My parents and I are coming to Iowa for the state fair this summer--we are state fair fans and thought we would pilgrimage from New England to the land of BIG state fairs! Can anybody help me with the following (and I can%26#39;t believe I am actually typing this in here, my father owes me one): when is the cow judging, week one or week two? Also, how many days should we set aside for the fair (I do have to get back to my husband and children so it can%26#39;t be a whole week)? Any suggestions about where to stay (either specific hotels/ b %26amp; bs or parts of the city or region)? Other things we should not miss (it might be awhile before we get back to that part of the world)?
Thank you so much.
2008 State Fair
Hello, Newfound1! First of all, I don%26#39;t know if the fair event schedule is finalized yet but you may want to contact the Iowa State Fair Authority to see if it can tell you when the livestock judging is planned. Here%26#39;s the web site (which includes a ';Contact Us'; link): iowastatefair.com/events/calendar_search.php.
My recommendation would be to allow two days at the fair and then to stay another day or two to see some other sites in the area.
The Iowa State Fairgrounds is located on the east side of Des Moines, but you could stay anywhere in the Des Moines area or within a 30 mile radius and easily get to the fair. Hotels can book quickly during fair season, so you%26#39;re wise to make reservations fairly soon. A few to consider:
- Downtown Des Moines: Hotel Ft. Des Moines, Rennaisance Savery, Marriott, Embassy Suites
- Urbandale: Comfort Suites or Sleep Inn on Hickman Rd. These are much nicer than most hotels in the chain and are located next to Living History Farms.
- Pella: The Strawtown Inn is located in a quaint Dutch village with a European feel.
- West Des Moines and Clive: There are many chain hotels near Jordan Creek Mall and along I-80 at the
University Ave. exit.
While in the Des Moines area, you may want to visit:
- The downtown farmer%26#39;s market in Des Moines on Sat. morning. There%26#39;s a lot more than produce there.
- Des Moines Art Center - It%26#39;s not large, but the gallery is nice for its size.
- Living History Farms - Learn about Midwestern farm and community life in the late 1800s.
- Pella (see above)
- Winterset - See the Bridges of Madison Co. and John Wayne%26#39;s birthplace.
- Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge - About 25 miles SE of Des Moines, the refuge provides a glimpse of what this part of the country was like before it was settled. The prairie is being restored to its natural state and there are roaming herds of bison and elk here.
Have a safe and wonderful trip!
2008 State Fair
Greetings from the Iowa State Fair! We have yet to set our livestock or entertainmetn schedules, but I would recommend checking our website (www.iowastatefair.org) in April for more information. I would recommend spending two to three days at the Fair to full experience it all. It is great to come early one day and stay late another to experience the Fair nightlife. Hotels do book up quite quickly, so the Fair recommend contacting the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.seedesmoines.com) to assist you with booking accomodations. They are experts at finding what you are looking for. Feel free to email us at info@iowastatefair.org with more questions as your plan your trip. See you at the Fair!
Have you watched the movie ';State Fair';? It%26#39;s a down home, feel good movie based on the Iowa State Fair. And it is a real family tradition for many Iowa farm families. My parents, aunts, and uncles have visited the fair for over 70 years. One uncle showed cattle for 50 consecutive years--and received a plaque from the Fair Board. I have only attended 40 fairs--the first over 50 years ago, when you could drive your car in and park on the Grand Concourse. Be sure to take in all the livestock barns early in the morning when all the grooming is going on--with the kids, Mom, Dad, and probably the grandparents helping. Have a great vacation!!
stay in altoona, its close and the hotels/motels are not bad, there is one called settle inn right across from prarie meadows casino and has theme rooms. The traffic is nuts for this area around this time. Consider buses and shuttles if possible
Hello! We are not from Iowa and we were totally thrown off by how HUGE the fair is... I cannot say I am a convert, yet, but it is interesting.
