{{Short description|Annual fair in Iowa}} {{Infobox recurring event | name = Iowa State Fair | logo = | image = File:Iowa State Fair attendees (53133649099).jpg | caption = "Nothing Compares" | genre = State fair | location = Iowa State Fairgrounds<br />Des Moines, Iowa, United States | coordinates = {{Coord|41|35|44|N|93|32|55|W|region:US-IA|display=inline,title}} | years_active = 1854–present<br />(excluding 1898, 1942–1945, 2020) | next = August 13–23, 2026 | dates = 11 days | attendance = 1,160,121 (2025)<ref name="KCCI">{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Adam |date=2025-08-18 |title=Iowa State Fair: See final attendance numbers for 2025 fair |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-attendance-numbers-2025-daily-updates-fairgrounds-des-moines/65466806 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251212051604/https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-attendance-numbers-2025-daily-updates-fairgrounds-des-moines/65466806 |archive-date=December 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref> | area = {{cvt|445|acre|ha}} | website = [https://www.iowastatefair.org Official Website] }}
The '''Iowa State Fair''' is a state fair held in Des Moines, Iowa, every August. The first fair began in 1854 in Fairfield and has been held in the Iowa State Fairgrounds since 1886. It is based near the state capital over an 11-day period in August. With over a million visitors, it is the largest event in Iowa.
The fair is known to hold many competitions including the butter cow competition and multiple agricultural contests. It hosts multiple forms of entertainment for fairgoers including concerts hosted at the grandstands and a parade that takes place before the opening of the fair. It is also known to host many concerts, with the most sold showings being Sonny and Cher in 1972 which attracted 26,200 people, Johnny Cash in 1970 which attracted 23,500 people in two shows, and the Beach Boys in 1975, attracting 25,402 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowder |first=Courtney |title=Iowa State Fair breaks Grandstand ticket record |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2025/08/17/the-iowa-state-fair-2025-grandstand-lineup-broke-ticket-record/85699526007/ |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== [[File:First-Iowa-State-Fair-Monument.jpg|thumb|Site of First Iowa State Fair in Fairfield, Iowa.|alt=A rock with a plaque in the middle of it commemorating the first Iowa State Fair taken place in Fairfield.]] thumb|The Grand Concourse, located between the Grandstand and the Varied Industries Building, during the 2006 Iowa State Fair.|alt=Multiple people walking in the Grand Concourse, located between the Grandstand and the Varied Industries Building in 2006. The first Iowa State Fair was staged in Fairfield on October 25–27, 1854, with a budget of $323.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=History - Iowa State Fair |url=http://www.iowastatefair.org/about-us/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809025428/http://www.iowastatefair.org/about-us/history/ |archive-date=2011-08-09 |access-date=2011-06-21 |work=Iowa State Fair}}</ref> A crowd of 7,000 - 10,000 people showed up in the streets of Fairfield, with only {{Convert|6|acre|ha}} of fairground space.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=13}} George C. Dixon delivered the first opening address for the fair saying how it was an historic event for the new state of Iowa.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=13}} For the first few decades of the fair being open, poor transportation and facilities caused the fair to be mostly a local event.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=24}} This caused the fair to be moved to other towns so more people could experience the fair. The Fair was held again in Fairfield in 1855, then for the next several years, 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.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=25}}
During the time when the fair was held in Keokuk, residents in Iowa complained about the fair being too out of the way from the rest of Iowa, insisting the fair to be brought more west.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=25}} The Fair moved permanently within the Des Moines city limits in 1879. The fair was in Brown's Park which consisted of {{Convert|60|acre|ha}}, and over 100,000 people showed up.{{Sfnp|Playle|2006|p=6}} 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.<ref name="mediahndbk">{{cite web |title=Media Guide |url=http://www.iowastatefair.org/media-center/media-guide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202182041/http://www.iowastatefair.org/media-center/media-guide/ |archive-date=2011-12-02 |access-date=2011-06-21 |work=Iowa State Fair}}</ref> In 1911, Machinery Hall, opened. It covers roughly {{Convert|5|acre|ha}} worth of land and cost $75,000 to build.{{Sfnp|State Historical Society of Iowa|2025|p=4}} It showcased wares from Iowa companies that would be particularly interesting to farm families.{{Sfnp|State Historical Society of Iowa|2025|p=4}} During the 1917 fair, the Des Moines Register set up a wireless station at the fair and became the first newspaper in Iowa to receive a wireless message.{{Sfnp|Playle|2006|p=33}}
