For over 150 years, states have celebrated their agricultural roots by mixing local foods, farm animals, edgy sideshows, and vertigo-inducing thrill rides together under the State Fair banner. The festivities are authentic Americana and one of the best ways to experience the true spirit of a region.
Every state fair takes claim of a superlative that is always a heated competition. Best fried food, wildest ride, oldest, largest, biggest livestock show – you can pick your favorite knowing all of them offers more than a day’s worth of family fun. Where else can you go to ride a scrambler, eat fried jelly beans and pickle pops, and then milk a cow, all in one place?
The best part? You don’t have to reside in a state to attend the state fair. Here’s some you definitely need to check out.
The First
A group of farmers and legislators that put on the first state fair in 1841. The Great New York State Fair brought over 10,000 people to Syracuse for two days of speeches, animal exhibits, and plowing contests. Today, the fair draws over 1.2 million visitors over 13 days.
The Biggest
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the state fair. At 2.2 million visitors, the State Fair of Texas invades the Dallas Cotton Bowl each fall for almost a month. The Minnesota State Fair comes in a close second, bringing over two million people to Minneapolis-St. Paul for two weeks at the end of August.
Sensational Sideshows
Before reality TV, state fair sideshows pushed the limits with shocking and dangerous stunts. At the North Carolina State Fair, you can watch a real American Bushman wrestle a gator; cheer on lumberjacks as they throw axes, carve with chainsaws, and balance in log rolling tournaments; and marvel at dock diving, flyball racing, and high jumping canine stunt dogs. The demolition derby, tractor pull, and monster truck rally are weekend staples in the Carolinas just as they are at fairs across the country.
The Big Top
While traveling circuses have mostly gone the way of landlines and VCRs, the Shriners have kept the magic alive for over 100 years at the Michigan State Fair. It’s one of the few places you can still sit in the grandstands and watch daredevil stunt performers jump through rings of fire and fly overhead on the trapeze, see the ringmaster tame wild tigers and elephants, and giggle at the slapstick antics of the circus clowns.
Blockbuster Concerts
Another fair mainstay is the daily concert schedule, but the State Fair of Texas, Ohio State Fair, and California State Fair ups the ante with multiple stages and performances across all genres, featuring artists like Ludacris, The Beach Boys, Reba McEntire, En Vogue, and ZZ Top.
You Can Fry That?
Some of the fiercest competition comes in the food category where the highest calories and most outrageous usually wins the day. Some fair treats worth traveling for: Jalapeno/Cheetos- and Fruity Pebbles-Dipped Bacon at the North Carolina State Fair; Fried Jelly Beans at The Big E; Tamale Donuts at the State Fair of Texas; and Deep-Fried Nutella at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Fried Twinkies are a crowd favorite at the Indiana State Fair, and Deep Fried Cheese Curds are always the top seller at the Minnesota State Fair. The Iowa State Fair has built their reputation around mobile food, offering over 80 tasty concoctions on a stick, including fried peanut butter and jelly, pork chops, chocolate covered cookie dough, and even Caprese salad on a stick. Oversized cream puffs have been a staple at The Big E since 2002, with about 50,000 of the oversized puff balls sold each year.
Wild West Wranglers
Puyallup, Washington is the home of the Washington State Fair Wrangler Pro Rodeo Finale. Bucking broncos, bull riders, and steer-wrestling cowboys put it all on the line to capture the world title. The rodeo kicks off with a pancake breakfast, rodeo parade, and cattle drive through downtown Pullyallup during the first week of the fair.
Crazy Competitions
Tired of spectating? You can jump right in at the Indiana State Fair by showing off your cooking skills in the Great American SPAM Championship. You’ll be up against professional eaters (yes, that’s a thing) if you enter the World Ice Cream Eating Championship. Pull a team of talented knitters together for the Sheep to Shawl Contest, where you’re expected to prepare the fleece for spinning and weave it into a scarf, all in under four hours.
