The Oldest Fairs in Iowa

The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines is an eleven-day mid-August spectacular drawing over one million visitors to the state fairgrounds, one of the largest and most celebrated state fairs in America. Dating to 1854, it is one of Iowa's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Clay County Fair in Spencer is a nine-day mid-September celebration that is one of the largest county fairs in the world, drawing over 325,000 visitors to northwestern Iowa's premier agricultural showcase. First held in 1918, it has been a Iowa agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Scott Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport is a six-day early-August celebration in the Quad Cities, drawing 300,000 visitors to one of the largest fairs in the Midwest and the premier event of Iowa's most urban county. First held in 1920, it has been a Iowa agricultural tradition for over a century.

The Plymouth County Fair in Le Mars is a five-day late-July through early-August celebration in northwestern Iowa, drawing over 112,000 visitors to the Ice Cream Capital of the World. Established in 1941, the fair has brought Iowa communities together for generations.