DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Twenty years ago, community leaders in Decatur turned a dream into reality. What started as a bid to land the Farm Progress Show has since become Progress City USA, a permanent show ground that has reshaped how the world’s largest outdoor farm show is experienced.

The Farm Progress Show had been a moving event for decades, hosted on different family farms across Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Those early gatherings had a nostalgic charm but often came with headaches. Visitors trudged through muddy fields, traffic backed up for hours, and basic infrastructure like bathrooms and paved roads was absent. Organizers wanted a more permanent site for future shows.

Decatur seized the opportunity.

“We felt like Decatur was the epicenter of agribusiness,” recalled Randy Princ

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