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Looking for a different kind of vacation destination for your family? Tired of the usual amusement park stops? Consider a vacation spot that is probably completely different: The Iowa State Fair, an August midwest tradition for the past 142 years, is an event for everyone in the famiy to enjoy! Over a million visitors from in and out of the state of Iowa flocked to the Des Moines fairgrounds for this year's festivities. They were there to enjoy the myriad events, interesting animals, fun rides and delicious food booths at the fair.
What is so special about the Iowa State Fair? Aside from being one of the oldest and arguably the largest fair of its type in the country, the well-known musical "State Fair" was written about this unique extravaganza, a fair which has to be seen to be appreciated.
With over 600 exhibitioners, most of whom have won county-level fairs closer to their homes, the event is held on 400 acres of fairground. Of this space, 20 acres are dedicated to an always-popular farm machinery show, the largest of its kind in the country.
There is action of many types going on virtually non-stop throughout the fair, with a small sampling of a recent afternoon's docket including a horseshoe pitching contest, a pedal power pull, a petting zoo, dancing cloggers, and an Ultimate Stunt Show. At the same time in another area of the fair, there was a miniature horse exhibition, breeding heifer champions, and an exhibit of breeding sheep.
On the musical front at this year's fair, the celebrated bands REO Speedwagon and Styx provided probably the most well-known entertainment, with sold-out performances of over 10,000 fans.
The Iowa State Fair is a great place for families to visit. Americans from all over the country should consider making it a stop on their summer vacation itinerary. Seeing firsthand what goes on in America's heartland, and bringing our country's citizens back to their roots are important reminders of the hard work that many farmers do each day. The State Fair celebrates every facet of this.
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