In 1959, Bill Riley created the Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Across Iowa they hosted talent shows, where local winners would go on to compete at the Fair. The stage was renamed to his name in 1996.{{Sfnp|State Historical Society of Iowa|2025|p=7}} In 1973, a group of Meskwaki singers and dancers protested for the ability to perform at the fair. The Iowa State Fair board granted the Meskwaki the opportunity to perform with a 4–3 vote.{{Sfnp|State Historical Society of Iowa|2025|p=7}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 19, 1973 |title=Indian Dances by Whites Halted After Iowa Protest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/19/archives/indian-dances-by-whites-halted-after-iowa-protest.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20190702142113/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/19/archives/indian-dances-by-whites-halted-after-iowa-protest.html |archive-date=2019-07-02 |access-date=2025-12-26 |work=New York Times |language=en}}</ref>
The Fair was not held in 1898, due to the celebration of the World's Fair in nearby Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Spanish–American War. It also was not held from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II, when the state allowed military personnel to use the grounds as a supply depot.<ref name="history" /> In 2020 it was "postponed" due to the COVID-19 pandemic,<ref name="iowa-sf-postpone-2021-dates">{{cite web |title=Iowa State Fair Board Votes to Postpone 2020 Iowa State Fair to 2021 |url=https://www.iowastatefair.org/media/news-releases/iowa-state-fair-board-votes-to-postpone-2020-iowa-state-fair-to-2021 |publisher=Iowa State Fair |access-date=July 5, 2021 |date=June 10, 2020 |quote='' … Iowa State Fair Board, the governing body who oversees the Iowa State Fair, today voted to postpone the 2020 Iowa State Fair until August 12–22, 2021, amid ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.'' |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185559/https://www.iowastatefair.org/media/news-releases/iowa-state-fair-board-votes-to-postpone-2020-iowa-state-fair-to-2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Crowder |first=Courtney |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Iowa State Fair canceled for the first time since World War II |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/courtney-crowder/2020/06/10/iowa-state-fair-canceled-2020-coronavirus-des-moines-fairgrounds-board-vote/5333174002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240209013823/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/courtney-crowder/2020/06/10/iowa-state-fair-canceled-2020-coronavirus-des-moines-fairgrounds-board-vote/5333174002/ |archive-date=2024-02-09 |access-date=February 9, 2024 |website=Des Moines Register}}</ref> however on August 13–23, 2020 a virtual fair was held in its place.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LeBlanc |first=Sarah Kay |title=The Iowa State Fair is going virtual with at-home butter sculpting, fair food recipes and more |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2020/08/06/iowa-state-fair-announces-virtual-schedule-events/3308213001/ |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
The Fair was the setting for the 1933 film ''State Fair,'' its 1945 musical adaptation, and the 1962 film ''State Fair''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whye |first=Mike |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Detour_Iowa_Historic_Destinations/x9vNDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=Detour Iowa: Historic Destinations |date=2020 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4671-4345-5 |language=en}}</ref>
The year 2024 was a record year for the fair when 1,182,682 people showed up. On August 10, 2024, 128,732 people showed up breaking the record for the most people in one day. Then 2024 is followed by 2019 with 1,170,375 people, and 2025 with 1,160,121 people, making it the biggest event in Iowa.<ref name="KCCI">{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Adam |date=2025-08-18 |title=Iowa State Fair: See final attendance numbers for 2025 fair |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-attendance-numbers-2025-daily-updates-fairgrounds-des-moines/65466806 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251212051604/https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-attendance-numbers-2025-daily-updates-fairgrounds-des-moines/65466806 |archive-date=December 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref>
==Fairgrounds== {{Main|Iowa State Fairgrounds}} $50,000 was saved up to buy a permanent site for the fairgrounds, and in 1884, farmland owned by Charles Thornton was bought and used for the fairgrounds.<ref name="NRHP">{{cite web |author1=William C. Page |author2=Lowell J. Soike |author3=James E. Jacobsen |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form—Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds Historic District |url={{NRHP url|id=87000014}} |access-date=2025-12-22 |publisher=National Park Service}} with {{NRHP url|id=87000014|photos=y|title=photo(s)}} Document erroneously mentions Charles Thornton many times, and only one time mentions Calvin Thornton (p. 17), which is accurate.</ref> In the summer of 1885, the fairgrounds were finished being built, wither over 50 buildings on the ground.{{Sfnp|Rasmussen|2015|p=39}} In 1987, the fairgrounds were listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. They are also known as the Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds. They are spread over {{convert|450|acre|km2}}, including {{convert|160|acre|km2}} of campsites. Located at East 30th Street and East University Avenue, it is a 10-minute drive east from downtown Des Moines.