BETHALTO - For 97 years, the Bethalto Homecoming has been a popular event in the River Bend.

This year, with as many as 40 vendors, major bands, and several rides and eats for the entire family, the event saw more than 20,000 people by Sunday evening. Those people have amounted to an estimated $100,000 spent. The money is the only fundraising event for the Bethalto Volunteer Fire Department, which uses the money to improve the department.

"We use the money to train and send our firefighters to conferences," Bethalto Fire Chief Alex Campbell said.

Bethalto Mayor Alan Winslow said he was "extremely pleased" with the fair's attendance, saying it gets bigger every year. He he was most impressed by the musical acts the fair was able to bring this year including Borderline and Steve Ewing. Ewing was the frontman for the St. Louis based band, The Urge, which experienced wild success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and still commands a large following.

"We're getting bigger bands this year, which I think helps bring more people out," he said.

Winslow was also proud to showcase an example of a small Christmas cabin display. While Labor Day may seem to be a long time before Christmas, Winslow said plans were in the works to use the village's fairgrounds to host a Christmas display every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"We're going to decorate the park and put up cabins full of Christmas,displays," Winslow said. "Local churches are going to have carolers walk through to entertain people."

Campbell and Winslow both said plans for the homecoming's centennial will begin shortly after this year's fair ends Monday evening. It may be three years away, but Winslow said the village will have to "do something big" to celebrate.

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Reporter Cory Davenport can be reached via call or text at (618) 419-3046 or via email at [email protected].

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