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/
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