<ref>{{cite web |title=General Information |url=http://www.iowastatefair.org/media-center/general-information/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425061103/http://www.iowastatefair.org/media-center/general-information/ |archive-date=2013-04-25 |access-date=2013-08-13 |work=Iowa State Fair}}</ref> The fairgrounds are filled with around 50 different carnival rides and multiple vendors during the Fair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Worth |first=Cooper |title=We rode 10 rides at the Iowa State Fair to rank which are the most nauseating |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2025/08/09/iowa-state-fair-rides-2025-rankings-thrill-ville-tilt-a-whirl-super-shot/85574595007/ |access-date=2026-02-24 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Contests and competitions== ===Agricultural contests=== Agricultural contests are held for the largest boar, ram, bull, and rabbit. There are 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and open-class shows for sheep, swine, beef and dairy cattle, horses, goats, llamas, rabbits, poultry and dogs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reyna-Rodriguez |first=Victoria |title=Want to win an Iowa State Fair blue ribbon? Contest and competition registration is open |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2025/05/29/iowa-state-fair-2025-competition-contest-dates-registration-blue-ribbon/83897924007/ |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> Contests include rooster crowing, hog calling, wood chopping, pie eating, monster arm wrestling, outhouse racing and cow chip throwing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fischels |first=Josie |date=2025-08-05 |title=Here are the strangest competitions you'll find at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/arts-life/2025-08-05/here-are-the-strangest-competitions-youll-find-at-the-iowa-state-fair |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251113234752/https://www.iowapublicradio.org/arts-life/2025-08-05/here-are-the-strangest-competitions-youll-find-at-the-iowa-state-fair |archive-date=November 13, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref>
===The Butter Cow=== {{Main|Butter sculptures at the Iowa State Fair}}
thumb|300px|John K. Daniels' butter cow at the 1911 Iowa State Fair.|alt=A postcard of John K. Daniel's butter sculpture of a bow milking a cow at the Iowa State Fair. The Butter Cow, an Iowa State Fair staple since 1911 when J.K. Daniels sculpted the first one,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stapleton |first=Susan |title=13 things you didn't know about the butter cow at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2024/08/16/13-interesting-facts-about-the-iowa-state-fair-butter-cow-sculpture/74747424007/ |access-date=2026-02-21 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> is located in the Agricultural Building. After sculpting her first butter cow in 1960, Norma "Duffy" Lyon sculpted all six breeds of dairy cows over the next 45 years, as well as Garth Brooks, a butter version of Grant Wood's ''American Gothic'', the ''Peanuts'' characters, Iowa native John Wayne and Elvis Presley, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, various animals, and a butter rendition of Leonardo da Vinci's ''The Last Supper''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vitello |first=Paul |date=June 27, 2011 |title=Norma Lyon, the 'Butter-Cow Lady,' dies at 81 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/us/28lyon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829063303/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/us/28lyon.html |archive-date=August 29, 2025 |access-date=December 29, 2025 |website=New York Times}}</ref> Lyon was succeeded in 2006 by her longtime apprentice, Sarah Pratt. Pratt's 2023 butter sculpture featured iconic Iowa athletes Jack Trice, Kurt Warner, and Caitlin Clark.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Wilton |date=2023-08-10 |title=Caitlin Clark Butter Sculpture at Iowa State Fair Is Frighteningly Impressive |url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/08/10/caitlin-clark-butter-sculpture-at-iowa-state-fair-is-frighteningly-impressive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013201419/https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/08/10/caitlin-clark-butter-sculpture-at-iowa-state-fair-is-frighteningly-impressive |archive-date=October 13, 2023 |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Food competitions=== Food competitions are also seen at the Fair. They are all gathered in the Elwell Family Food Center where cooks and bakers gather to create their creations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ullrich |first=Kurt |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Iowa_State_Fair/YR_zAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Ullrich,+Kurt+(2014).+The+Iowa+State+Fair&printsec=frontcover |title=The Iowa State Fair |date=August 2014 |publisher=University of Iowa Press |isbn=978-1-60938-278-0 |pages=63 |language=en}}</ref> There is an annual Ugly Cakes contest where people make cakes shaped like spilled trash cans, human hearts, and couches topped with fingernail clippings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stapleton |first=Susan |title=67 new foods, 36 new drinks: What to eat and drink at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2025/08/07/your-ultimate-guide-to-wildest-foods-and-drinks-at-the-iowa-state-fair/85480547007/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Food== The Iowa State Fair has a variety of food, including gluten-free offerings, from more than 200 food stands. The fair is known for its food on a stick, which numbered over 70 offerings in 2015. Some of the most distinctive are deep fried, including Snickers, Oreos, cheesecake, pickle dawg (pastrami or ham with cream cheese and pickle), and butter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=2025 Iowa State Fair - Items by Vendor and Location |url=https://storage.googleapis.com/iowa-state-fair/documents/2025-Vendors/Food_Fairtime_20250813_107pm.