Illinois State Fair Announces 2014 Headliners

Among the acclaimed artists featured in the 10-day event are rapper Pitbull, country duo Florida Georgia Line and legendary rock band Boston

The Illinois State Fair has announced its 2014 lineup, bringing several chart-topping entertainment acts to the grandstand stage.

Among the acclaimed artists featured in the 10-day event are rapper Pitbull, country duo Florida Georgia Line and legendary rock band Boston.

Also performing at the event will be American Idol finalists, the Million Dollar Quartet, Steely Dan, and country singers Hunter Hayes and Jake Owen.

Last year, approximately 961,142 people attended the Springfield-based fair, up 5 percent from 2012. The number marked the fair's highest attendance since 2002, when 1.2 million people entered the gates.

Gov. Pat Quinn attributed the spike in attendance to the Grandstand music entertainment, which set a record for highest ticket sales in fair history at $2.03 million.

Toby Keith was the most popular act with 9,367 tickets sold, surpassing Styx and REO Speedwagon by 144 tickets. The Associated Press reported last week that Keith was also one of the highest paid acts. He was among the three top performers who made $300,000 for his performance at the fair along with Journey and John Mayer.

Quinn, a fan of Keith's, proclaimed Aug. 14 as officially Toby Keith Day in the state of Illinois.

"Illinois is a leader in supporting the arts, and has always been an important component of the artistic fabric of our state," Quinn said.
 

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