Our Country’s State Fairs are as American as Apple Pie
Who can forget the nostalgic sights, sounds, and smells of their first trip to a state fair? As an article in the Saturday Evening Post explains, “The American state fair is a conceptual curiosity, a celebration of agriculture that is at once a fantastic departure from the discipline and labor of the farming life.” Even from the earliest fairs, agricultural displays and discussions competed for space and attention with a wide range of irresistible attractions, carnivals, and shows. For many of us, going to our county or state fairs is an annual tradition and includes taking along the younger members of the household to introduce them to this very American institution.
Historians credit a wealthy New England farmer and businessman, Elkanah Watson with initially starting the idea of a state fair after he displayed his sheep in the public square of Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1807. However, it took another thirty-four years for the first official state fair to be held in Syracuse, New York in 1841 where it showcased the state’s agricultural offerings, economy, and all types of domestic arts. Now known as the Great New York State Fair, this year’s event will not only feature agricultural and livestock competitions but entertainment, education and technology, midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits and concerts. The second longest running state fair was in Detroit, Michigan, which began in 1849 and held every year thereafter until it was discontinued in 2009. It was later moved to a nearby suburb and continues to the present day.
Livestock competitions and farm product displays date back to the earliest fairs as does recipe judging, which now includes everything from homemade cakes and jams to chili and barbeque sauces. States also have unique ways to promote their agricultural interests such as the life-like butter sculptures that were first introduced at the 1911 Iowa State Fair. A recent 2001 entry was of actor and native Iowan, John Wayne that required 400 pounds of butter and four days to produce.
Food is another big component of successful state fairs. In fact around the country many state fairs have a reputation for their own specialty food. Regional treats includes boiled peanuts at many southern fairs with spicy offerings for those that can take the heat. At the Alaskan State Fair, you must sample the reindeer sausage, or at Arizona’s fair, try a Navajo Taco. Other specialties include Colorado State Fair’s Mexican funnel cake, Idaho State Fair’s Toffee Tumbler, or Montana’s Vikings on a Stick. And speaking of sticks, you will find lots of food-on-a-stick including Iowa State Fair’s 50+ mobile food on a stick options.
The largest attendance at a state fair in the U.S. is Texas with an estimated 2,000,000 people attending each year. The Minnesota State Fair wins the prize for the largest average per day attendance at just under 200,000 people per day. Other big fairs include the Great New York State Fair, the Arizona State Fair, and the Iowa State Fair. State fairs are a great way to honor the past, celebrate the present and let us see what the future will bring to the area. You will get the chance to learn about your state’s agricultural production, eat tasty treats, see a prize-winning pumpkin or pig, and experience the thrills of carnival rides, music, and more!
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Source: saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/06/american-state-fair/
tasteofhome.com/collection/best-state-fair-food/