Casey Donahew and Clay Walker put on a impressive performance Friday evening at the Christian County Fairgrounds in front of a packed house in what was a beautiful night in Taylorville. Donahew took the stage first. His album All Night Party, was #3 on the US Country Charts in 2016. Donahew released a greatest hits album, 15 Years: The Wild Ride, in 2017. Donahew played for about 45 minutes.
Around 8:30 PM, Walker took the stage entertaining the crowds with many of his hits including "If I Could Make a Living" which he had full audience participation in as he would sing a line and let the crowd respond with the next. In 2015 Walker was Inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He has 6 #1 hits and 11 studio albums.
Walker is in Muscatine, Iowa on Saturday in a continuation of his "Drive Me Home" tour.
images courtesy: Emma Sneed
Posted July 17, 2025
Some 175 people attended the 31st Annual Agriculture Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by the Christian County Ag Group, at the Fairgrounds over the noon hour Thursday.
A host of scholarships were awarded, and those in attendance also heard remarks from Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello.
The Christian County Ag Group Scholarship was presented by Ag Group president R-D Elder, to Lilly Winans, daughter of Ben and Amy Winans of Mount Auburn.
The Christian County Farm Bureau Foundation also awarded fifteen-hundred dollar scholarships to Abby Erlenbush of Mechanicsburg and Lilly Winans.
Following the scholarship presentations, Ag Director Costello spoke about all the services the Illinois Department of Agriculture provides the state, including some that most people don’t realize.
Costello shared some concerns he has for the ag industry at the moment.
And, Costello encouraged the Christian County Ag Appreciation Luncheon guests to address farmers’ mental health as well as their physical health.
Dick Breckenridge of Taylorville helped found the Christian County Ag Group 31 years ago to promote the importance of agriculture to the local economy. The luncheon is the group’s major event each year.
What looked like a rainout turned into an unforgettable night of racing at the Christian County Fair in Taylorville. Despite heavy rainfall just hours before start time, track crews and volunteers pulled off a near miracle to get the 11th Annual Fair Race Night underway. After a short delay, racing began around 8:00 PM in front of a packed crowd.
In the DIRTcar Modifieds, Brian Diveley of Springfield made a triumphant return to Taylorville’s dirt oval after more than two decades. Diveley surged past early leader Clint Martin to win the 20-lap A-Main, holding off strong challenges from Zeke McKenzie and Jeremy Nichols.
The DIRTcar Sportsman feature saw Springfield’s Ethan Schnapp edge out Guy Taylor and Colby Eller in a close three-way battle for the checkered flag, with Indiana’s Jordan Almanza and Derrick Hufford rounding out the top five.
Wrapping up the night, the DIRTcar Street Stock A-Main featured a bold three-wide move by Bobby Beiler of Blue Mound, who charged to the front to secure the win over Jeremy Nichols and Nick Justice.
Fans, officials, and drivers braved the weather and were rewarded with thrilling side-by-side racing across all divisions.Many of the drivers now set their sights on Lincoln Speedway this Friday night, July 18, for more racing action. For more upcoming events, visit lincolnspeedwayil.com.