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251231013747/https://storage.googleapis.com/iowa-state-fair/documents/2025-Vendors/Food_Fairtime_20250813_107pm.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2025 |access-date=December 30, 2025 |website=Iowa State Fair}}</ref> The 2023 People's Choice Best New Food was Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese from What's Your Cheez.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowder |first=Courtney |title=How a spaghetti sandwich led to the State Fair-winning deep-fried bacon brisket grilled cheese |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/courtney-crowder/2023/08/18/iowa-state-fair-inside-how-the-best-new-fair-food-was-created/70612900007/ |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> Other meat-on-a stick products include pork chop, bacon-wrapped hot dog dipped in a cornmeal batter,<ref name="NYT: Stick Food">{{cite news |last=Fritsch |first=Jane |date=August 13, 1023 |title=At the Fair, Do Calories on a Stick Count? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/dining/at-the-iowa-state-fair-deep-fried-butter-on-a-stick.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821222815/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/dining/at-the-iowa-state-fair-deep-fried-butter-on-a-stick.html |archive-date=21 August 2023 |access-date=4 August 2013 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref> and the footlong corndog.<ref>{{cite web |title=Iowa State Fair Food |url=http://www.iowastatefair.org/fair-attractions/food/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729222451/http://www.iowastatefair.org/fair-attractions/food/ |archive-date=2014-07-29 |access-date=2014-07-21 |website=Iowa State Fair}}</ref> 2025 saw boba drinks make their debut at the fair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stapleton |first=Susan |title=Pink Pony Coolers and pickle lemonade: Meet the 36 new drinks at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2025/07/22/iowa-state-fair-new-drinks-2025/85328108007/ |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Entertainment== thumb|Horses on a race track on August 29, 1917, at the grandstands.|alt=A 1917 photograph of horses on a race track at the Grandstand.
===Grandstand=== The Iowa State Fair Grandstand was built in 1909. It was made out of wood and seated 10,000. It was renovated in 1927 which was constructed out of steel and brick. It add 5,000 more seats and {{Convert|600|ft|m}}. In 1997 and 2018 it was also renovated. At the time, it was the largest building in Iowa.{{Sfnp|State Historical Society of Iowa|2025|p=6}} It is located on Grand Ave, just off of the main gate. The largest Grandstand audience, for a single performance, was The Beach Boys in 1975 with 25,402 concertgoers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-22 |title=Iowa State Fair Grandstand concert headliners since 1970 |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-grandstand-concert-headliners-since-1970-musicians/44727825 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230102029/https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-grandstand-concert-headliners-since-1970-musicians/44727825 |archive-date=December 30, 2024 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref> In 2025, the Grandstand recorded 131,755 concertgoers, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 with 128,504 concertgoers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-17 |title=2025 Iowa State Fair Grandstand attendance breaks records |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/2025-iowa-state-fair-grandstand-attendance-breaks-records/65800622 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250822123512/https://www.kcci.com/article/2025-iowa-state-fair-grandstand-attendance-breaks-records/65800622 |archive-date=August 22, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref>
===The Bill Riley Talent Search=== Bill Riley's Iowa State Fair Talent Search debuted in 1959 and features Iowans ages 2 to 21.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Riley Sr |first=Bill |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bill_Riley_on_the_Air_and_at_the_Iowa_St/mO0QDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=Bill Riley on the Air and at the Iowa State Fair |last2=Torpy |first2=Heather |date=2016-07-04 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4671-3652-5 |language=en}}</ref> In 1996, Riley retired after 50 Fairs and 37 Fair Talent Shows and the Plaza Stage was renamed the Anne and Bill Riley Stage. He died in December 2006, succeeded by Bill Riley Jr., who has been host since 1997. Nearly 100 local qualifying shows are held across the state. There are seven days of preliminary competition for Sprouts (ages 2–12) and Seniors (ages 13–21), followed by the semi-finals and, ultimately, the selection of a Sprout and Senior champion.<ref name="Iowa State Fair Bill Riley Talent Search">{{cite web |title=Bill Riley Talent Search |url=http://www.iowastatefair.org/competition/bill-riley-talent-search/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809030244/http://www.iowastatefair.org/competition/bill-riley-talent-search/ |archive-date=2011-08-09 |access-date=2011-06-21 |work=Iowa State Fair}}</ref>
