The Illinois State Fair is home to many iconic American traditions and Midwestern staples, from 4H displays to corndogs and lemon shake-ups. This year, for the second time in a row, it was also home to the American tradition of welcoming new citizens through naturalization.

The ceremony fell on Governor’s Day , with Gov. JB Pritzker front and center in welcoming nearly 400 naturalized Americans hailing from over 70 different countries. Participants in the ceremony stood as their nations were called one by one, before raising their right hands to swear allegiance to the Constitution and laws of the United States.

“It feels perfect to put the best traditions of America on display in the same time and place that we put the best traditions of the state of Illinois on display,” Pritzker

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