1. Iowa State Fair (Des Moines, IA) – Where the Butter Cow Rules
The butter cow is basically royalty in Iowa. First sculpted in 1911, this life-size dairy cow made entirely from butter is a must-see attraction every single year. Over the decades, it’s been joined by butter tributes to Elvis, Star Trek, and even Harry Potter. The sculpture sits in a chilled glass case where lines snake around just to catch a glimpse.
Beyond the butter, the fair hosts a full-blown husband-calling contest—complete with women hollering “BILL! YOU GET IN HERE!” at top volume. The Giant Slide and Ye Old Mill boat ride are fair classics that haven’t lost their charm. And the livestock barns are massive—home to everything from giant pigs to elegant draft horses. Throw in fried Twinkies and the iconic pork chop on a stick, and you’ve got a fair that feels like a fever dream in the best way, according to Jason Clayworth and Linh Ta from Axios.
2. Texas State Fair (Dallas, TX) – Home of Deep-Fried Everything
If it exists, they’ve probably deep-fried it at the Texas State Fair. We’re talking deep-fried butter, deep-fried Coca-Cola, and even deep-fried Jell-O (yes, that’s a thing). This fair is so over-the-top with its food that it’s basically a fried food Olympics. It attracts over 2 million people annually, and they’re not just there for the rides, according to Gabby Brewster from FOX4.
Beyond the bizarre bites, the fair also features a 55-foot-tall cowboy named Big Tex who greets you with a robotic wave and a slow, booming drawl. There’s also pig races, ostrich races, and a nightly light and fireworks show. The livestock competition here is serious business—with prized steers selling for over $100,000. Everything’s truly bigger in Texas, including the fair.
3. Minnesota State Fair (St. Paul, MN) – Butter Sculptures & Corn Dogs on Steroids
The Minnesota State Fair takes dairy love to the next level with its Princess Kay of the Milky Way butter sculpture tradition. Every year, a new “princess” is crowned and her likeness is carved into a 90-pound block of butter inside a rotating refrigerated display. It’s quirky, iconic, and kind of mesmerizing to watch, according to Erica Wacker from Explore Minnesota. Meanwhile, you can munch on over 500 different food options—many of them served on sticks.
Attendance can hit over 2 million visitors in just 12 days, making it one of the most popular state fairs in the country. The fairgrounds stretch across more than 300 acres with stages, barns, and rides galore. One of its standout attractions is the Giant Slide, a 50-foot-tall thrill that has entertained generations. And the daily parade features everything from llamas in costume to giant animatronic vegetables.
4. Alaska State Fair (Palmer, AK) – Vegetables That Could Crush You
The Alaska State Fair is known for its record-breaking produce, thanks to near-constant summer sunlight. Imagine pumpkins tipping the scales at 2,000 pounds or cabbages the size of toddlers. The Great Alaska Weigh-Off is serious business, with local farmers competing for bragging rights and cash prizes. The giant vegetables are lovingly displayed like prized gems under tents and on platforms.
The fair also leans heavily into Alaskan culture, with lumberjack competitions, dog mushing demos, and even gold panning stations. Moose antler archways and glacial backdrops make it feel more like an epic adventure than your average fair. Music lovers can catch acts ranging from local folk groups to big-name headliners. It’s one part state fair, one part survivalist celebration, and 100% unforgettable, according to Mara Severin from Anchorage Daily News.
5. Wisconsin State Fair (West Allis, WI) – Cream Puffs & Cattle Royalty
If you go to the Wisconsin State Fair and don’t eat a giant cream puff, did you even go? These flaky, cloud-like desserts are legendary and have their own dedicated pavilion. Fairgoers line up by the thousands just to get their hands sticky with powdered sugar. More than 400,000 of them are sold each year, and people have very strong opinions on the “right” way to eat them.
The fair also includes the prestigious Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction, where young 4-H and FFA members can auction off champion animals for huge sums. There’s an entire barn dedicated to dairy education, complete with a real-life milking parlor. You’ll also find the WonderFair Wheel, the largest traveling Ferris wheel in North America. Add in pig races, daily parades, and a beer garden or two, and it’s easy to see how Wisconsin keeps things extra.