Photo Courtesy: Doug Alvey
DIRTcar Modifieds
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 11D-Brian Diveley[2]; 2. J24-Jeremy Nichols[11]; 3. 24-Zeke McKenzie[6]; 4. 4M-Clint Martin[1]; 5. 310-Chuck Mitchell[17]; 6. 81H-Tim Luttrell[13]; 7. 96-Marshall Call[20]; 8. 19C-Carter Sinkhorn[5]; 9. 357-Braydon Rich[18]; 10. J13-Justin Coffey[14]; 11. Z24-Zach Taylor[16]; 12. 69-Noah Sugg[4]; 13. 11-Zach Rhodes[9]; 14. 55L-Kevin Moffett[19]; 15. 35-Clark Robertson[7]; 16. 12-Shane Allen[12]; 17. 14-Carter Standerfer[15]; 18. 3B-Tyler Blankenship[10]; 19. 78-Maxx Emerson[8]; 20. 27-Dalton Ewing[3]
B Feature 1 (8 Laps): 1. 310-Chuck Mitchell[2]; 2. 357-Braydon Rich[3]; 3. 55L-Kevin Moffett[1]; 4. 96-Marshall Call[7]; 5. 5P-Nicholas Porter[8]; 6. 11X-Chris Hawkins[11]; 7. 1-Chris Erwin[5]; 8. (DNS) 13-Dante Brown; 9. (DNS) 4G-John Goveia; 10. (DNS) 13S-Tommy Skinner; 11. (DNS) 7S-Phil Skinner
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 27-Dalton Ewing[4]; 2. 69-Noah Sugg[7]; 3. 3B-Tyler Blankenship[5]; 4. J13-Justin Coffey[1]; 5. 357-Braydon Rich[3]; 6. 5P-Nicholas Porter[6]; 7. 7S-Phil Skinner[2]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 4M-Clint Martin[7]; 2. 35-Clark Robertson[3]; 3. 78-Maxx Emerson[6]; 4. 14-Carter Standerfer[1]; 5. 13-Dante Brown[4]; 6. 96-Marshall Call[5]; 7. 11X-Chris Hawkins[2]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 11D-Brian Diveley[7]; 2. 11-Zach Rhodes[2]; 3. 12-Shane Allen[3]; 4. 81H-Tim Luttrell[5]; 5. 55L-Kevin Moffett[6]; 6. 1-Chris Erwin[4]; 7. 13S-Tommy Skinner[1]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 19C-Carter Sinkhorn[2]; 2. 24-Zeke McKenzie[5]; 3. J24-Jeremy Nichols[1]; 4. Z24-Zach Taylor[3]; 5. 310-Chuck Mitchell[6]; 6. 4G-John Goveia[4]
DIRTcar Sportsmans
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 7S-Ethan Schnapp[2]; 2. Z24-Guy Taylor[3]; 3. 10C-Colby Eller[5]; 4. 14J-Jordan Almanza[4]; 5. 27-Derrick Hufford[6]; 6. X-Bobby Beiler[7]; 7. 55-Tim Riech[10]; 8. 41-Scott Landers[11]; 9. 87-Wes O'Dell[1]; 10. 84L-Jim Farley III[12]; 11. 14-Cole Landers[13]; 12. 58-Brandon Hamm[16]; 13. (DNF) 21-Ed Cleeton[8]; 14. (DNF) 11-Roy Magee[15]; 15. (DNF) 07-Phil Moreland[9]; 16. (DNF) 5S-Ronald Bacon[14]; 17. (DNS) 17B-Stefan Bedinger
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 87-Wes O'Dell[2]; 2. 7S-Ethan Schnapp[5]; 3. 14J-Jordan Almanza[7]; 4. X-Bobby Beiler[8]; 5. 55-Tim Riech[3]; 6. 07-Phil Moreland[9]; 7. 14-Cole Landers[1]; 8. 58-Brandon Hamm[6]; 9. 17B-Stefan Bedinger[4]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Z24-Guy Taylor[1]; 2. 27-Derrick Hufford[2]; 3. 10C-Colby Eller[7]; 4. 21-Ed Cleeton[6]; 5. 41-Scott Landers[5]; 6. 84L-Jim Farley III[8]; 7. 5S-Ronald Bacon[4]; 8. 11-Roy Magee[3]
Street Stocks
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 17-Bobby Beiler[5]; 2. 67R-Jeremy Nichols[6]; 3. 36-Nick Justice[3]; 4. 4S-Kirk Spurgeon[1]; 5. 187-Korey Bailey[2]; 6. 44J-Jeremy Madsen[4]; 7. (DNS) 28-Jhett Smith
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 4S-Kirk Spurgeon[7]; 2. 187-Korey Bailey[3]; 3. 36-Nick Justice[2]; 4. 44J-Jeremy Madsen[5]; 5. 17-Bobby Beiler[4]; 6. 67R-Jeremy Nichols[6]; 7. 28-Jhett Smith[1]
The Christian County Ag Fair announced the winners of the 2025 Miss Christian County Fair Queen Pageant. Retiring Queen Delaney Epley crowned new Miss Christian County Fair Queen Lydia Repscher in a ceremony on Tuesday evening. Repscher says this is a dream come true after coming up 1st Runner Up in 2024.
Repscher says there’s so much that goes behind the scenes to make the event and your night a success.
Junior Miss Christian County Jolie Cavatorta was Junior Miss. She is thrilled with this opportunity after being previously named Little Miss Christian County and shared some advice for littles.
