Iowa State Fair
| Iowa State Fair | |
|---|---|
| Genre | State fair |
| Dates | 11 days (Starts second Thursday of August) |
| Location(s) |
Iowa State Fairgrounds Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
| Years active | 1854–present (excluding 1898, 1942–1945) |
| Attendance | 1,117,398 (2015) |
| Area | 445 acres (180 ha) |
| Website | |
| Iowa State Fair Website | |
The Iowa State Fair is the annual state fair that began in 1854. It is based in the state capital Des Moines, Iowa over 11 days in August. With over a million visitors it is one of the largest and best known state fairs in the United States.
The first Iowa State Fair was staged in Fairfield October 25–27, 1854, with a budget of $323. 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. 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.
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, and in 1942–1945 due to World War II, when the state allowed military personnel to use the grounds as a supply depot.
The Fair was the setting for a series of films and stage musicals beginning with State Fair in 1933, which was based on a 1932 novel by Phil Stong.
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