Widely considered one of the best state fairs in the USA, this is an unforgettable experience.
The Iowa State Fair typically attracts over 1 million attendees in total. Daily attendance is 100,000+ people.
This fair has been going on since 1854. That’s over 160 years!
The Fairgrounds includes approximately 445 acres, including 160 acres of beautiful, wooded campgrounds.
Since 1983, the Iowa State Fair Cookbook is published every other year.
The Iowa State Fair features the largest state fair foods department with nearly 900 classes of food being judged and hundreds of individual entries.
The most popular foods are: pork chop on a stick, corn dogs, Barksdale cookies, Bauders peppermint ice cream bars, lemonade, deep fried twinkies, Betty’s food-long chili dog.
About 18 cows are milked in the milking parlor during the fair.
The famous Butter Cow is 5 feet high and 8 feet long and made of…..butter! The sculpture consists of 600 pounds of pure cream butter packed onto a wood, metal, and wire frame.
The Avenue of Breeds represents 70 breeds and approximately 100 animals. It is located west of the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building.
Approximately 500 exhibitors and concessions operate daily during the Fair. This includes food (cotton candy to corndogs), merchandise (t-shirts to tools), craft and exhibit vendors (farm machinery to hot tubs).
What: Iowa State Fair
When: August 10-20, 2023
Where: Fairgrounds (3000 East Grand ave, Des Moines, IA)
Cost: $11.00 adult/ $7.00 child (age 6-11)
Homepage
https://www.iowastatefair.org/
Buy tix
https://www.iowastatefair.org/visit/buy-tickets
Maps
https://www.iowastatefair.org/visit/fairgrounds-map
https://www.facebook.com/iowastatefair