Little Miss Christian County was named and Avery Nation received the honors. Nation says that it was a lot of fun to hang out with her friends.
Miss Christian County Lydia Repscher says when it comes to advice for young ladies going into pageantry, be yourself.
The Christian County Fair Queens were guests on the WTIM Morning Show live from the Christian County Ag Fair.
2025 Miss Christian County: Lydia Repscher
1st Runner Up: Ella Reiss
2nd Runner Up: Alivia Kent
Junior Miss: Jolie Cavatorta
1st Runner Up: Opal Ryan
2nd Runner Up: Hollyn Becker
Little Miss: Avery Nation
1st Runner Up: Elliott Knapp
2nd Runner Up: Harper Walter
County and city officials gathered with the Fair Board as Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp cut the ribbon officially opening the 101st Christian County Fair. The fair runs from today until July 19th. Christian County Board Chair Bryan Sharp says that the event is a culmination of a lot of hard work that brings the county together like a family. He also talked a little about what he's looking forward to.
The Christian County Agricultural Fair returns to Taylorville this week, bringing five days of fun, food, and entertainment to the fairgrounds on the city’s south side. The 101st edition of the fair runs Tuesday, July 15 through Saturday, July 19, and includes livestock shows, live music, pageants, stock car races, tractor pulls, and a grandstand concert by country music star Clay Walker.
The fair officially opens Tuesday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by youth project judging in the Expo Building. That evening, the Little Miss, Jr. Miss, and Miss Christian County pageants take center stage beginning at 6 p.m.
Wednesday features a full day of 4-H livestock shows starting at 8:30 a.m. and includes cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and dairy judging. Senior citizens will be recognized at a special appreciation dinner in the late morning. The evening wraps up with stock car races at 7 p.m. in the grandstand.
On Thursday, the Ag Appreciation Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., with keynote remarks by Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. A western-style fashion show starts at 6 p.m., followed by the 4-H Auction. At 7 p.m., the ITPA Tractor Pull revs up the grandstand, while Cody Bumgardner performs live on the Expo Stage.
Friday is one of the most anticipated nights of the fair, with multi-platinum country singer Clay Walker headlining a concert at 7 p.m., joined by special guest Casey Donahew. Walker, known for hits like “Live Until I Die,” “She Won’t Be Lonely Long,” and “Dreaming With My Eyes Open,” has topped the country charts 11 times. General admission and track tickets are still available, with prices increasing on the day of the show.
Before the concert, the day will include more livestock shows, music, and wine tastings, with Anton Deroche performing on the Expo Stage from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
The fair concludes Saturday with the Illinois State Chili Cook-Off, classic car cruise-in, a Lego contest, and Young American Day activities. The popular Demolition Derby starts at 6 p.m., preceded by a Power Wheels demo derby at 5 p.m.
Admission to the fairgrounds is free, though grandstand events require tickets ranging from $10 to $20 depending on the night. Season passes and camping spots are also available.
For a full schedule of events or to purchase concert tickets, visit christiancountyfair.com.
TO SEE THE FULL CC FAIR PAGE CLICK HERE.
Engines will roar and dirt this Wednesday night as the 11th Annual Race Night takes over the Christian County Fairgrounds in Taylorville. It's one of the fair's most anticipated midweek racing traditions, featuring Modifieds, Sportsman, and Street Stocks on the fair’s 1/5-mile dirt track.
Since its revival in 2014, the event has become a summer favorite for grassroots racing fans. Promoted by Track Enterprises, this year’s action includes a $600 prize for the Modifieds and $500 to win in both the Sportsman and Street Stock divisions.
Gates open at 5, hotlaps start at 6:20, and racing kicks off at 7 o’clock Wednesday night.
For more details, visit trackenterprises.com or christiancountyfair.com.
The 4-H competitions at the Christian County Fair continue with the sheep show. It took place on Wednesday, with many 4-H participants bringing their animals for judging. Regional Radio News spoke to five of them – Charlee, Harper, Olive, and Opal Ryan, along with Reagen Funderburke – ahead of the event.
The Ryans are all related but are not all siblings. As Charlee describes, she and Harper brought five sheep to the fair but have many more at home.
And as Harper describes, there are more breeds of sheep than people may realize.
The sheep are judged on their appearance. Opal Ryan says the finer criteria are based on the breed.
