The 2022 Illinois State Fair runs through Aug. 21. Here's what you need to know.

The moon rises over the Grandstand as Kane Brown performs on the Grandstand Stage during the Illinois State Fair at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., Friday, August 13, 2021. [Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register]

The wait is almost over: the 2022 Illinois State Fair is ready to begin. Before making plans to head to the fairgrounds, here's some key details about this year's event, from how to get in to what's new for 2022 to the Grandstand acts.

When is the Illinois State Fair?

The fair begins Aug. 11 with the yearly Twilight Parade, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park. This year's grand marshal is Secretary of State Jesse White, who is retiring after 23 years.

The fair is open from 7 a.m. to midnight on the 11th. However, rides are not open until 3 p.m., as maintenance and inspection work is being conducted.

Traffic on the roads around the fairgrounds will be limited to one way beginning Aug. 11 at 5 a.m., with Sangamon Avenue traffic moving east, Peoria Road going north, Taintor Road going west and Fifth Street going south.

Normal operations begin on Aug. 12 and will run through the 21st. Regular traffic patterns will resume by 6 a.m. Aug. 22.

How much does it cost to enter?

Tickets for adults are $5 Sunday through Thursday and $10 on Friday and Saturday. Seniors pay $3 each day. Children age 12 and younger get in for free each day.

The fair provides a series of admission booklets for people to get in on each day of the fair. The price is $45 for adults – providing admission for 11 days – and $30 for seniors – providing admission for 10 days.

Parking at each lot at the fairgrounds is available for $5. Seasonal parking at Gate 6, Lot 18 is available for $40 for those who don't wish to pay for parking each day.

More:Illinois Local Pop-Up event on Saturday to feature eight area businesses

Besides children 12 and younger, who else can get into the fair for free?

On select days, various groups can receive free admission to the fair. On Aug. 13, all children 12 and younger get in free for Kids Day.

On Aug. 14, Veterans and Gold Star Families Day, all veterans and their immediate families can get into the fair for free with proper identification.

On Aug. 15, Seniors and Scouts Day, all seniors and Scouts with proper ID or uniform can get in for free.

Finally, all first responders receive free admission on Aug. 19, First Responder Day.

Is there a way for non-drivers to get to the fairgrounds?

Yes. The Sangamon Mass Transit District will provide bus service to the fair. Call SMTD at (217) 522-5531 or visit the SMTD web site for details. Taxi companies and ride-sharing firms also are available.

Once at the fair, what is there to see and do?

Plenty. Let's start with the free things to do.

Department of Agriculture Tent: The theme of this year's fair is "Grow With Us," so it's appropriate that IDOA has a tent spotlighting Illinois farmers, complete with three booths allowing visitors to sample and purchase home-grown food and groceries, an area for kids which allows little ones to ride a tractor or pet a piglet and even a stage for shows spotlighting Illinois farmers.

Dairy Building: More than just the Butter Cow, the Dairy Building is a showcase of the state's dairy farmers with milk, cheeses, ice cream and other products available to sample.

As for everyone's favorite butter bovine, the design of this year's Butter Cow remains a closely guarded secret. Still, the basics remain: it's 500 pounds of unsalted butter crafted over five days into the shape of a cow.

Conservation World: Located next to the headquarters of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Conservation World is home to activities for those interested in the outdoors. Key features include booths teaching people of all ages about the state's outdoor wonders, including fish, trees and wildlife, along with other interests such as sport shooting, boating and canoeing, chemicals, dogs, archery, land management and rock climbing, among others.

In addition, fishing clinics will be held at the kids pond and north pond, along with copi (Asian carp) tasting near the main pond.

Happy Hollow: As picturesque a place to walk as any on the fairgrounds, Happy Hollow will be home to shows and attractions, featuring water conservation, a strongman competition hosted by the St. Andrews Society and even dinosaurs.

Kids Korner: Home to shows, attractions and activities for the little ones, including face painting, a child safety seat demonstration by the Illinois Department of Transportation, a mural for kids to color on and even a cooling station for hot parents and children alike.

Thrillville: At the center of Thrillville is a large pool. Inside that pool are shows that feature death-defying stunts for both humans and dogs alike, with a DockDogs competition sandwiched by a jetpack stunt show over water.