===Iowa State Fair Parade=== The Iowa State Fair Parade is considered Iowa's largest parade, having around 200 floats, vehicles, and other performers. It occurs the evening before the opening of the State Fair. The parade begins at the State Capitol Complex and travels west on Grand to 15th Street.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Parade |url=https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/parade |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118023421/https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/parade |archive-date=2024-01-18 |access-date=February 9, 2024 |website=Iowa State Fair}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-07 |title=Thousands of people line Grand Avenue in Downtown Des Moines for Iowa State Fair parade |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-fair-parade-downtown-des-moines-state-fair-kickoff-2025-road-closures/65615099 |access-date=2026-02-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref>
===Former Entertainment=== The Iowa State Fair has been home to many forms of entertainment over the years. Notably, in 1932 the Fair hired Joseph Connolly to crash two outdated locomotives together in front of the Grandstand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1983 |title=Annals of Iowa |url=https://pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/annals-of-iowa/article/id/12663/download/pdf/ |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=University of Iowa}}</ref> Connolly named one "Hoover" and one "Roosevelt" in honor of the presidential candidates of the day, presaging the State Fair's role in Presidential nominations. The trains accelerated to approximately 50 miles per hour and smashed in a fiery spectacle before 45,000 fairgoers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Angleson |first=Stephanie |date=2021-08-13 |title=How you can see historic train collisions at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/state-fair/iowa-state-fair/iowa-state-fair-exhibit-lets-fairgoers-experience-historic-train-collisions/524-be84e814-713f-4f3c-918d-a4ad18869f7b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814043335/https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/state-fair/iowa-state-fair/iowa-state-fair-exhibit-lets-fairgoers-experience-historic-train-collisions/524-be84e814-713f-4f3c-918d-a4ad18869f7b |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=We Are Iowa |language=en-US}}</ref> Other past entertainment includes a plane intentionally crashing into a model of a house, a circus elephant, and a human cannonball.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowder |first=Courtney |title=Head-on train crashes, buying an elephant and other crazy stunts the Iowa State Fair once pulled |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/courtney-crowder/2019/08/16/iowa-state-fair-attractions-train-crashes-elephants-plane-crashes-war-shrapnel-cannonball-spectacle/2019050001/ |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Political soapbox== [[File:Fred Karger campaigns in Iowa cropped.jpg|thumb|Fred Karger campaigning on April 28, 2012.|alt=Fred Karger campaigning to a crowd of people at the Iowa State Fair on April 28, 2012]] Many political candidates and presidents have gone to the Iowa state fair to campaign, with Dwight D. Eisenhower and Herbert Hoover being the first presidents to visit the Fair in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |title=When Did the Iowa State Fair Become Such a Big Deal? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/video/when-did-the-iowa-state-fair-become-such-a-big-deal-504365635729 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221084427/https://www.nbcnews.com/video/when-did-the-iowa-state-fair-become-such-a-big-deal-504365635729 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Since 1954, 7 presidents have visited the fair.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From the archives: Best photos of politicians at the Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/picture-gallery/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2015/08/05/from-the-archives-best-photos-of-politicians-at-the-iowa-state-fair/31176949/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> Gerald Ford in 1975,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Gerhard |last2=Woolley |first2=John T. |date=August 25, 1976 |title=Address at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-iowa-state-fairgrounds-des-moines#:~:text=And%20we%20will%20be,%20if,the%20greatest%20country%20on%20earth. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250906032732/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-iowa-state-fairgrounds-des-moines |archive-date=September 6, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The American Presidency Project}}</ref> Jimmy Carter in 1976,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Adam |title=From the archives: Photos of President Jimmy Carter in Iowa |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/picture-gallery/news/2024/12/29/president-jimmy-carter-politics-photos-des-moines-iowa-caucus/4062177002/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> George W. Bush in 2002,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bumiller |first=Elisabeth |date=August 15, 2002 |title=Bush Takes His Optimism on Economy to Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/15/us/bush-takes-his-optimism-on-economy-to-iowa-state-fair.