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Iowa State Fair
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8 reviews for Iowa State Fair
-$5 Pork Chop On-A-Stick.
-Concerts of people who were popular before you were born
-Largest Bull/Pig/Pumpkin/....
-Best way to explain Iowa in a day to somebody from the west coast
It was perfect Fair weather on this last day (Extreme Sunday) of the 2009 Iowa State Fair. It was warm and sunny, but in the upper 70s/lower 80s, and with low humidity. Admission today was also half price and we were there early enough in the morning to get there before church let out. Only the Minnesota State Fair is bigger than this one (in my limited fair experience) and when you have so many interesting things to do at both, who cares?
At least 2 things make State Fairs special to me: people watching and eating bad fair food (or watching other people eat bad fair food). The Minnesota State Fair owns the "food on a stick" franchise, but after seeing a deep fried Snickers candy bar in action today, there's more than enough indigestion to go around in Des Moines. I also continue to be amazed on how great of shape my parents (think late 70s/early 80s) are in and was reminded of that today as I watched many fair goers that were not.
I'm also a sucker for the product demonstrations and over the years I have taken home Ginsu knives, chamois cloths, orange cleaner, wonder mops, coloured art pens (my son's favourite), and g-d knows what else. This year I fell for an industrial strength super glue and free (really) mesh litter bags (courtesy of Keep Iowa Beautiful). I guess there's something about the fair atmosphere, a good sales pitch, and the art of thinking that I'm getting a good "one time only" deal. I don't know whether I have really received a good value for my money, or that it was worth stuffing all these things in my suitcase. Yet, it all has pretty much worked as advertised.
During the B.C. (Before Cousins) part of the day, I gave my son $20 to do what he pleased, while I went off to the Varied Industries Building to look at exhibits. I also left my cell phone in the car and by the time I retrieved it 45 minutes later, there were already 3 messages from my son regarding my whereabouts and his boredom. As I suspected, the $20 went quickly at the carnival side of the fair and he was at a loss on what to do amongst all the other stuff going on. We met up and then wandered through the farm equipment and then over to the Agriculture Building to view the huge butter cow and the special Apollo Moon walk sculptures, all done up the same way.
We then met up with my sister, her husband and their 3 boys (who live in West Des Moines) and had a great time together in the DNR (Iowa Parks) pavilion and within several of the farm animal barns. We saw the big bull, the world's smallest cow, as well as pigs, sheep, goats, and calves. My only regret is that I couldn't convince my son to try his hand at milking a cow. Now how many Northern California lads get a chance to do that?
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2007
I love this fair and have come back hom from California with my son for the last several years to… Read more »
I was a little disappointed this year with the Iowa State Fair.
Reasons for said disappointment:
1. It rained and people were idiots. It was raining all morning and people were jerks when it actually rained again at the fair. Don't get pissed at me because I am using my umbrella.
2. No mullets. Didn't see one single mullet. All I could look at was women in mom jeans.
3. Beer was severely overpriced.
4. Couldn't find the free food.
Reasons I keep going.
1. Cornbrat on-a-stick.
2. Fried pickles.
3. Potato chips in cheese sauce.
4. Other food that fried food porn makes.
Seriously, coming from CA, the only reason I go to the fair is for the food. I've seen the animals before and don't need to check out how large the bull testicals are. I don't need to go on rides that might break down in the middle. I go for the food on a stick.
This is a true Midwest experience. I just loved it! Lots of food, a great midway, exhibits of giant vegetables and gargantuan farm animals....and a cow made out of butter! But the best part is the people of Iowa. As a jaded city boy for two long, the 5 hour drive to Des Moines was well worth just being with real folks. It's true that Iowa isn't the most diverse place in the world (but they are way out front with same-sex marriage!) but you get good value, good times and a real down home experience. Especially impressive was the amount and quality of food that wasn't all that unhealthy. The pork chop on a stick is a real treat (but you can skip the grilled tenderloin). Fried twinkies? Check. Fried oreos? Check. Fried snickers? check.
As a huge fan of state fairs and local culture, I knew I had to try the oft touted "greatest in the US" Iowa State Fair. Now I have been to some great fairs (Wisconsin) and some not so great (Illinois). I want to say that while I enjoyed myself, Iowa really doesn't live up to the hype.