I would recommend staying near the fair, if that is your main focus, so you can bypass parking. It%26#39;s a zoo. However, I think Des Moines has a lot more to offer than the fair/area around the fair, and if you are coming out here, why not see a little more?
The East Village is downtown and tiny (my friend from Boston said ';miniscule';) but it is really cute.
Jordan Creek area is midwestern malls at their finest - lots of chains, shopping mall, etc... nice hotels, too. We had to live in the Residence Inn there (when we moved here for months) and it was so nice. A 2 bedroom runs about $130/night - you could have some privacy. It%26#39;s about a 15 minute drive to the fair.
From New England you will be surprised with the lack of traffic here and how polite people are - I think you%26#39;ll be pleasantly surprised.
The prior poster is correct: Fair traffic and parking can be a challenge! However, it may not be easy to find a hotel room with availability near the fairgrounds. Options are limited and what%26#39;s available books months in advance.
Instead, I recommend parking at the Iowa State Capitol in downtown Des Moines and catching an express shuttle to/from the fairgrounds for a dollar or so per person. It%26#39;s perhaps a 10 min. ride. The shuttles also run from several other places around Des Moines, but the Capitol may be the easiest for a visitor to find.
Here%26#39;s more information on the shuttles: www.iowastatefair.com/services/shuttles.php.
Enjoy!
IA State Fair time is near! I can%26#39;t wait. We lived in Ames for three years and did the State Fair the last two years and really enjoyed it. They have decent headline entertainment and it%26#39;s a nice layout that others. (I don%26#39;t particularly care for the way Wisconsin does theirs, but they do have those yummy cream puffs!)
One of the unique contests held with the IA State Fair is the photography contest. If you have any interest in photography, be sure to check out the Photo Salon.
While in Iowa you owe it to yourselves to check out Amana Colonies which is about an hour from Des Moines. I%26#39;ve been twice (once in 1993 and most recently last summer) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Have lunch or dinner at the Ox Yoke Inn or a nice cold root beer (or draught beer) at the Millstream Brewery right along, well of course, the mill stream.
Von
Thank you for all of the practical suggestions. We are very excited to attend the fair next week and have been busy studying the fair web site (and plan to rent ';State Fair,'; too!). You%26#39;ll find us at the Holstein judging bright and early on Friday morning...
Regarding parking: it sounds like shuttles are the way to go. Out of curiosity, do nearby schools and companies open up their parking lots for fair parkers (at a fee, of course), or is the walking distance so great that it makes sense to take the shuttles instead? It is hard to get a sense of the size of the fair from the fairground map.
Hi Newfound1! I%26#39;m so glad that you and your parents are coming to the Iowa State Fair!
There are many residents who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the fairgrounds who rent parking spaces in their yards to fairgoers. If you don%26#39;t mind walking anywhere from a few long blocks to a mile or so, you most likely can find private parking near the fairgrounds. And there are large parking lots at the fair that eliminate some of the walking you%26#39;d do if you parked nearby, but traffic in and out of them can be a challenge.
It%26#39;s certainly an individual preference, but we find it to be more time efficient and comfortable to use the fair shuttle. We prefer to save our legs and time for walking around at the fair. Your best bet for using the shuttle during the work week may be to park at Southeast Polk High School (along Hwy. 163, east of Hwy. 65 on Des Moines%26#39; east side).
Enjoy your trip and please travel safely!
Fair parking is 6 bucks to park on fair property...if you take a shuttle bus from the capital or se polk high school, it will cost you a couple bucks each way....If you plan on attending the fair early in the day, you will have no problem getting in the fair lot where you can leave a cooler in your car to have the ability to pass out and get a sandwich and drink, and drop off some stuff you pick up inside the fair. Many locals do not stay at the fair all day due to all the walkng, this means that when people show up 5 pm during the weak for the evening concerts there will be open parking again in the lot. If you choose to park in peoples lots that live around the fair grounds they normally charge about 5 bucks