6. North Carolina State Fair (Raleigh, NC) – Deep-Fried Cheerwine & Lawn Mower Pulls
This fair is where Southern charm meets culinary chaos. Only in North Carolina could you try deep-fried Cheerwine (a beloved regional cherry soda) or a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger. The food alone is a conversation starter, but the fair also hosts some of the weirdest events, like lawn mower pulls and chainsaw carving competitions. It’s a blend of wholesome and absolutely unhinged.
Agriculture is still the heart of it all, with massive vegetable displays, flower competitions, and antique farm equipment exhibitions. Each year features a different stunt show—from motorcycle tricks to monster trucks. The State Fair Flyer ride offers sweeping views of the whole fairgrounds from above. It’s like a Southern fried fever dream that you never want to wake up from.
7. Arizona State Fair (Phoenix, AZ) – Thrills, Churros & Dust Storm Drama
Held in one of the hottest cities in America, the Arizona State Fair doesn’t let a little desert heat stop the fun. It boasts some of the wildest midway rides in the country, including gravity-defying contraptions that will jostle your guts like a maraca. You can ride camels, watch hypnotists, and stuff your face with extra-long churros. And yes, dust storms occasionally roll through mid-fair, adding a bit of Mad Max flavor to the festivities.
The fair also features a full-scale Coliseum that hosts major concerts and events. Its food lineup gets wilder every year—think bacon-wrapped cinnamon rolls or flaming hot Cheetos pizza. The livestock area is a surreal juxtaposition of cows and cacti. It’s the kind of place where it’s 102 degrees, but you’re still somehow having the best time ever.
8. Ohio State Fair (Columbus, OH) – Butter Presidents and a Giant Slide
At the Ohio State Fair, butter goes beyond cows—it’s a full-on presidential tribute. Each year, artists sculpt entire butter dioramas featuring U.S. presidents, astronauts, sports icons, and even scenes from pop culture. These displays sit inside a chilled glass house, drawing big crowds who stare in awe at creamy Abe Lincolns and dairy-based Darth Vaders. It’s a bizarre blend of art and cholesterol.
The fair also boasts one of the largest permanent fairgrounds in the U.S., with more than 360 acres. You’ll find a massive slide that’s been thrilling families for decades, plus a sky ride that glides above the fairgrounds. The livestock competitions are top-tier, with show animals treated like celebrities. Toss in a mountain of funnel cakes and live music at every turn, and it’s Midwest magic at its finest.
9. New Mexico State Fair (Albuquerque, NM) – Rodeo Royalty and Green Chile Everything
This fair embraces its Southwestern roots with serious flair—think rodeos, mariachi bands, and food loaded with green chile. The New Mexico State Fair hosts one of the most prestigious rodeos in the country, where top-tier cowboys compete in bronc riding and steer wrestling. You can grab a roasted ear of corn slathered in chile butter, then catch a flamenco performance or Native American dance. It’s culture, chaos, and corndogs all at once.
What really sets it apart is its dedication to diversity—there’s an entire “Villa Hispana” pavilion and an Indian Village featuring authentic cuisine, crafts, and storytelling. Midway rides light up the desert night, and the fair often partners with the nearby Balloon Fiesta to keep the sky just as busy as the ground. If you’ve never had a Navajo taco at sunset, you’re missing out. This fair is a spicy slice of New Mexico life, turned all the way up.
10. Indiana State Fair (Indianapolis, IN) – Tractor Square Dancing and a Giant Cheese Sculpture
The Indiana State Fair isn’t afraid to lean into the weird with events like tractor square dancing. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like—drivers performing synchronized “dances” with giant farming machinery in an arena. There’s also a yearly cheese sculpture that’s both impressively detailed and slightly unsettling. Some years it’s Indiana landmarks, other times it’s full barnyard scenes carved from cheddar.
Indiana takes its agriculture seriously, with massive barns showcasing everything from prize-winning poultry to enormous pumpkins. The fair’s signature ride, the “Hoosier Cruiser,” gives visitors an aerial tour of the grounds. They even have a wine and beer garden that features only local producers, so you can sip something homegrown while watching pigs race. It’s corny, cheesy, and totally charming—Midwest energy at its best.
