"Our State Fair is a great state fairDon't Miss it, don't even be late"
I live in Iowa and in the month of August everyone...EVERYONE...becomes obsessed with the Iowa State Fair. Iowa's state fair has such renown that it was OUR state fair which Rogers and Hammerstein immortalized and NOT the Texas State Fair (contrary to the 1962 movie version). It took Hollywood to move the locale so the story was someplace they thought was "big" enough to impress people. I guess Iowa is boring to those folks. I would dispute that though.
Iowa is a nice little state (even if our politician are looney from time to time). And indeed, our state fair is a GREAT state fair. The Iowa State Fair has animals in plenty-from the Super Bull to sheep to pigs. This year the big news is a record breaking Angus Bull named "Big Black" weighing in at a whopping 3404 pounds.
(Steve Pope/Iowa State Fair)
Food is a very big deal at the Iowa State Fair. You can get anything you want on a stick. Pork chops, lamb, chocolate covered bananas, apples, cheese, deep fried twinkies...you name it - and it can be purchased on a stick at the state fair.
I admit, this column doesn't really have anything to do with shapeshifters or writing or anything paranormal, so I'm not sure why I'm writing about it except... August is fair time and whether you attend or not, conversations and thoughts invariably involve the state fair's highlights, so if you ever set a story in Iowa in August be sure to mention the fair.
Are other states as obsessed with their state fairs? Tell me. What's the attitude where you live?
3 comments:
Francesca, county fairs are more the obsession than state fairs in Missouri, far as I can tell. Although, the state fair is a Biggie also. I'd love to wonder around if there was any way for me to get there.
My oh my! Big Black is certainly big and black. I wonder if he and Darius, my bull shifter, know each other... hmmm...
The Kansas State Fair is about the same Savannah. Everyone is more into county fairs and each little town has its own fair. I think it's part of the culture;-)
Aah The Great Minnesota Get-Together! Our state fair is much like how you describe the Iowa fair. Everything, and I do mean everything on a stick, the candy bars give me a chill...I mean killing a good chocolate with oil and batter...just wrong!! There's the awesome fruit and veggies, direct from the farm...yum!! International villiage...I never have enough money for everything I want here and of course the proto pups!! Corn doggie goodness that gets the taste buds a working overtime!!
Thanks for the blog, Francesca! Have fun at the fair if your headed out there.
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