Taking care of sheep requires a lot of work. Olive Ryan says their attitudes play a major role in the care they need.
Reagen Funderburke adds that sheep often mirror the attitudes of their carers as well.
Charlee, Harper, Olive, and Opal Ryan, along with Reagen Funderburke, appeared as guests on the WTIM Morning Show as part of our Christian County Fair coverage.
Christian County Agricultural Fair Holds Community Day
On Wednesday
The Christian County Agricultural Fair saw the East Expo Building transformed into the 3rd Annual Community Day and Vendor Fair on Wednesday evening. Over 75 vendors were on-hand for the event, giving away prizes, goodies, and information on their organization or company. Angela Ohl-Marsters, Marketing and Promotions Director with the Christian County Fair Board, talks ‘Community Day’ and everything happening with it.
With the fair starting Tuesday and running through Saturday, July 19th, Ohl-Marsters highlights some other events to bring the family out for during the rest of the week.
Carl Goebel, Commercial Ag Loan Officer for CNB, discusses why they come to the big night. Goebel shares just being apart of the fair atmosphere is enough of a reason to be involved.
When talking to Tiffany Sloan, Loan Officer at Ayars Bank, she says it’s all about seeing the people they serve and being amongst others in the community.
Find out more about the Christian County Agricultural Fair by visiting us at taylorvilledailynews.
Groovy 97.3 WRAN broadcast live from the Christian County Agricultural Fair Community Day as part of our ongoing fair week coverage.
On Wednesday July 16, the 4-H Livestock Shows took place at the Christian County Fairgrounds. The Swine Show began at 8 am, followed by the Sheep & Goat Shows, and the Beef Show. Clay Kretzmeier and Nate Brookshire served as the judges for the Livestock Shows. Thank you to the livestock superintendents, parents, and volunteers who helped make the Livestock Shows a success. The Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion, and Showmanship winners are listed below:
Swine:
• Grand Champion Gilt – Isabelle Pistorius
• Reserve Grand Champion Gilt – Emma Pistorius
• Grand Champion Barrow – Brant Hedden
• Reserve Grand Champion Barrow – Olivia Pistorius
• Sr. Showmanship – Haley Hanson
• Reserve Sr. Showmanship – Isaac Hanson
• Intermediate Showmanship – Levi Paulek
• Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Gentry Dunkirk
• Jr. Showmanship – Liam Motayne
• Reserve Jr. Showmanship – Mason Wemple
Sheep:
• Grand Champion Ram – Kade Beckmier
• Reserve Grand Champion Ram – Deacon Shanks
• Grand Champion Ewe – Ryker Beckmier
• Reserve Grand Champion Ewe – Ryker Beckmier
• Grand Champion Market Lamb – Kade Beckmier
• Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb – Oliva Ryan
• Sr. Showmanship – Ryker Beckmier
• Reserve Sr. Showmanship – Kade Beckmier
• Intermediate Showmanship – Opal Ryan
• Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Jade Cruit
• Jr. Showmanship – Harper Ryan
Goat:
• Grand Champion Meat Doe – Levi Paulek
• Reserve Grand Champion Meat Doe – Elayna Harker
• Grand Champion Meat Buck - Elayna Harker
• Grand Champion Market Goat – Waylon Paulek
• Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat – Kade Beckmier
• Grand Champion Dairy Doe – Judson Shanks
• Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Doe – Calum Shanks
• Senior Showmanship – Kade Beckmier
• Reserve Sr. Showmanship – Elayna Harker
• Intermediate Showmanship – Levi Paulek
• Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Calum Shanks
Beef:
• Grand Champion Heifer – Luke Short
• Reserve Grand Champion Heifer – Reagan Head
• Grand Champion Steer – Waylon Paulek
• Reserve Grand Champion Steer – Levi Paulek
• Senior Showmanship – Will Curtin
• Reserve Sr. Showmanship – Luke Short
• Intermediate Showmanship – Levi Paulek
• Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Payton May
• Jr. Showmanship – Raegan Head
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact 217-287-7246. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting participant needs.
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.
Photo Caption: Henley and Layne Bliler share a laugh with the judge as Hayden Funderburk helps the sisters show their sheep.
