618 Event Center set to open for Clinton County Fair week

There will be a dedication and blessing of the new 618 Event Center building at the Clinton County Fairgrounds from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.    Workers have been busy putting the finishing touches on the new 618 Event Center building at the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Carlyle.
    Fair board president Ralph Beckmann confirmed that the facility will be ready for Clinton County Fair week July 11-18.
    "I have talked to people out in the community about the new building and they seem to be very excited about it and are looking forward to it," Beckmann said.
    All of this year's animal shows will be in the new facility. The livestock shows were previously in outdoor barns. 
    Plumbers and electricians were at the building the first week in July to put the finishing touches on the building. New fences and pens for the animals have been installed. There also is an open area where animal showers and fair attendees can relax and sit at picnic tables.
    D.C.A. Contracting, Inc., out of Breese, did all of the steel work for the new building.
    The indoor building is 120 feet wide by 450 feet long. Pieces for the building rolled into the fairgrounds on nine semi trailers in October 2025. Construction on the building began in November.
    The building is wide open inside, so there are endless possibilities to host events there.
   "This is going to be a big improvement for us and there are a lot of things we can do with the building," Beckmann said. "We can have bands, concerts, car shows, auctions, tractor pulls, and many other possibilities. It is going to be a very exciting time and the last four weeks have been very busy finishing things up."
    The fair board is looking to have bigger livestock shows during showing season. They are hoping the 618 Event Center is something all people in southern Illinois can use, because there will be few facilities like it in southern Illinois.
    The goal of the fair board is to have the 618 Event Center rented out once or twice a month.
    The new building will be big enough to host indoor tractor pulls.Current construction inside
    The Clinton County Fairgrounds will be the only fairgrounds south of Bloomington to have a facility like the 618 Event Center. They picked the name 618 Event Center because it encompasses southern Illinois and what they are about.
    They already have beef and pork jackpots coming that can attract anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people at a time. Fire departments and EMS can use the building for training. Heavy equipment dealers want to come in and do training. They also are looking at sporting events, flea markets and boat shows.
    The Clinton County Farm Bureau has already put up $250,000 to help with the startup of the building. They have a private trust that says they will match the Farm Bureau donation. The fair board has put up $100,000.
    The Clinton County Board approved a resolution of donating $30,000 out of the tourism fund toward the building on Oct. 1. Contingent upon the building keeps progressing, in January of 2026 they proposed another $10,000 and January 2027 another $10,000.
    The board unanimously approved the resolution of funding $50,000 toward the project.
    One item that won't be ready for fair week is the donor wall that will list all of the individuals and businesses who helped make the facility happen. There will be banners put up acknowledging the donors.
    They are looking at making a memorial brick walk in front of the donor wall.
    Catholic bishop Godfrey Mullen will dedicate and bless the 618 Event Center from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, July 12. The Beckemeyer American Legion will do a flag raising ceremony either before or after the dedication.
    The 618 Event Center is another update and upgrade to the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
    The Legacy Building was completed at the fairgrounds in 2021.