A Minnesotan at the Iowa State Fair: Honest Tips, Best Bites, and Surprises

I’ve always been told that Minnesota has the best state fair in the country. As Minnesotans, we are very proud of our state and the bragging rights. But when some lists mentioned that the Iowa State Fair ranks next to MN as the best state fair, I laughed.

As Minnesotans, should we be a little concerned? I realized that the only way I could keep making the claim that ours was the best was to go on a road trip and see how it holds up. The results were surprising.

Getting to the Iowa State Fair

Leaving around 6 in the morning was just the beginning. Des Moines, Iowa, is stretching the capacity of the day trip, but with all highway, we could pull it off. The next mission was figuring out where to park.

They offer off-site parking and shuttle services similar to MN. You can park in a variety of lots, including one at the Iowa State Capitol, then pay per person for the shuttle.

All in all, not horrible. But when you can park at the U of M shuttle for free in MN, it felt like a letdown.

Getting dropped off was anticlimactic. We were either the only people using that location, or public transportation wasn’t a big thing.

The buzz and excitement of being at the fair fizzled with a lackluster entrance. On the plus side, there were only a few people in line waiting to get tickets. After buying tickets, we strolled right in.

Wandering Around the Fairgrounds

One thing for sure is Iowa loves its food. Right away we saw the Food Building. This food building didn’t have food for purchase.

It had case after case of prize-winning cakes, jams, pastries, and other treats. Some judging was occurring live, while others were waiting until a later date.

The collection of cakes was amazing. Iowa certainly has talent when it comes to baked goods.

We meandered over to the DNR building. The building had interactive exhibits filled with props and educational information. Instead of a fish pond, they had aquariums of fish. They also had an outdoor section complete with ducks and geese native to Iowa.

On the way to more exploring, we found one of the best buildings I’ve ever been in. It was the only air-conditioned one we found at the Iowa State Fair.

Considering it was over 90 degrees when we went, it was heavenly. The Varied Industries Building was filled with schools, manufacturers, home remodelers, churches, and businesses.

When they say varied, they mean it. Outside the building, it was lined with salespeople hawking goods. You know the kind. The ones where if you buy one, they’ll throw in the carrying case for free. I love listening to their pitches on things you can only get if you purchase now.

That’s when we decided to get something to drink. The fair had an icy shop outside, and kids’ drinks were only $1 at the time. Who can beat that? We let the kids pick one.

My daughter went with banana, and my son picked Tiger Blood. Boys. Mix tiger and blood together, and you’ve got a guaranteed sale. The taste was like a lava flow minus the alcohol.

A lava flow is a mixed drink on the Hawaiian Islands made with piña colada and strawberry daiquiri. Amazing. I almost went back to get one myself.

The Animals of the Iowa State Fair

In search of more entertainment, we stumbled into the animal barns. The biggest difference I noticed in the barns was the education component compared to Minnesota.

One farmer had their cow out of the stall and let people come up and pet and take pictures with the cow. As impromptu as it probably was, it’s not something I’ve seen in the 30+ years I’ve been going to the MN State Fair.

The milking demonstration was going on, with ample seating for everyone to see and hear.

Some things we decided to pass up seeing were the “Biggest Animals.” The line to get into that barn was ridiculous.

And as an outsider, seeing a sign that said “Super Bull,” I wasn’t really sure what I was waiting for. We bypassed it and kept walking toward the Giant Slide. I think it was the right decision.

The Rides

The Giant Slide is not unique by any means. But it was right next to a beer booth, so that can make for some interesting interactions.

While it may look crazy at the bottom, it really is mostly people trying to get a picture of their loved one going down.

This was my daughter’s first time going down by herself. I knew she would be fine. But at the top, I could tell she was a little nervous.

I gave her a 2–3 second head start and then pushed off. That’s when I started to get nervous because I was traveling faster than her.

I envisioned myself veering off and plowing her over. Mom’s worst fears. But the way the slide is designed, you don’t get off your tracks. It was a lot of fun.

Iowa’s Famous Butter Cow

I had a few goals at the fair, and at this point, I hadn’t done one of them. They all seemed to radiate around the Agriculture Building. The first was to find that famous Butter Cow.

