An "Annual" Tradition
A Numbers Game
People Watching
Top Performers
Fair Potpourri
100
This was the first year the Iowa State Fair was held
1854
100
This is the total amount of acres that make up the Fairgrounds
445
100
Well before their inauguration, this U.S. President broadcasted from the Iowa State Fair as the Sports Director for WHO Radio - a Des Moines radio station.
Ronald Reagan
100
The Iowa State Fair holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest tournament for this game - who's name ties in nicely with the state in which the record is held
Cornhole
100
This is the number of time capsules buried on the state Fairgrounds, scheduled to be opened at monumental future anniversaries
2
200
The Iowa State Fair moved to it's current location in this year.
1886
200
Each year, the Fair lasts this many days
11
200
Sarah Pratt - the current butter cow sculptor - is the apprentice of this udder-ly talented butter sculptor who created the butter cows at the Iowa State fair from the 1960's until her retirement in 2006
Norma "Duffy" Lyon
200
This duo performed two shows at the Iowa State Fair in 1972, attracting 26,200 attendees - holding the overall record for largest Grandstand crowd across multiple shows.
Sonny and Cher
200
"Baby Mine" was this kind of animal that 15,000 Iowa children helped purchase for the Fair, which made it's debut in 1929.
Elephant
300
The Iowa State Fair topped 1 million attendees for the first time in this year
2002
300
The 2024 Iowa State Fair broke the all-time attendance record with this many attendees
1,182,682
300
While the moon may not be made of cheese, this astronaut received a different kind of dairy sculpture tribute at the 2009 Iowa State Fair, recognizing the 40th anniversary of him walking on the moon.
Neil Armstrong
300
This now world-famous Country star performed at the Iowa State Fair in 1990 as a relative unknown, serving as a last-minute replacement for Ricky Van Shelton
Garth Brooks
300
Three times in the Fair's history - 1896, 1922 and 1932 - two of these vehicles were intentionally crashed into one another as a smashingly entertaining event for fairgoers to witness.
Railway Locomotive (Trains)
400
With 101,262 attendees, this year broke the record for highest attendance on the first day of the Fair
2008
400
Finnegan - a pig from Monticello, IA - broke the state fair record for "Biggest Boar" tipping the scales at this weight
1,335 Pounds
400
This "Living" American Icon is well-known for hosting an Emmy-winning TV show, launching her lifestyle brand, and for being indicted for securities fraud.
She has also ridden the giant slide at the Iowa State Fair.
Martha Stewart
400
In 1975, this California band performed in front of 25,400 fairgoers - setting the record for largest crowd for a single Iowa State Fair grandstand show.
The Beach Boys
400
in 1992, Scott Pope threw one of these 180 ft. - a record that still stands today.
Cow Chip
500
The World's Fair in Omaha and the Spanish-American War led to the first cancellation of the Iowa State Fair in this year
1898
500
This many U.S. Presidents have attended the Iowa State Fair
9
500
This failed Democratic presidential candidate went viral for this resurfaced photo of him not having fun while riding the Iowa State Fair's giant slide.
John Delaney
500
This modern country duo performed at the Iowa State Fair's free stage in 2015 and returned to play paid shows in 2019 and 2021 in the Grandstand
Dan & Shay
500
This much weight of manure-laden livestock bedding is hauled away from the Iowa State Fair each year and utilized as natural fertilizer for prime farm land.
1,600 tons or 3.2 million lbs.