The Warren County Prime Beef Festival to be Held September 1-6
By - The Forgottonia Times™ Report
In 1948, the Warren County Prime Beef Festival was founded. Bob Albert, a Chamber member, worked to bring a larger awareness of the livestock community in Monmouth. The beef industry during this time played an integral role in the success of the local economy, so much so that the cattlemen of the Monmouth area were known for their quality production among the Chicago Union Stockyards. In 1948, Albert contacted the Union Stockyards and confirmed that Warren County had set a new record for the number of beef sent to Chicago for processing. With this fact in hand, Albert named the 1948 event the “Prime Beef Festival.” Soon, the nickname, “Prime Beef Center of the World,” was established for Warren County. The first festival was held on Monmouth public square, the main event being the preparation and cooking of the three prime beef steers. Volunteers spent three days preparing the beef and barbecuing over open pits on the square, using up 122 gallons of barbecue sauce to make beef sandwiches. Around 25,000 festival attendees lined the square to get a taste of the extraordinary, world-renowned prime beef!
Since 1948, the Prime Beef Festival has continued growing and improving despite difficulties. Over the years, the festival has continually focused on and magnified the core values and traditions of the livestock-centered, small-town communities of Forgottonia. The Warren County Prime Beef Festival website says, “We take pride in our agricultural heritage and are committed to celebrating the significance of both agricultural progress and preservation and a family-friendly environment for locals to take part in and enjoy.” And they have surely done so! In 2024, the Warren County Prime Beef Festival celebrated its 75th year as a beloved event of rural Illinois.
The 2025 Warren County Prime Beef Festival will take place from September 1st through 6th, focusing on the theme “Feeding the future–Ag Transformed Through Tech.” This year’s festival will include Livestock Shows and Auctions, a Parade, a Princess Pageant, amusements, a demolition derby, animal scrambles, and so much more!
For more information, contact wcpbfinfo@gmail.com or visit their website at warrencountyprimebeef.com.