On July 14, the 4-H general projects were showcased at the Extension Office. During the 4-H show, members complete a process of evaluation called conference judging. This process allows the 4-H members to answer questions asked by the judges pertaining to the projects. The questions are asked to help the judge determine how much the 4-H member learned while doing their project. The 4-H program would like to thank the judges that judged at the general show. Thank you to all those who helped make the 2025 4-H General Show a success. Christian County 4-H members who received best of show or were chosen as state fair delegates/state fair alternates are listed below:
Animal Science
- State Fair Delegate: Rayla Brown – Animal Science
Babysitting
- State Fair Delegate: Olivia Ostermeier – Babysitting
Clothing and Textiles
- State Fair Delegates: Henley Bliler – Sewing 1 Sewn Clothing, Molly Zucco – Sewing 2 Sewn Clothing
Consumer Education
- State Fair Delegate: Kyle Jackle-Hugh – My Financial Future 2 Advanced
Electricity
- State Fair Delegate: Calum Shanks – Electricity 2
eSports
- Best of Show – Judges Award: Ben Wamsley – eSports
- State Fair Delegate: Ben Wamsley – eSports
Foods and Nutrition
- Best of Show: Colin May – Cooking 101 Cookies, Olivia Mizeur – Cooking 201 Nut Bread, Kate Waterman – Cooking 301 Tea Ring, Caroline Hedden – Cooking 401 Sponge Cake
- State Fair Delegates: Henley Bliler – Cooking 101 Cookies, Colin May – Cooking 101 Cookies, Adele Zucco – Cooking 201 Scones, Kate Waterman – Cooking 301 Tea Ring, Caroline Hedden – Cooking 401 Sponge Cake, Olivia Mizeur – Cooking 201 Nut Bread, Layne Bliler – Cooking 301 Tea Ring, Kyle Jackle- Hugh – Food Science 1-4
- State Fair Alternates: Abigail Erlenbush – Cooking 401 Sponge Cake, Kace Waterman – Cooking 101 Coffee Cake, Harper Ryan – Cooking 201 Nut Bread, Abby Wamsley – Cooking 401 Focaccia Bread
Horticulture: Floriculture
- Best of Show: Molly Zucco – Floriculture D
- State Fair Delegates: Cara Eggimann – Floriculture A, Adele Zucco – Floriculture B, Molly Zucco – Floriculture D
- State Fair Alternate: Caroline Hedden – Floriculture A
Intercultural
- Best of Show – Judges Award: Kyle Jackle-Hugh – Passport to the World-Individual
- State Fair Delegate: Kyle Jackle-Hugh – Passport to the World-Individual
Interior Design
- Best of Show: Benjamin Wamsley – Design Decisions-Advanced
- State Fair Delegate: Benjamin Wamsley – Design Decisions-Advanced
Video/Filmmaking
- State Fair Delegate: Benjamin Wamsley – Video Innovation-Individual
Visual Arts
- Best of Show: Kelsie Hunt – Heritage Arts, Kelsie Hunt – Fiber, Judson Shanks – Metal, Abby Wamsley – Computer Generated Art, Ben Wamsley – Chalk/Carbon/Pigment Division B on Paper
- State Fair Delegates: Isabelle Hunt – Heritage Arts, Kelsie Hunt – Fiber, Connor Eggiman – Plastic Block Art, Judson Shanks – Metal, Judson Shanks – Clay, Rayla Brown – Chalk/Carbon/Pigment Division A on Canvas, Ben Wamsley – Chalk/Carbon/Pigment Division B on Paper, Abby Wamsley – Computer-Generated Art, Abby Wamsley – Food Decorating - Advanced
- State Fair Alternates: Henley Bliler – Heritage Arts, Calum Shanks – Metal, Abby Wamsley – Chalk/Carbon/Pigment Division B on Paper
Welding
- State Fair Delegates: Calum Shanks – Welding
Woodworking
- Best of Show: Connor Eggimann – Woodworking 2
- State Fair Delegates: Connor Eggimann – Woodworking 2
About Illinois 4-H: Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension and administered through the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. 4-H grows true leaders, youth who are empowered for life today and prepared for a career tomorrow. The hands-on approach in 4-H gives young people guidance, tools, and encouragement, and then puts them in the driver’s seat to make great things happen. Independent research confirms the unparalleled impact of the 4-H experience, demonstrating that young people are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.
© 2026 Taylorville Daily News, Hart Media Group
Built on Envisionwise Technology.
