As the heat of summer hits the Champaign community, the state of Illinois continues their plans for the 2010 Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The annual fair takes place from Thursday August 12th to Sunday August 22nd.

The fair, which is a combination of music, food, games, rides, and fun is packed full of exciting events this year. The fair will be host to more than 100 Carnival Midway and Adventure Village rides for the thrill seeking fair goer out there, as well as other attractions such as the Conservation World events, which include Chainsaw artists and lumberjacks, and the All American High Dive Show.

For the music lover out there, the Illinois State Fair is bringing in several artists to please your ears and make you dance. Some of the highlight artists of the fair are: Lady Antebellum (Fri. Aug 13th), tribute bands the Original Kiss Army and Journey Unauthorized (Sat. Aug 14th), Shinedown with Chevelle (Sun. Aug 15th), Cheap Trick with Blondie (Fri. Aug 20th), and Selena Gomez with Mitchell Musso (Sat. Aug 21st.). Tickets to see these artists are available at ticketmaster.com and vary from $5 to $30.

Also included at the 2010 Illinois State Fair are horse riding competitions, exotic animal shows, wine tasting, plenty of food and concessions, and a 500 pound sculpture of a cow made out of butter.

The 2010 Illinois State Fair looks like it will be packed full with fun and games for everyone. Tickets for the Fair are $5 per day and $7 to park. However, two dates to watch out for are Sunday August 15th when admission is free for Veterans and their families in tribute to Veterans Day and August 22nd when admission is $2 for everyone for Family Day. For more information about the 2010 Illinois State Fair go to www.agr.state.il.us/isf/.