2007 Iowa State Fair - 8/9 - 8/19

[Holly Moore]

I heading back to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines for the first time in a few years. Lots to do and some of the best , if not the best, fair eating in the country.

There's also free Mulligan Stew at the National Hobo Convention an hour or two north of Des Moines - August 9 - 12 - in Britt Iowa.

Iowa is a great place to spend August.

[kiliki]

So what do you recommend for a girl who has never been to the Iowa State Fair (or any midwestern fair at all)? I did click the link but how should I distinguish between bad fair food and good?

We were coming to Iowa this month for a wedding but the wedding has been called off, leaving us to find other diversions (like the Butter Cow!).

[Holly Moore]

Any of the church, club, or association dining tents or pavilions are a great start. Maid Rites. Turkey Drumsticks. Any fried candy bars or Hostess Cupcake products. Whatever else looks good.

[kiliki]

The Essential Iowa guide to State Fair food proved to be a great help for our fair visit yesterday. I was skeptical (having only eating very bad food at other fairs) but I had some great stuff yesterday. Highlights were: the smoked turkey drumstick from the stand next to the shade garden at the agricultural building (it was the only place that I saw the turkey legs in a big bbq grill/smoker), the ice cream soda with homemade fresh strawberry ice cream from Bauder's (also by the shade garden), and the funnel cake. My husband LOVED his pork chop on a stick from the Iowa Pork Producers stand (I thought it was good but pork chops aren't my thing). And the wine tasting was fun-we didn't sample anything great, but it was still worth the $.

The funniest food thing was the egg producers stand that gave away free hard boiled eggs on a stick (toothpick) in the agriculture building. You'd have thought that they were giving away truffles the way people were mobbing the stand and snatching up the eggs.

Edited August 20, 2007 by kiliki (log)

[tidee]

rats! i missed the fair this year. my daughter's in ames attending iowa state. i should have combined events. i hope you had a great time. it was really hot here then.