Fergie, ZZ Top, Weird Al, Brooks and Dunn to...

The 10-day Illinois State Fair in Springfield this year (Aug 8-17, 2008) will include performances each night from a range of artists including ZZ Top, Weird Al Yankovic, Brooks and Dunn, and Huey Lewis and the News. State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick said the concert lineup fits in nicely with this year's fair theme of "A Family Tradition."

Grandstand Headliners

Pop star Fergie whose 2006 debut album, "The Ditchess," produced three #1 singles, including her Grammy-nominated hit "Big Girls Don't Cry," will perform Friday, August 8th, at 8pm. The alumni of the Grammy-winning hip-hop group, Black Eyed Peas, is today, as a solo artist, one of the biggest names in pop music and the American Music Awards' reigning pop "Favorite Female Artist."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top will perform Friday, August 15th. The 30-million record selling country duo of Brooks and Dunn perform the same evening.

The Grammy Award-winning veteran rockers Huey Lewis and the News with more than 20 million albums sold worldwide will be on stage Sunday, August 10th.

Weird Al Yankovic, winner of two Grammies for the Michael Jackson parody "Eat It" and for his 2003 album "Poodle Hat", performs Saturday, August 9th.

Also at the Grandstand will be Vanessa Hudgens, 18-year-old actress and star of Disney's hit movie, "High School Musical", who will be performing songs from her debut solo album, V on Saturday, August 16th. Country star Trace Adkins, who's charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country music charts, appears with singer-songwriter Trent Tomlinson, whose debut album is "Country Is My Rock", conclude the Grandstand concerts on Sunday, August 17th..

Admission is free to a Grandstand performance of the Illinois Symphony on August 11th.

At this point, all Grandstand appearances are subject to contracts being finalized.

Gasoline and Oats

The Grandstand also offers motor sports and horse racing.

On the motor sports schedule, a new addition this year is twilight go cart racing Saturday and Sunday night at the Multi-Purpose Arena. Also at the arena on Friday, August 8th and Saturday, August 9th will be Moto X events.

The USAC Silver Crown cars and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck series race on the fairgrounds' one-mile dirt oval Saturday, August 16th. Sunday, August 17th, the ARCA Car Series runs the Allen Crowe Memorial.

Harness racing is Friday, August 8th through Tuesday, August 12th. Admission is free with a noon post-time daily. Twilight Harness Racing is August 13th and August 14th.

Ticket Information

Ticket order forms can be downloaded at the Illinois State Fair website at illinoistatefair.info while the Grandstand ticket office opens Saturday, June 7th.

All adults and children, age 3 on up, must have a ticket for both concerts and tractor pulls. All sales are final with no refunds or exchanges on tickets.

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