11. Kentucky State Fair (Louisville, KY) – Hairy Competitions and World’s Largest Country Ham Auction
Only in Kentucky could a country ham sell for half a million dollars—and it’s not even for eating. The Kentucky State Fair’s country ham auction raises money for charity, and every year local businesses bid outrageous amounts to take home the prize. There’s also the World Championship Horse Show, featuring high-stepping Saddlebreds dressed to the nines. And don’t miss the hairiest competition: the “beard and mustache” contest that gets wilder every year.
The fair leans hard into Bluegrass culture with fiddling contests, sweet tea in mason jars, and miles of deep-fried comfort food. There’s a midway, but also a more relaxed “Pride of the Counties” area, where you can pet a goat one minute and try a homemade pie the next. Fireworks cap off most nights, sending sparks over the barns and food booths. It’s part Southern charm, part state pride, and entirely over the top.
12. Colorado State Fair (Pueblo, CO) – The Accidental AI Art Scandal
The Colorado State Fair went viral in 2022 when a digital artist entered an AI-generated piece in the fine art competition—and won. The controversy made headlines nationwide, kicking off a huge debate about what counts as “real” art. Since then, the fair has leaned into the conversation with expanded digital art categories and panels on creativity and technology. It’s one of the only fairs that now includes a space for interactive art installations and VR demos.
But that’s not all—this fair also has a classic rodeo, massive livestock show, and performances from top-tier country stars. Pueblo’s famous green chile features heavily in the food lineup, from smothered burritos to spicy cornbread. There’s a sprawling carnival area with rides for all ages and nightly concerts that go late. It’s tradition and tech, blended into one fascinating, spicy event.
13. Washington State Fair (Puyallup, WA) – Scones, Alpacas, and Giant Insects
Locals call it “The Puyallup Fair,” and it’s a rite of passage in Washington State. Its signature food is a surprisingly simple but addictive scone—served warm with raspberry jam and sold by the thousands. But don’t let the baked goods fool you—this fair goes hard, with an enormous bug pavilion where you can hold tarantulas and examine beetles the size of your palm. The agriculture barns are so clean and polished they feel more like museums than livestock exhibits.
The fair also includes a rodeo, a lumberjack show, and a separate area dedicated just to alpacas (with fashion shows, naturally). There’s a vintage tractor parade that’s way more fun than it should be. The rides include one of the largest traveling wooden roller coasters in the U.S. And if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a concert at the grandstand—where legends like Willie Nelson and Macklemore have both taken the stage.
14. Nebraska State Fair (Grand Island, NE) – Goat Yoga and Human Cannonballs
Nebraska’s fair manages to be both completely wholesome and totally bonkers. You can start your morning with goat yoga—yes, real goats, real yoga—then move straight into a human cannonball show by lunchtime. There are butter sculptures, a robotics competition, and even a watermelon-eating contest. It’s like someone spun a wheel of random ideas and made every one of them happen.
The fair has made major upgrades since moving to Grand Island, with a focus on hands-on STEM exhibits and modern farming tech. The Nebraska Lottery hosts massive prize giveaways throughout the fair, and the beer garden often features quirky local brews. Ag exhibits are still the heart, though, with kids showing everything from rabbits to 1,000-pound steers. It’s small-town heart with big-fair ambition, and it works surprisingly well.
15. South Dakota State Fair (Huron, SD) – Arm Wrestling and Giant Kettles of Kettle Corn
This fair flies under the radar, but it’s got a strong-arm reputation—literally. The South Dakota State Fair hosts a nationally ranked arm-wrestling competition where competitors slam down elbows and biceps like it’s a Wild West showdown. And yes, there’s kettle corn—made in giant copper kettles and sold in sacks bigger than your torso. You’ll smell it before you see it.
Huron rolls out the red carpet with tractor pulls, demolition derbies, and antique car shows. It’s one of the few fairs where you can watch both barrel racing and Lego-building competitions in the same afternoon. The “Beef Bucks” program lets people buy prepaid beef gift cards, which might be the most on-brand thing ever. It’s folksy, intense, and full of surprises—like the state itself.
