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The Iowa State Fair is an annual state fair held in Des Moines, Iowa.

The 2009 Iowa State Fair was held 13-23 August with the theme "State Fair Time."

History

The first Iowa State Fair was staged in Fairfield October 25-27, 1854, with a budget of $323. The Fair was held again in Fairfield in 1855, but for the next several years, the Fair moved from town to town, remaining mostly in eastern Iowa.

The Fair was held in Muscatine in 1856-1857, Oskaloosa in 1858-1859, Iowa City in 1860-1861, Dubuque in 1862-1863, Burlington in 1864-1866, Clinton in 1867-1868, Keokuk in 1869-1870 and 1874-1875, and Cedar Rapids in 1871-1873 and 1876-1878. The Fair moved permanently within the Des Moines city limits in 1878. After the Iowa State Legislature and the City of Des Moines appropriated funds for the Fair in 1886, it moved to its current location at East 30th and East Grand in Des Moines.

Since 1854, the Iowa State Fair has been entertaining Iowans on a yearly basis with only a few exceptions. In 1898, the Fair was cancelled due to the celebration of the World's Fair in nearby Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the prolonged Spanish-American War. The Fair was also closed in 1942 due to World War II when the state allowed military personnel to use the grounds as a supply depot. The Fair re-opened in 1946.

While the Iowa weather in August is typically hot, there has only been one year in which average daily temperatures at the Fair reached over 100 °F (38 °C): 1983. In that year, temperatures peaked at 106 degrees, and there were six days of 100-degree weather.

The Fair celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2004. Also in 2004, the Fair set an attendance record with 1,053,978 visitors, a record that was broken during the 2008 Fair which reported 1,109,150 Fairgoers. Conservative figures indicate the 11-day Fair as the catalyst for approximately $60 million worth of spending in travel, lodging, restaurants, shopping, etc.

Attractions

The Fairgrounds comprises over 400 acres (1.6 km), of which 160 acres (0.65 km) are wooded campsites. Annual attractions include the famous butter cow sculpted by Iowan Sarah Pratt, the Mighty Bluegrass Shows Midway and its double Ferris wheel, one of the world's largest livestock shows, the country's largest state fair foods department (approx. 900 classes), the state's largest arts show and over 600 exhibitors and concessionaires.

The Iowa State Fair places a great deal of emphasis on the agricultural presence in the state. To that end, there are many livestock shows and sales. These include contests for the biggest animals: the Big Boar, the Big Ram, the Super Bull, the Largest Rabbit and the Heaviest Pigeon. There are also livestock shows for sheep, swine, beef and dairy cattle, horses, goats, llamas, rabbits and pigeons, as well as cat and dog shows.

Additionally, the Fair is home to several traditional contests and tournaments including sheep shearing, pigeon rolling, rooster crowing, wood chopping, pie eating, arm wrestling, piano playing, butter sculpting and backgammon, chess, cribbage and checkers tournaments. The Fair traditionally has many free entertainment acts strolling through the grounds or performing on one of the five free stages. These acts include a wide range of musical and artistic talent from local gospel choirs and dance troupes to Grammy-winning artists and nationally-recognized entertainers.

The Fairgrounds facilities also offer a variety of options for additional fun. Heritage Village offers Fairgoers a chance to wander back in time to take in the sites and sounds of Iowa life around the time of the Fair’s establishment in 1854. Attractions include the traditional hymn sings in First Church, story time and children’s activities at the Country School, shopping at the General Store and stops at the Barber Shop, Telephone Company and Depot. Many of the heritage contests and Rural Americana Olde Tyme performances at the Fair take place in Pioneer Hall, also located in Heritage Village.

The Varied Industries Building offers Fairgoers a first-hand peek at the newest products and designs from leading local and international companies in various industries. Visitors can explore everything from new pianos to the latest all-terrain vehicles, while still taking time to collect freebies from the vendors. The Iowa State Fair Fabric and Threads Department is located on the second story, displaying examples of Iowa’s most beautiful quilts, rugs, dolls and more. Eager seamstresses can even perfect their own technique at one of the many “Make It and Take It” sessions or try their hands at simple quilting at the all new State Fair Sew-In.

The Butter Cow

The butter cow has been a Iowa State Fair staple since 1911. In 1960, butter sculptor Norma "Duffy" Lyon created her first bovine masterpiece. In the following 45 years, she sculpted all six breeds of dairy cows as well as Garth Brooks, a butter version of Grant Wood's American Gothic, the Peanuts characters, Iowa native John Wayne, Elvis Presley, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, various animals and a butter rendition of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. Her butter sculptures were featured in national magazines and radio programs, as well as on The Today Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. Following Lyon's retirement in 2005, longtime apprentice Sarah Pratt took over the sculpting duties. In 2006 Pratt sculpted Iowan Brandon Routh as Superman. In 2007, Pratt paired the butter cow with a butter Harry Potter followed by a butter Olympic gymnast and native Iowan Shawn Johnson as well as Norman Borlaug in 2008. The 2009 butter cow, a Jersey, was accompanied by a buttery salute to the 40th Anniversary of Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. A movie called Butter will be about a women who competes in butter sculpting in Iowa.

The Bill Riley Iowa State Fair Talent Search

Bill Riley's Iowa State Fair Talent Search debuted in 1959. This long-running talent show, featuring Iowans ages 2 to 21, is one of the enduring trademarks of the Iowa State Fair. In 1996, after 50 Fairs and 37 Fair Talent Shows, Riley retired. That same year, the Plaza Stage was renamed the Anne and Bill Riley Stage. In 2006, Bill celebrated his 60th State Fair. He died in December 2006.

The Talent Show continues to thrive, now hosted by Bill Riley Jr. Nearly 100 local qualifying shows are held across the state. There are seven days of preliminary competition for Juniors(ages 6–14) and Seniors (ages 15–21), followed by the semi-finals and, ultimately, the selection of a Junior and Senior champion.

Concerts

The Iowa State Fair Grandstand comes to life every evening with auto races, tractor pulls, monster truck events and musical concerts.

In the last century, the Grandstand has hosted countless big-name artists and rising stars, including Iowa native Andy Williams, Liberace, Lawrence Welk, Johnny Cash, The Jackson 5, Charley Pride, Sonny & Cher, Elton John, Tammy Wynette, Liza Minnelli, The Beach Boys, Chicago, The Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Reba McEntire, The Nadas, Train, Goo Goo Dolls, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Def Leppard, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bob Dylan, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Switchfoot, James Taylor & American Idol Live!.

In 1974, The Grateful Dead played a nearly five-hour concert to a sold-out crowd.

This year, the Grandstand will be highlighting even more talent, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, Gary Allan, Peter Frampton, Big & Rich, Bret Michaels, Shinedown, Brooks & Dunn, Kelly Clarkson & Journey.

Future dates

Pending approval by the Iowa State Fair Board:

• 2010: August 12-22
• 2011: August 11-21
• 2012: August 9-19
• 2013: August 8-18
• 2014: August 7-17
• 2015: August 13-23
• 2016: August 11-21
• 2017: August 10-20

References

1. ^ Iowa State Fair Trivia
2. ^ Iowa State Fair Media Handbook
3. Iowa State Fair History
4. Iowa State Fair Talent

External links

• Iowa State Fair website
• Des Moines Register's Iowa State Fair page

41°35′44″N 93°32′55″W / 41.595556°N 93.548611°W / 41.595556; -93.548611

• State fairs
• Festivals in Iowa
• August events
• Culture of Des Moines, Iowa