This exhibit tells the story of the inaugural Farm Aid concert, held at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, on September 22, 1985. Artifacts like photographs, preserved souvenirs, and oral histories establish the significant contemporaneous and ongoing impact that this megaconcert had in Champaign County.
All photographs in this collection are exhibited for the purpose of education in accordance with fair use best practices. The Champaign County History Museum does not profit from the distribution of historical images.
Additional student authors contributed musician and interviewee profiles, these students include: Brody Johnson, Morgan Paoli, Hunter Lindquist, Gina Maggio, Summer Matthes.
Thank you to Dr. Dan Gilbert and his 2023 History Harvest class for their work to make this online archive possible.
Special thanks to Dr. Sean Winslow and Emily Baldoni for their guidance regarding Omeka and its metadata requirements. Additional thanks to Beth Watkins with the Spurlock Museum for her support of our work.
(c) 2025
Credits
Curated by Connor Monson, Will Best and Dr. Lindsay Andrews. History Harvest coordinated by Dr. Dan Gilbert. Additional materials written by Connor Uphues, Rachel Mulick, James Perkovich, Jose Arellano, Wade Kerchner, Morgan Paoli, Tyler Tucker,