Iowa State Fair
| Iowa State Fair | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 11 days (Starts second Thursday of August) |
| Location(s) | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Years active | 1854- Present (excluding 1898, 1942-1945) |
| Attendance | Approximately 1,000,000 |
| Genre | State fair |
| Website | Iowa State Fair official website |
The Iowa State Fair is an annual state fair held in Des Moines, Iowa.
The 2011 Iowa State Fair was held August 11–21 and marked 100 years of the butter cow sculpture.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first Iowa State Fair was staged in Fairfield October 25–27, 1854, with a budget of $323.[1] 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.[2]
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.[1]
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.[1] Conservative figures indicate the 11-day Fair as the catalyst for approximately $60 million worth of spending in travel, lodging, restaurants, shopping, etc.[1]
[edit] Attractions
The Fairgrounds comprises over 445 acres (1.80 km²), of which 160 acres (0.65 km²) are campsites. Annual attractions include the world famous Butter Cow sculpted by Iowan Sarah Pratt, the 10 acre Midway and its double Ferris wheel, one of the world's largest livestock shows, the country's largest state fair foods department (more than 900 classes), the state's largest arts show and over 600 exhibitors and more than 50 foods on-a-stick![2]
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 zany contests including pigeon rolling, rooster crowing, wood chopping, pie eating, monster arm wrestling, outhouse races, cow chip throwing and tall corn. It also hosts the world's only Lawn Chair Toss competition.
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 State Fair Sew-In.
[edit] 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 Sprouts (ages 2–12) and Seniors (ages 13–21), followed by the semi-finals and, ultimately, the selection of a Sprout and Senior champion.[3]
[edit] The Butter Cow
The butter cow has been an Iowa State Fair staple since 1911. It can be found in the Agricultural Building. 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.
| Year | Additional Butter Sculpture |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Grant Wood's famous "American Gothic" (honoring Iowa's Sesquicentennial) |
| 1997 | Elvis Presley |
| 1998 | An American eagle |
| 1999 | Duffy's own version of Leonardo DaVinci's "The Last Supper" |
| 2000 | Christian Peterson sculpting "The Gentle Doctor" statue (Petersen was Duffy's mentor and teacher.) |
| 2001 | John Wayne |
| 2002 | Peanuts Gang |
| 2003 | Harley-Davidson motorcycle (in honor of the company's 100th anniversary) |
| 2004 | Birthday cake in honor of the Fair's Sesquicentennial and an Iowa barn |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods |
| 2006 | "Mr. State Fair" Bill Riley (in honor of his 60th Fair) and Superman (Norwalk, Iowa, native Brandon Routh) |
| 2007 | Harry Potter |
| 2008 | Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and a tribute to four Iowans who changed the face of the world’s agriculture: Etta May Budd, George Washington Carver, Henry Wallace and Norman Borlaug. |
| 2009 | Tribute to the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon |
| 2010 | 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ "Green Eggs and Ham" |
[edit] 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, Train, Goo Goo Dolls, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Def Leppard, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bob Dylan, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, James Taylor & Sheryl Crow.
Lou Christie has graced the stage 13 times since the 1960s- the most Grandstand appearances of any performer.
In 2010, the Grandstand highlighted even more talent, including MercyMe, Newsboys, Keith Urban, Shinedown, Jeff Dunham, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, Darius Rucker, Boys Like Girls, Sugarland & Sheryl Crow .
[edit] Iowa State Fair Parade
The State Fair Parade is held annually downtown before the start of the fair. The fair starts at the State Capitol Complex and travels west on Grand Ave. to 13th Street.[4] In 2010, there were 200 entrants in the parade. The parade is broadcast on television and online on Iowa Public Television.[5] Colonel Robert C. King was the Parade Marshall in 2010.[6]
[edit] Future dates
- 2012: August 9–19
- 2013: August 8–18
- 2014: August 7–17
- 2015: August 13–23
- 2016: August 11–21
- 2017: August 10-20
- 2018: August 9-19 [7]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 41°35′44″N 93°32′55″W / 41.595556°N 93.548611°W