Village of Cultures: Formerly known as Ethnic Village, this area provides free entertainment from a wide variety of countries and cultures, along with delicious food and treats.

What about the rides?

For rides in the Carnival Midway and Adventure Village, each person must pay $1.50 for a ticket, meaning that for a family of four, it would cost $6 per ride. Tickets can be purchased in bulk, with 20 tickets going for $25 and 50 tickets costing $60.

For those seeking not to pay money each time for a ride, the fair provides their Mega Pass, Jumbo Pass and Bargain Bracelets for those who want to ride as many rides as they can. Mega Passes are available for $90, with Jumbo Passes going for $100 and are available for purchase at the Emmerson Building.

The Mega Pass includes each ride, all day with the exception of the Giant Slide, which is covered by the Jumbo Pass.

The Bargain Bracelet is available for $30 and is valid all day on Sunday through Thursday and from noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It does not include the Giant Slide or the Sky Glide.

I heard the Giant Slide is under new management. Anything else that's new at the fair?

While the Giant Slide definitely isn't new, it got a reprieve of sorts earlier this year through a purchase by Doug Knight, the owner and general manager of the action park that bears his family's name. Previously, ownership sat with a partner in Minnesota.

For actual new features for this year's fair, here's a sample:

Dino Don: The most prominent new attraction might be a series of animatronic dinosaurs produced by "Dino Don" Lessem in Happy Hollow.

Lessem provides his dinosaurs to zoos and museums all over the world and is the only producer of full-size, lifelike dinosaurs in the world. All of the dinos in the show are made to exacting scientific standards.

Notably, he even served as an adviser for "Jurassic Park" and "Dinosaur," along with working to develop theme park rides for Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. He even has his own dinosaur, Lessemsaurus, named after him.

The show is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, with tickets available for $8 through the vendor.

Expo Building Shows: Among the many places at the fairgrounds with free entertainment, the Expo Building is making a few big additions to the fair this year with the Illinois Chop Challenge, a "Chopped"-style show, and a Lego building contest on the final day of the fair. The Tech Prairie STEAM Expo also returns Aug. 17-21.

The Lego competition is open to children ages 5-12 in two different age groups. Registration opens at 10 a.m., with each child getting 30 minutes to build whatever kind of creation he or she can think of. Prizes will be awarded.

Selfie Booth: Also at the Expo Building is a series of 12 separate selfie booths for those who want to commemorate their experience at the state fair. For large groups, two super-sized booths are available for those who want to have their friends and family join in on the fun.

More:From miniature Butter Cows to dinosaurs, Illinois State Fair has plenty of new features

What's happening at the Grandstand this year?

Weather permitting, Grandstand shows will take place from Aug. 12-22, with a wide range of acts designed to cater to everyone's tastes.

Friday, Aug. 12: Country superstar Sam Hunt will grace the Grandstand stage along with Sean Stemaly and Shelby Darrall.

Hunt is best known for his two multi-platinum albums, "Montevallo" and "Southside," each selling more than a million copies. He has had nine top 10 hits on the Billboard country charts, including four No. 1 hits.

Saturday, Aug. 13: All-around mega-star Demi Lovato makes a stop in Springfield for the fair, Lovato's first visit to the capital city.

Well-known for some work on the big and small screens along with behind a microphone, Lovato got a start on "Barney and Friends," moved on to the Disney Channel and then to a multi-platinum recording career that has produced 14 platinum singles including "Skyscraper," "Give Your Heart a Break," "Heart Attack," "Cool for the Summer," "Confident" and "Sorry Not Sorry"; seven top-five albums; and over 4 million albums sold.

Lovato has also become a strong and strident advocate for mental health.

Rising star iyla – spelled undercase – will open for Lovato.

Sunday, Aug. 14: Country duo Brooks & Dunn returns to the state fair stage for the sixth time, having first performed on the Grandstand in 1995. It's the first appearance for the two since 2008, when they shared the stage with ZZ Top.

The group is among the most successful in country music history, with over 20 No. 1 hits and 19 top 10 hits over the past 30 years. Songs like "Boot Scootin' Boogie," "My Maria" and "Ain't Nothin' Bout You" hit both the country and pop charts, respectively.

Southern Illinois native Kendell Marvel, best known for his writing work on two top five country hits, will open for the duo.

