The state’s annual showcase of agriculture – the Illinois State Fair – is now open.

At Thursday’s ribbon-cutting, Lt Gov. Juliana Stratton – tasked with, among other things, heading up a rural affairs commission – talked about the state’s top industry.

“All year we have been looking forward to this time,” she said, “when we can come together to these fairgrounds, that remind us how deeply connected we are with each other. Because, as I always say, ‘ag connects us all.’ And that’s really the spirit behind my office’s agricultural equity and food insecurity initiative.”

As the state ag director did last week, Gov. JB Pritzker talked up major infrastructure programs going on, including improved roads, an overhaul of the Multi-Purpose Arena, and continued rehabilitation of the century-old Coliseum.

What about food? The governor said he is inclined toward a lemon shake-up and the occasional funnel cake.

The fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 21.

Are all lemon shake-ups created equal?

“We mash ‘em really well,” says Bernie Coleman of Springfield. “We don’t use sugar water. We use real fruit, real sugar, real strawberries. So ours are very good – we think.”

Three longtime concessionaire families — the Colemans, the Cullers, and the Voses — share the role of grand marshal during this year’s Illinois State Fair, which opened Thursday.

“165 years — extraordinary!” said Gov. Bruce Rauner at the ribbon-cutting. “One of the oldest, most beautiful, biggest, best state fairs in America, and what this is all about is celebrating our farm families.”

Rauner declined to answer questions about the school funding crisis, choosing instead to stick to the topic at hand: “The best raspberry milkshakes in the universe are in the Dairy Building at the fair.”

After the ribbon cutting, Illinois Department of Agriculture director Raymond Poe lost his balance and fell, but declined an ambulance. A spokeswoman said Thursday evening Poe is OK.

The fair runs through Aug. 20.