Du Quoin State Fairgrounds | |
 Entrance to the fairgrounds | |
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| Location | US 51 N of jct. with SR 14,Du Quoin, Illinois, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°0′25″N89°14′6″W / 38.00694°N 89.23500°W /38.00694; -89.23500 |
| Area | 179 acres (72 ha) |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Oliver W. Stiegemeyer |
| Architectural style | Moderne, Art Deco |
| MPS | Historic Fairgrounds in Illinois MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000719[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 11, 1990 |
The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds are located in the city ofDu Quoin inPerry County, Illinois, United States. The fairgrounds are located alongU.S. Route 51 north ofIllinois Route 14. The facilities include theDuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack, an oval track that has hosted AAA, USAC and ARCA races since 1948. The fairgrounds are also home to ahorse racing track which hosted theHambletonian Stakes from 1957 to 1980 and theWorld Trotting Derby from 1981 to 2009.[2]
The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds opened in 1923 under the leadership of horse breeder William R. Hayes. Hayes created theDuQuoin State Fair as a parallel event to theIllinois State Fair, which had banned gambling on horse races. To avoid competing for visitors, the Du Quoin State Fair began immediately after the Illinois State Fair closed; the Du Quoin fair traditionally ran throughLabor Day weekend. The event was a financial success which attracted prominent entertainers and groups, many of whom also played the Illinois State Fair; the fair consequently became known as Illinois' "little State Fair" or "second State Fair".[3]
Du Quoin State Fairgrounds has been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places since July 1990. It is one of Perry County's two Registered Historic Places; the other, inPinckneyville, is thePerry County Jail, now a museum.
Municipalities and communities ofPerry County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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