*** From the official Half Century Of Progress Web Site ***
The show site for the 2007 Half Century Of Progress is about as close to a rainproof show location as you will find. Unlike some outdoor farm show sites over the years that turned out to be a sea of mud, the facility that once was the old Chanute Air Force Base is ready to handle the rain.
The airport at Rantoul has an extensive underground storm water drainage system. While showers could make the demonstration fields and the crops in them soggy, the sewers here at the Rantoul National Aviation Center, combined with the extensive taxiways and aprons that were once used by the U.S. Air Force, would provide a solid surface where vintage farm equipment could be displayed.
Also available to the Half Century Of Progress is the massive Hangar Two at the old airbase. With its expansive 250-foot-wide opening when the doors are parted, this facility can be prepared for indoor demonstrations, stage shows and displays should the rains persist.
“We’re counting on sunshine,” said Half Century Of Progress show manager Dave Gentry. “But if the rains come, we’ll be ready, and the show will go on. You will get your money’s worth at this show, rain or shine,” he added.
