The smells of popcorn, funnel cakes and straw. The sounds of colliding music, screams of joy, laughter and, of course, heavy machinery. The county fair is coming to a nearby town.

The summer months of June through September are filled with county fairs all over the state of Illinois, each with big attractions and big community support.

The town of Arthur hosts the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair each year. The fair started Sunday July 9 and will end this Saturday at Arthur High School, completing its 76th year.

To entertain their bi-county crowd, the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair and Agriculture Association invited The Black Diamond (a Neil Diamond impersonator), Hello Dave (a country-rock band), Gummy Factory Blue (a bluegrass country-western band), and Bulls and Barrels Rodeo to entertain, said Megan Beckmier, treasurer.

They also included in their program of events a talent show, Miss Moultrie-Douglas County pageant, a tractor pull and a demolition derby.

Illinois’ oldest continuous county fair is the Coles County Fair, which began in 1854.

This 152-year-old fair will visit the Coles County Fairgrounds again July 30 through Aug. 6.

On average 30,000 people attend each year, said Tom Jones, president of the Coles County Fair Association.

Planning is continuous, but will get “serious” directly following this year’s fair, said Ron Brown, a director and former president.

A board of nine directors vote to decide what events will take place and other big agenda items. Vendors contact the fair office and are chosen by a three-person committee, said Brown.

Jones and Brown agree that the fair is “pretty good,” but their office still listens to the people and their suggestions for improvement. This year they are trying to rent spaces to more vendors to provide a better variety of food.

“We need more room!” Brown exclaimed. If he could change anything, “I wish we had more room.”

Performances by The Franz Family and The Maharreys, as a part of the Ambraw Valley Gospel Music Fest, are free to all.

The Rusty Wallace car that appeared in the Tom Cruise movie “Days of Thunder” and the Dale Earnhardt car will both be on display at the fairgrounds for free throughout that week.

Another free event is Twilight Harness Racing, set in the evening so people can watch after work. Regular harness racing, which costs a small fee, occurs every afternoon during the fair.

Visitors can see professional bull riding, sponsored by Rural King and Wrangler, a demolition derby, tractor pulls and the Miss Coles County Pageant.

There will also be “celebrity” donkey races, with volunteer firefighters from the area competing to raise money for charity.

Some of the attractions are free, because “we are trying our best to provide affordable entertainment for families,” said Jones.