(But before I go any further I want to give MAD props to whoever is responsible for the organization of the fair. I was really impressed by the amount of information given out over the radio, the lock-step precision of the shuttles as well as their price [50 cents each way]. Awesome. Truly. Can you folks come and run the CTA for us here in Chicago?)
HOWEVER. The fair itself was mostly a big yawn. Only one building is air-conditioned, most of the vendors are geared toward commercial ventures and farmers (yeah I know that's kind of the point, but STILL, more than just farmers go to this!) and the most shocking thing of all -
ONLY ONE VENDOR SOLD ROAST CORN. ONLY ONE VENDOR SOLD KETTLE CORN.
Um, excuse me, but aren't we in Iowa? LAND of corn? I couldn't believe it. (no, corn-dogs do not count). I was expecting a full on assault of corn and corn products. I wanted to be so sick of corn that I would vomit every time I passed a corn field driving home. I wanted my skin to develop a pale yellow tint from all the corn consumed.
But alas, this was not to be, and so I had to console myself by eating pulled pork sandwiches, sarsaparilla and nitrogen-frozen ice cream. (Not that this is a bad thing, mind you)
There is a midway which I didn't invest to much time with, the butter sculptures which was fab, many many animal barns and judgings which was great, and quite possibly the best people watching I have ever seen in my life. That was worth the price of admission alone.
Here's the thing. If you have never been, you should go, just to have the experience. But I probably wont be making a second trip. I gotta save my energy for Wisconsin.
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OH BOY! I am honored to be the first to review the famed Iowa State Fair, where so many dreams come true every year in August. No, I never entered 4H competitions... I never went for Miss Polk County or even entered the talent show (though I had thoughts of glory). No folks, the dreams I had were far more lofty. They involved corn dogs, funnel cakes and root beer. Ahh, the dreams on a high-metabolized young girl with an affinity for fried sugar and fat. Trailers upon trailers (in LA we call them 'roach coaches') filled with fryers, fountains of rootbeer and vats of lemonade. I had ambitions of one day manning the powdered sugar sprinkler that never came to fruition... thank god.
But contrary to what some may tell you (mainly me) there is far more to the State Fair than just food. There are glorious delights throughout the grounds such as the Ronald and Margaret Kenyon Gallery where you can send two miniature locomotives crashing into each other. WHAT FUN! You can also test their livestock judging skills against others.
No trip to the fair would be complete with paying homage to Norma "Duffy" Lyon's 40-plus years sculpting the world-famous Butter Cow. I'm not kidding... its a cow made of butter. A life-sized cow. Out of butter.
Moving on...
If you're like me and LOVE Carneys - you will adore the Iowa State Fair Midway. You buy tickets and get access to rides such as the tea-cups and crazy ratty contraptions that spin in unnatural ways nearly sending you to your death. Again, more funnel cakes can be found here but be sure to wait until AFTER you finish your ride. No one likes the smell of sawdust & barf.
No trip to the Iowa State Fair is complete without an evening at the Grandstand. There is no greater example of true Americana than seeing REO Speedwagon & Styx (20 years past their prime and sans original singers) rocking out to a crowd of Midwesterns singing EVERY word like it was their job. I have seen (in order):
1) Michael Bolton/ Kenny G
2) Color Me Badd
3) REO Speedwagon/ Styx
I'm sure there are others but those are the ones that stick out.
The Fair is magical and rivals any people watching in New York or LA. With 100,000 of the Midwest's finest coming out each day there is no lack of free entertainment waiting behind those gates.
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We are our way through the fair yesterday and my stomach is making me pay for it today. But it was definitely fun while it lasted. Between us, we consumed enough to feed a small army including corn dogs, deep fried twinkies, cheese curds and ribbon potatoes. I recommend the J&R donuts, which taste like churros.
The midway is pretty dirty, but it's worth going to watch people try to dunk the clown. He talks a lot of smack, so it feels great to watch him get dunked.
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there was a harry potter made out of butter and a cow made out of butter and lots of farm animal dung and also farm animals and rides but i didn't ride them because i drank beer instead. i saw barack obama's forehead (he's tall and really popular, and it wasn't as interesting as my deep fried mac and cheese anyway)
EAT THE CHEESE CURDS. your life will have meaning.
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