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Iowa State Fair445 acres, the Butter Cow since 1911, 70+ foods on a stick, and 1.1 million visitors over 11 August days
America's quintessential state fair, held every August on the 445-acre National Register fairgrounds at East 30th and East University in Des Moines. The Butter Cow has been sculpted from 600 pounds of refrigerated butter every August since 1911; the Sky Glider has crossed the midway since 1974; and Ye Old Mill — a 1921 dark-water boat ride — is the oldest continuously operating attraction. The first fair was held in Fairfield in 1854; the grounds settled at this Des Moines site in 1886.
- 1.16MAnnual attendance
- 445Acres
- 70+Foods on a stick
- 1854First held
Eleven days of Iowa, every August since 1854the Butter Cow, the Sky Glider, and food on a stick.
The first Iowa State Fair was held in Fairfield on October 25–27, 1854, with a $323 budget and 7,000 attendees. It moved between eastern Iowa towns through the 1860s and 1870s — Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, Keokuk, Cedar Rapids — before landing permanently in Des Moines in 1879. After 1886, when the legislature appropriated funds, the Fair settled on its current 445-acre site at East 30th Street and East University Avenue, ten minutes east of the State Capitol. The fairgrounds were listed as a National Register historic district in 1987.
The Fair is built around competitions, food, and animals. Sarah Pratt, the fifth Butter Cow sculptor since J.K. Daniels first molded one in 1911, applies roughly 600 pounds of refrigerated salted butter onto a wood-and-metal armature inside the Agricultural Building's chilled cooler — companion sculptures since 1994 have included Garth Brooks, Elvis, the Last Supper, a Harley-Davidson, and the 50th-anniversary Sky Glider chair. The 1909 Grandstand (rebuilt 1927, renovated 2018) seats 15,000 for nightly concerts; the Beach Boys still hold the single-show attendance record from 1975 with 25,402. Food on a stick — corn dogs, fried Snickers, fried butter, pork chop, Bauder's peppermint bar — runs 70+ varieties at 200 stands.
Plan a full day, two if you want the Grandstand concert and a full Midway rotation. Buy advance gate tickets ($15) at any HyVee or online before the Fair starts — the savings over the gate price ($20) covers your first corn dog. Park at the East 14th lot and ride the free DART shuttle on weekends; the south parking lots cap by 10 AM. The Sky Glider ($7 one-way) is the easiest way to cross from the Agricultural Building cooler to the Grandstand without re-walking the midway.
What to see
What you'll seehighlights of Iowa State Fair.
A short loop through the exhibits, encounters, and shows that make this stop worth a half-day on its own.
The Butter Cow
A life-sized dairy cow sculpted from roughly 600 pounds of low-moisture butter on a wood-and-metal frame, kept at 40°F inside the John Deere Agricultural Building cooler. J.K. Daniels sculpted the first in 1911; Sarah Pratt has been the official sculptor since 2006 (15 years apprenticing under Norma "Duffy" Lyon). Each year a companion sculpture joins her — past subjects include Elvis, the Peanuts gang, and the 50th-anniversary Sky Glider chair.
The Sky Glider
A half-mile chairlift running west-east from the Agriculture Building to the Grandstand, in operation since 1974. $7 one-way / $11 round-trip; the easiest way to cross the fairgrounds without backtracking through the Grand Concourse crowd. The Main Sky Glider hit its 50th anniversary in 2024 and earned a butter-sculpture tribute alongside that year's Cow.
Iowa State Fair Grandstand
A 15,000-seat outdoor amphitheater built in 1909 (rebuilt steel-and-brick 1927, last renovated 2018) on Grand Avenue just inside the Main Gate. Hosts nightly concerts during the Fair — the Beach Boys' 1975 show holds the all-time single-performance record at 25,402; recent headliners have included Jelly Roll, Thomas Rhett, and Greta Van Fleet. Reserved seats $35–$95 depending on act.
Foods on a Stick
More than 70 different stick-served items across 200+ vendors, from the classic 1946 Pronto Pup corn dog to deep-fried Snickers, deep-fried butter, pork chop on a stick, and the bacon-wrapped pickle dog. The 2023 People's Choice Best New Food was the Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-and-Cheese Grilled Cheese. Bring cash for the smaller stands; most accept cards but the lines move 30% faster with bills.
Big Boar, Big Bull, and Big Ram
The Friday-of-fair livestock weigh-ins draw a packed Penningroth Pavilion. Recent Big Boars have topped 1,200 pounds; the Big Bull crowd-record holder "Cracker" weighed 3,055 pounds in 1987. Free with gate admission; check the daily schedule because the official weighing happens once and crowds form 90 minutes early.
Ye Old Mill
A dark-water boat ride built in 1921 — the oldest continuously operating attraction at the Fair. The chain pulls you through 600 feet of pitch-black tunnels lit by black-light vignettes (the scenes have been quietly updated over the decades — the current ones include classic fairy tales and a sea monster). $4 a ride; the line is shortest in the first hour after gates open.
Bill Riley Talent Search
Iowa-only youth talent competition (ages 2–12 Sprouts and 13–21 Seniors) held on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage, named for the broadcaster who founded it in 1959 and emceed for 50 fairs. Roughly 100 local qualifying shows feed seven days of preliminaries, with semifinals and a Sprout/Senior champion crowned the second Saturday. Free seating; arrive early for evening rounds.
The Iowa State Fair Parade
The largest parade in Iowa, with roughly 200 floats, marching bands, and vehicles. Steps off the Wednesday evening before opening day from the State Capitol Complex, traveling west on Grand Avenue to 15th Street downtown. Free; bring chairs and stake out a spot east of 9th Street by 4:30 PM for the 6:30 PM start.
Hours & tickets
Open hours
The Fair runs 11 days each August (2026 dates: August 13–23). Outside the fair window, the fairgrounds host smaller events year-round but the rides, food stands, and Butter Cow are not available. Gates open 8 AM; carnival rides typically run 10 AM to 11 PM.
- Monday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Tuesday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Wednesday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- ThursdayToday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Friday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Saturday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Sunday8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Note · The Grandstand concert lineup runs nightly through 11 PM. Buy advance Grandstand tickets through the Iowa State Fair website — most headline shows sell out by mid-July.
Ticket pricing
Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.
- Adult — advance$15Ages 12+; sold online and at HyVee through the day before the Fair
- Adult — gate$20Ages 12+; cash or card at any gate during the Fair
- Child (6–11) — advance$8Children under 6 enter free with a paying adult
- Senior (60+) — advance$12Available daily; bring ID at the gate
- Adult Season Pass$50Unlimited entry for all 11 fair days
- Grandstand concerts$35Reserved seats; headliners $45–$95 depending on act
Gate admission covers everything except Grandstand concerts, the Midway carnival rides (Magic Money cards reload at booths across the grounds), and a handful of paid attractions like the Big Slide ($5). Parking lots fill from the south by 10 AM on weekends — DART runs free fair shuttles from downtown Des Moines and the East 14th lot during fair hours.
Buy advance ticketsStay near Iowa State Fairhand-picked vacation rentals nearby.
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