Illinois Department of Agriculture

08/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/17/2026 13:46

ILLINOIS STATE FAIR ANNOUNCES 2026 MILES OF SMILES PARADE WINNERS

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois State Fair celebrates the following winners from the 2026 Miles of Smiles Parade held Thursday evening.

Marching Band Competition

  • The Mighty Marching Machine from Rich Township High School, Richton Park, Illinois served as the Honor Band after winning in 2025.
  • First Place - Normal Marching Band
  • Second Place - Rochester High School Marching Rockets
  • Third Place - The Golden Wave Marching Band - Farmington Central High School

Commercial Float Contest

  • First Place - The Sunroom Tanning
  • Second Place - B.O.S. (Bank of Springfield)
  • Third Place - INB (Illinois National Bank)

Non-Commercial Float Contest

  • First Place - America's Eagle
  • Second Place - HSHS St. John's Hospital
  • Third Place - Springfield Youth Hockey Association

Specialty Unit

  • First Place - Lanphier High School Cheer and Lionettes
  • Second Place - Visit Springfield
  • Third Place - Cool Cruisers Car Club

Governor's Award Winner

  • HOPE
  • Established in 1957, HOPE is a non-for-profit agency serving individuals with disabilities and their families across 6 states. Through their vast network of educational, residential, and clinical services, HOPE's groundbreaking programming for children with multiple disabilities impacts over 6,000 individuals annually.

The 2026 Illinois State Fair continues through August 23 in Springfield. Stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements from the Illinois State Fair by connecting with us via Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Illinois Department of Agriculture published this content on August 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 17, 2026 at 19:47 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]