Getting inside the building was easy. We did stop to enjoy the misting fountains outside, which were packed with kids, parents, and strollers.

The most entertaining thing I noticed upon entering was everyone carrying a hard-boiled egg on a stick. I love a good hard-boiled egg, but does it really need to be on a stick? And who peeled all those eggs?

On a hot day, I can’t say I’m craving a good egg. So we kept going. There were plenty of other prize-winning fruits and vegetables to see. Another cool part about the building was the second floor of displays.

After a little searching, we found the butter display. Then we backtracked the line to get up to the glass, only to discover that it wrapped around the egg stand and almost out the door. I was definitely missing something.

I didn’t have the patience for 30 minutes to see the Butter Cow. We opted for the fast lane, right next to the line rope, and saw it just fine. Only partially obstructed.

While the sculpture was impressive, my critique was that it’s an additive sculpture, held together with a wire and wood frame.

It is much larger in size and butter quantity than Minnesota’s butter busts, but it doesn’t compare to the challenges with a freestanding, subtractive sculpture.

At the end of the MN Fair, the princesses get to keep their butter heads.

The butter in the Cow is dismantled, frozen, and reused. If you look at the detail of the sculpture, Iowa’s is definitely better.

Food Options at the Iowa State Fair

Lunchtime was rolling around, so we decided to hunt down our food mission. My other blogger friends recommended things like the bacon-wrapped rib on a stick and pork chop on a stick.

They even suggested a Beef Sundae and a pickle dog. Unfortunately, the meat options we tried were overhyped that day.

They came with long, slow-moving lines, poor cuts, and lacked seasoning compared to MN. I’d skip them if I were you, unless the lines are short.

One interesting aspect was the organization of the food. The meats were grouped by type. All the pork was in the pork producers section, beef with the beef, and so on.

That said, the beef got bypassed because of the line. But we did wait it out for the pork chop and bacon-wrapped rib.

The Best Things I Ate

The pickle dog was amazing. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I started being asked questions about the type of meat and spice level.

In the window, all I could see was hot dog buns. I started to imagine a hot dog with a pickle spear on it, or maybe the spear in place of the dog?

What they handed me resembled a corn dog. But after biting into it, I was blown away.

It was a pickle spear, wrapped in ham, with a layer of cream cheese between it, dipped in batter, and fried. Just amazing.

Next up, the Boulders Bar. This time when they asked what kind I wanted, I asked for their most popular. I once made the mistake of picking the safe option at the World’s Best Donut Shop and was let down.

At this booth, I got a giant ice cream bar filled with peppermint ice cream, the kind you usually see around Christmas.

Outside, the ice cream was sandwiched in a cookie crumble and thick fudge. The only challenge was eating it fast enough without getting a brain freeze before it melted everywhere.

That Was a First

We meandered around a little longer, checking out the sights and food options.

We considered more activities, like Little Hands on the Farm, the wine experience, and the cultural center, but with the heat, we just wanted to cool off.

The four of us got on the sky ride and took a bird’s-eye view of the fair. We enjoyed the other half of the air-conditioned Varied Industries Building and even found a few people swimming in one of the pools outside.

After a quick double take, they were supposed to be there, showing off the ability to swim. Still, a first for me.

The Iowa State Fair also has two midways: Thrill Ville and Thrill Town for kids. But I’ve always preferred my roller coasters and thrill rides to be stationary at a theme park.

Skipping that section cut our costs. One thing that saved us in the heat was the abundance of trees through most of the Iowa State Fair.

They provided enough shade so we weren’t baking the entire time. The Minnesota State Fair is really lacking that component.

Heading Back Home

Then it was off to the bus to head back to the Cities. Well, we did make one pit stop at the Iowa State Capitol. How many times do we get that opportunity?

The Iowa State Fair itself was a lot of fun. Given a cooler day, we probably would have stayed longer. I also wouldn’t have minded tagging along with a local to get the scoop on some of the quirky traditions and to help with getting our bearings.

I apologize if I offended anyone in this post. I’m sure there are things you don’t get about our love of the MN State Fair, and I accept that.

By all means, feel free to comment with anything you don’t agree with or, even better, what you find wild about Minnesota’s fair.

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