Tuesday, August 18th and concludes after five fun-filled days on Saturday, August 22nd.

Please continue to check the Whiteside County Fair Facebook page and website at
www.whitesidecountyfair.org for updates.

News Release

For Immediate Release: July 2024

Contact: Kim Johnsen kjohnsen@naturalland.org

White Oak in Whiteside County Designated as Legacy Tree

The iconic White Oak at the Whiteside County Fairgrounds in Morrison is the Natural Land Institute’s July Tree of the Month through their Legacy Tree Program 

Rockford, IL – Natural Land Institute (NLI) is pleased to announce the July Tree of the Month is located at Whiteside County Fairgrounds, which contains a natural landmark: an ancient White Oak (Quercus alba) that has graced the land for more than three centuries. The tree is 90 feet tall, has an average crown spread of 103 feet, and a trunk circumference of almost 170 inches.

White Oak is the official state tree of Illinois and a keystone species providing life for an amazing diversity of creatures. This tree’s age is not a guess as retired Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologist, Randy Nyboer, took a core sample of the tree. The core is a thin circular cut into the tree by a special tool called an increment borer. The core sample, which does not hurt the tree, documents the rings in the wood: each ring corresponds to a year’s growth of the tree. This tree’s report, with some extrapolation, would add up to 308 this year!

Photo submitted of an unidentified man standing next to the oak tree at the fairgrounds.

This tree was growing in the shadow of Rock Creek for almost a century before Illinois became a state and well before the United States gained independence. The local region was mainly prairie but the creek provided a bit of a fire break that allowed some trees to survive in its shadow. Prairie fires regularly raged across Illinois, maintaining our state’s “Prairie State” motto and suppressing woody plants including trees. Luckily, as the town of Morrison was settled and the Whiteside County Fairgrounds created, this tree was spared and then celebrated as a landmark on the site.

White oak has deep rounded leaf lobes about equal to the indentations/sinuses – this leaf shape allows for ideal and efficient sunlight penetration into the canopy so the tree can maximize its photosynthesis. The foliage emerges silvery to pink in spring and turns wonderful shades of red (from burnt red to almost maroon red) in the fall. The mast of acorns of this species are a top food source for wildlife while the foliage host to an amazing array of insects. The acorns start to germinate immediately in the fall but wait until spring to send up new growth. Squirrels know this and often cut the emerging root from the acorn in the fall to ensure it as a food source to be retrieved later.

“The 153rd Whiteside County Fair opens August 13 and continues until August 17, 2024 so we recommend you stop by and pay homage to this Legacy Tree while you enjoy this County Fair,” said Alan Branhagen, NLI Executive Director. “If only this oak could speak of all the seasons it has witnessed – I’m sure it would have some stories to tell! We hope to collect acorns from this magnificent tree and offer them to our membership at a later date. We guarantee the tree will have good genes and pass along a legacy of one of the finest trees in our region.”

Natural Land Institute launched the Legacy Tree Program in January of this year. It includes recognition of one tree a month that may be the largest of its kind, or have historical or cultural significance. Anyone may nominate a tree on private or public land from NLI’s 12 county region. Other components of the program, a list of the 12 counties, the online nomination form, and the tree of the month since January can be found at: https://www.naturalland.org/nlis-legacy-tree-program-january/ or by emailing info@naturalland.org .

The Natural Land Institute, an accredited land trust, is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit land conservation organization based in Rockford, Illinois and has protected 18,000 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. NLI’s mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. For more information or to donate: www.NaturalLand.org or call 815-964-6666.