Sensory-Friendly Hours and Activities at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield

The 2024 Illinois State Fair will offer free entertainment, activities and a dedicated quiet zone for individuals with sensory-processing needs

The 2024 Illinois State Fair is happening in Springfield from Aug. 8-18.

We are excited to help support the Illinois State Fair’s sensory-friendly efforts for this year’s event.

Our Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) team members from central Illinois will help staff the fair’s Sensory Station. The fair is also offering sensory-friendly Sunflower Hours and other programming to make the fair a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all.

Our DSCC team will be at the fair’s Sensory Station from Thursday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 11.

The Sensory Station is inside the Emmerson Building, just off Main Street and Brian Raney Avenue in the center of the fairgrounds. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

It is an air-conditioned, dedicated quiet zone with activities and resources to help visitors regroup and refocus.

The Sensory Station will feature:

• Noise canceling headphones
• Calming pods
• A foam block pit
• A stuffed animal “petting zoo”
• A coloring station and other sensory-friendly activities

These tools and activities are for children and adults who need help processing the sights, smells, noises and crowds at the fair.

Our DSCC team will also have a tent and table outside the Sensory Station on these four days. We will have coloring activities and information about our programs and services for families.

The fair is also hosting Sunflower Hours on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. During this time, the fair will adjust certain programs and activities to create a softer, more calming environment for children and adults with sensory processing sensitivities.

The fair has Sunflower Hours stickers available for families to use during this timeframe. This sticker allows fair visitors with sensory sensitivities to enjoy select amusement rides for free during the Sunflower Hours. Riders must have the Sunflower Hours sticker and an adult and/or caregiver accompanying them.

DSCC has a limited number of stickers available for our program participants. If you are a DSCC participant family and would like us to send you a Sunflower Hours sticker, please email dscc@uic.edu with your name and your participant’s name. To allow enough time to mail stickers, please make your request by Aug. 5. We will send stickers on a first-come, first-served basis.

All families may visit the Sensory Station during the Sunflower Hours event to get more stickers. The stickers will be available while supplies last.

Conservation World, located at the fair’s Eight Street entrance, will also host Sunflower Hours on Tuesday, Aug. 13, and Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 to 10 a.m. Fairgoers can explore the great outdoors in a more peaceful and sensory-friendly setting during these times.

The Illinois State Fair has a social story to help you plan your visit to this year’s event. It is a step-by-step guide to help parents and caregivers explain what to expect during a visit to the Illinois State Fair.

You can find the social story and more details about the Sensory Station, Sunflower Hours, the entertainment schedule and more in the Sensory Friendly Fair section of the Illinois State Fair website.