Monday, Aug. 15: The Ides of March, complete with founder Jim Peterik, come to the Grandstand.

Getting its start in Berwyn, the band had several hits in Chicago during the 1960s before hitting it big with the 1970 hit, "Vehicle," which hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts.

The Ides of March have been continuously performing since 1990 with their original lineup, including Peterik, who went on to found Survivor, best known for "Eye of the Tiger" from the third "Rocky" film.

Tuesday, Aug. 16: For much of the 1980s, Willie Nelson was as much a part of the fair as the Butter Cow and Jim Thompson riding down the Giant Slide.

Nelson hasn't performed at the fairgrounds in 21 years, but all that changes as the American country music icon returns to the state fair Aug. 16 with Elle King.

Nelson has done just about everything one can do in the music industry and then some, with his advocacy for farmers and the legalization of marijuana.

Wednesday, Aug. 17: Shaggy and TLC will make their presence felt on the Grandstand stage for their first appearances in Springfield.

Best known for his 2001 hits, "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel," along with Top 5 hit "Boombastic," Mungo Jerry cover "In the Summertime" and "Oh Carolina," Shaggy has been a constant on the pop-reggae scene for over 30 years. Recently, he made a collaboration album with Sting, appeared on "The Masked Singer" and even received an honorary doctorate from Brown University.

TLC was one of the 1990s' biggest R&B groups, with legendary albums like "CrazySexyCool" and "FanMail" topping the charts and going multi-platinum, with legendary songs like "Waterfalls," "Creep," "Unpretty" and "No Scrubs."

The group is a duo, with Chilli and T-Boz performing without their colleague, Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes, who died in a car crash in 2002.

Thursday, Aug. 18: Jon Pardi will team up with Lainey Wilson and Chapel Hart to provide some old-school country flavor to the Grandstand.

Pardi's neotraditional style has made him one of the biggest stars in country music, with three No. 1 hits and three top three albums. His newest album, "Mr. Saturday Night," is scheduled to be released in September.

Friday, Aug. 19: Comedian Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will bring his unique perspective on current events and his upbringing in South Africa to the Grandstand.

Noah replaced Jon Stewart in the anchor chair at TDS in 2015, continuing the show's tradition of skewering American and international politics through groundbreaking satire. Noah's autobiography, "Born a Crime," became a bestseller in 2016 and reflects on his childhood as a mixed-race child in apartheid-era South Africa.

He has continued his stand-up work while behind the anchor desk, producing three Netflix comedy specials.

Saturday, Aug. 20: Hard rock band Disturbed will join guitarist Nita Strauss for a performance certain to shake the fairgrounds on the penultimate night of the fair.

The band has sold more than 17 million albums since getting its start in Chicago in 1994. From 2002 to 2015, the band had a stretch of five consecutive albums hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Strauss has worked for the likes of Alice Cooper and Demi Lovato. She even has her own Ibanez signature guitar, the JIVA10.

Sunday, Aug. 21: After a wait of more than a year, fans of Sammy Hagar and the Circle will finally get the chance to see the band perform at the fair, joining Ann Wilson of Heart on the stage.

Known as "The Red Rocker," Hagar is going strong at 74, having released his 19th studio album last year. Much of his work with the Circle includes many of his past hits from bands like Montrose, Chickenfoot and Van Halen, along with his solo work.

Wilson's operatic vocals are best exemplified through her work in Heart, where she and her bandmates sold over 22 million records in the United States, with hits like "Barracuda," "These Dreams" and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You."

What about tickets and start times?

Tickets for the Grandstand are available online through Ticketmaster or through the Grandstand box office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. During the fair, the box office is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

All shows start at 8 p.m. The Ides of March show has free admission; all other shows require admission.

What about racing at the Grandstand?

Racing of both the equine and automotive varieties will continue at the fair this year, with twilight harness racing being held at 5 p.m. Aug. 11. All other days of harness racing will begin at noon.

The Bettenhausen 100 and the ARCA Menards Series Atlas 100/Sportsman Nationals will also return to the fair, with the Bettenhausen running at 2 p.m. Aug. 20 and the ARCA race at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children in advance and $30 on the day of the race. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Grandstand box office.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois State Fair 2022 Guide: Here's everything you need to know