The livestock exhibition and judging at the Texas State Fair is an opportunity to see livestock up close.
Enjoy checking out the bacon buddies at the Iowa State Fair.
Meet the Clydesdales at the Kentucky State Fair.
and a couple of dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls congregated in Des Moines for a festival of fried foods, carnival rides, farm animals, and campaign speeches. In addition to its quadrennial significance as a campaign stop, the Iowa State Fair is famous as home (since 1911) to its now-iconic butter cow sculpture, and for having more food vendors (200) than any fair in the country. While there’s plenty of big-name entertainment—Toby Keith, Zac Brown Band, and Hootie & the Blowfish among those performing in 2019—the real emphasis here in Iowa is on the food—and serving it on a stick. More than 50 items are available in stick form, including apple pie, sausage and waffles, bacon-wrapped riblets, and deep-fried brownies. 2021 dates: August 12-22 3000 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50317 www.iowastatefair.org • 515-262-3111 STATE FAIR OF TEXAS They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the state fair is certainly no exception. It is the largest and most widely acclaimed fair in America, a massive enterprise attracting more than 2.2 million visitors annually and generating some $50million for the Dallas area economy.
Symbolic of the 24-day extravaganza is “Big Tex,” the instantly recognizable 55-foot-tall cowboy statue that serves as the event mascot. He is (you guessed it) the world’s tallest cowboy. Fair Park was home to the nation’s tallest Ferris wheel (212 feet) as well—until it was recently displaced by taller wheels in Orlando and Las Vegas. Fair-related festivities include a parade in downtown Dallas, an auto show, an exhausting roster of agricultural and livestock shows and exhibits and the traditional “Red River Rivalry” college football game between Oklahoma and Texas. The fair has long been a pioneer in the development of deep-fried foods and some recent additions include fried banana splits, chicken-fried bacon, deep-fried chicken noodle soup, and deep-fried Fruit Loops. 2021 dates: September 24-October 17 3921 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd., Dallas, TX 75210 www.bigtex.com • 214-565-9931 KENTUCKY STATE FAIR The Bluegrass State’s annual fair takes place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, where more than 600,000 visitors are expected to swarm the 520 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibition space during an
STATE FAIRS
COAST TO COAST SPRING MAGAZINE 2021
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