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314175935/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/15/us/bush-takes-his-optimism-on-economy-to-iowa-state-fair.html |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |access-date=December 27, 2025 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Barack Obama in 2007,<ref>{{Cite web |title=14 photos: Then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama at 2007 Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/picture-gallery/news/local/iowa-state-fair/2017/08/11/14-photos-then-us-sen-barack-obama-at-2007-iowa-state-fair/104495782/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> Donald Trump in 2012, 2015, 2023, and 2025,<ref>{{Cite web |title=See President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fairgrounds for America 250 celebration |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/picture-gallery/news/politics/2025/07/03/donald-trump-visits-iowa-state-fairgrounds-to-kick-off-americas-250th/84446570007/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> and Joe Biden in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Detrow |first=Scott |date=2019-08-09 |title=Biden Campaigns At Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/749659108/biden-campaigns-at-iowa-state-fair |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250612190610/https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/749659108/biden-campaigns-at-iowa-state-fair |archive-date=June 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-12-27 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Multiple other presidential candidates have visited the Fair, and the ''Des Moines Register'' currently sponsors the "Political Soapbox,” which provides space for candidates to speak to the public. Candidates have 20 minutes to speak and can take questions from the crowd as well. Historically the Iowa caucuses have been the first contest in the presidential nomination process, and the fair preceding the caucuses is a high visibility event for candidates.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lerer |first=Lisa |date=2023-08-10 |title=Why the Iowa State Fair Matters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/us/politics/iowa-state-fair-2024-election.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240103183107/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/us/politics/iowa-state-fair-2024-election.html |archive-date=2024-01-03 |access-date=2025-12-31 |work=New York Times |language=en}}</ref>
==Police department== The '''Iowa State Fair Police Department''' was established in 2018, replacing the combination of private security guards and local law enforcement agencies that previously provided security and policing services to the Fairgrounds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brower |first=Adam |date=2018-08-08 |title=New police department brings heightened security to Iowa State Fair |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/new-police-department-brings-heightened-security-to-iowa-state-fair/22673891 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304132459/https://www.kcci.com/article/new-police-department-brings-heightened-security-to-iowa-state-fair/22673891 |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref> Officers wear a blue uniform with a distinctive white cowboy hat. The police officers are state-certified officers but funded by the Iowa State Fair Authority. Officers work year-round, providing services to the State Fair and other events held at the Fairgrounds. There are six full-time police officers and a number of part-time officers, made up of both retired and active-duty officers. People arrested at the Fair are booked on site and transported to Polk County Jail by Des Moines Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ta |first1=Linh |title=Iowa State Fair hires its own armed police force |url=https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/08/15/iowa-state-fair-private-police-force-state-fair-armed-police-cowboy-hats-state-fair-safety/960646002/ |access-date=11 November 2020 |work=Des Moines Register |date=15 August 2018 |archive-date=29 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129065339/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/08/15/iowa-state-fair-private-police-force-state-fair-armed-police-cowboy-hats-state-fair-safety/960646002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==References==
===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Sources=== {{refbegin|1}} * {{Cite book |last=Playle |first=Ron |title=The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=9781439616796}} * {{Cite book |last=Rasmussen |first=Chris |title=Carnival in the Countryside The History of the Iowa State Fair |publisher=University of Iowa Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781609383572}} * {{Cite web |title=Iowa State Fairgrounds Walking Tour 2025 |publisher=State Historical Society of Iowa |year=2025 |url=https://history.iowa.gov/media/1285/download?inline |ref=CITEREFState_Historical_Society_of_Iowa2025}} {{refend}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * [http://www.iowastatefair.com Official Site] * [https://archive.today/20130121235421/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/statefair Des Moines Register's Iowa State Fair page]
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Category:Iowa State Fair Category:State fairs Category:Festivals in Iowa Category:August Category:Culture of Des Moines, Iowa Category:Tourist attractions in Des Moines, Iowa Category:Festivals established in 1854 Category:1854 establishments in Iowa