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State Fair: Love it or Hate it?

How do you feel about the State Fair?

  • Love it!

    Votes: 69 42.6%

  • Hate it!

    Votes: 37 22.8%

  • Don't care

    Votes: 56 34.6%
  • Total voters
    162
CycloneYoda said:
I loved it as a kid. Got my picture taken with the General Lee. As a teen, it was a good place to pick up girls. From 17-30, I never went. Lost it's mystique. But now......I have a kid........and we will be at the fair Sunday.
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It's funny, that's about the exact progression I've gone through. As a kid, I loved to go, although my parents were always a bit reluctant to go. In my high school and early college years it was fun to go up and walk around at night, and occassional get drunk and catch a concert of a moderately famous country musician. Haven't felt the urge to go much lately, but I'm sure I will be excited to go again once my daughter (who is now just over a month old) gets old enough to enjoy it.
 
GeronimusClone said:
I do the same thing every week at home in my AC.
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Haha! You're right. But it's not the fair. People who haven't camped at the fair don't get it. I've camped for 26 years and I look forward to it. I even got my wife on board and she likes camping as much as I do. It is nice to have friends over to the camper, get a buzz going, then go to the fair so you don't have to spend $5 a beer down there.
 
As someone who spent a considerable amount of time at the fair as a youngster and an East High grad, it is not only my duty, but part of my greater purpose to defend the fair's honor.

It truly is a special time of year and East side night may as well be a national holiday on my calendar. The fair's pleasantries expand beyond that first Friday, however, and invoke feelings of splendid youthful memories and simpler, less complex times.

The fair truly has it all. There is something for everyone and is openly inviting of everyone.
 
If I was an east sider I'd probably enjoy it. Although if I was an east sider there are probably a lot of other things I would enjoy.
 
edr247 said:
Never actually been to the Iowa State Fair. Do go to The Great Minnesota Get-Together, though.
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The last few years we have taken the kids to the ISF one day one week and the MSF a day the next week. By the end of that, I am pretty much faired out. The kids love it, though! We made the mistake of going to the Minnesota State Fair on a weekend day last year. I will never do that again. A week day at the MSF is like a weekend day at the ISF as far as crowds go. The crowds on a weekend day at the MSF are just ridiculous.

My wife is from the Des Moines area so they just have to go every year.
 
CycloneNC2015 said:
I dont understand it. Once you have been there once, you have seen it all. Once you have seen a fat cow or bull you have seen it, once you have seen some butter sculpture you have seen it.

I dont really understand the people who would want to put themselves through the missery of going to that godforsaken thing more than once a year let alone multiple times the same year. Besides not understanding why anyone wants to go multiple times, I dont understand how anyone can afford to go more than once. You have to be a freaking millionaire, it will likely cost me and my family $150 just to go one day, let alone multiple days.

If the state fair went away (and i wish it would) I wouldn't notice one bit. Its probably the most overrated experience known to man. Oooh look pork chops on a stick.....wait they are $7.50 apiece and it would take 3 of them to satisfy me, no thanks I will go with another $8 beer. Words cant explain the hatred I have for that ****hole.
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QFT. I didn't think words could capture the hatred I have for the fair, but you gave it a pretty good run right there.
 
CylentButDeadly said:
As someone who spent a considerable amount of time at the fair as a youngster and an East High grad, it is not only my duty, but part of my greater purpose to defend the fair's honor.

It truly is a special time of year and East side night may as well be a national holiday on my calendar. The fair's pleasantries expand beyond that first Friday, however, and invoke feelings of splendid youthful memories and simpler, less complex times.

The fair truly has it all. There is something for everyone and is openly inviting of everyone.
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Have you been to an East Side Night lately? I swear it must be sponsored by Affliction t-shirts and straight billed baseball hats.
 
Love it. Went every year once or twice as a kid either giving presentations or looking for our exhibits in the FH building. Then have to check out the Big Steer, The Big Pig and all the other oddities and such in the animal barns. Then make our way to the Photography salon to see how our Uncle's photos placed in the open judging. Maybe catch a free concert or a performance on the Bill Reilly stage if a local kid made the cut. Love the varied industries building, the Hall of Law and Hall of Flame under the grandstand. Used to go check out the flea market for baseball cards in middle school years. Always hit the Lamb producers food stand for lunch and the Beef or Pork producers for the evening. Anybody else remember the guy who grills the lamb burgers at that stand - he could 'baaa' just like a sheep and it always freaked out the customers or made them laugh. Usually we'd hit the midway late in the day and also check out the little model railroad building. My brother and Dad would want to go see the restored tractors and machinery up on the big hill. Plus, always enjoyed the little rootbeer stands all over the place. Finally, can't forget the buttercow and the butter sculpture - I remember when it was a butter Garth Brooks it took 10 minutes or better just to get through the line to see it. What a riot. I haven't been back in about 5 years and I miss it. It's a great fair. It's way better than the MN state fair.
 
ISUcy08 said:
I'm kind of a fair freak! We camp at the fair. Our spot has been in the family for about 25 years. And now the person directly behind us quit coming, so the signed their name off to my sister. We turned our camper around and now we have a huge spot! I've gone every year since I was born. Can't wait! Going up Friday staying til Sunday. Probably go up everyday after work next week, then going up Friday and staying til the end. Sometimes I just hang out at the camper with a beer and relax. Don't go down to the fair everyday.
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My parents have camped there for 25 years too (with a few years off when I was in high school) but now they are back. So I grew up camping there too. Now, I love just sitting around their camper (they have AC) drinking beer watching all of the people. Like it or hate the fair, you can't beat the people watching.
 
cycloneworld said:
My parents have camped there for 25 years too (with a few years off when I was in high school) but now they are back. So I grew up camping there too. Now, I love just sitting around their camper (they have AC) drinking beer watching all of the people. Like it or hate the fair, you can't beat the people watching.
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Exactly! Doesn't hurt watching the cougars walk back from the showers either! :wink:
 
I have mixed feelings. The first few times there its awesome. I usally only go if there is a concert i want to see.
 
I love the first 1/2 of the week when there is a lot of agricultural exhibits and shows. 4H and FFA run the show. Then the last weekend gets pretty sketch with some of Des Moines'... finer residents...
 
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