Illinois Department Of Agriculture Tent Features Free Food And Cooking Demonstrations

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Twenty-two Illinois food companies are giving away free samples of their products in the Department of Agriculture Tent at the 2011 Illinois State Fair.

“This is a great opportunity for Illinois food companies to introduce their products to thousands of potential customers and build name recognition,” Ag Tent organizer Larry Aldag said.  “Marketing programs like this are important because food processing is one of Illinois’ leading manufacturing activities.  Simply put, the more demand we create for Illinois food, the more jobs we create in our food industry.”

The food sampling occurs daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The companies rotate, with ten featured each day. 

The participating companies produce a wide variety of products, including homemade noodles, meat sticks, bakery items, chili seasonings, salsas and barbecue sauces. A complete list follows:

The Department of Agriculture Tent is located in the Gate 2 area on the southeast side of the fairgrounds near the “Farmer’s Little Helpers” children’s exhibit.

In addition to food sampling, the department also is offering free cooking demonstrations. Three times a day, top chefs are preparing dishes for fairgoers using fresh, local produce. The demonstrations take place at 11 a.m. and 2 and 5 p.m. in the Gazebo near Brian Raney Ave. and the best part is that the chefs are sharing samples as well as their favorite recipes.

SPECIAL EVENTS RESULTS

Winners of the Illinois State Fair photo contests have been announced. Emmersyn Jiannoni of Springfield was selected the overall grand champion of the Baby Photo contest. The results are listed below.