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Fair Dates & Attendance


Fair Dates & Attendance

Upcoming Fair Dates

Historically, the Fair ended on the Sunday one week before Labor Day and the earliest Fair dates were August 13-23. In 1994, the Iowa State Fair Board, in an effort to avoid earlier school start dates, moved the dates of the Fair up one week. The Fair now ends on the Sunday two weeks prior to Labor Day. Based on calendar shifts, the earliest Fair dates are August 7-17 and the latest are August 13-23.

YEARFAIR DATES
2026Aug 13-23
2027Aug 12-22
2028Aug 10-20

Daily Attendance

The State Fair is Iowa’s largest event, annually attracting visitors from all over the Midwest, as well as the rest of the U.S. and many foreign countries. Following the Fair, daily attendance estimates are set aside and an actual count of tickets including daily sales, advance sales, exhibitors, concessionaires, campers, children, credentials, half price, etc. is made to determine the final total attendance.

FAIR DAY20242025RECORD DAILY ATTENDANCE (YEAR)
Day 190,82295,671101,262 (2008)
Day 2109,854104,191115,703 (2001)
Day 3128,732*118,454128,732 (2024)
Day 4115,048**113,001115,048 (2024)
Day 592,92097,273105,522 (2017)
Day 6105,384***102,080105,384 (2024)
Day 799,281105,787109,323 (2019)
Day 8102,510106,925107,449 (2015)
Day 9111,591108,966112,891 (2019)
Day 10126,142118,093128,298 (2022)
Day 11100,39889,680119,754 (2012)
Total1,182,682****1,160,1211,182,682 (2024)

* Saturday, August 10, 2024: broke the all-time single-day attendance record (previously set second Saturday of the 2022 Fair with 128,298 attendees) and the first Saturday attendance record, previously set in 1991 with 127,227 attendees

**Sunday, August 11, 2024: broke the first Sunday attendance record, previously set in 2023 with 114,937 attendees

***Tuesday, August 13, 2024: broke the Tuesday attendance record, previously set in 2019 with 102,953 attendees

****The total 2024 attendance broke the overall attendance record, previously set in 2019 in 1,170,375 attendees.

Fair Dates
Year Fair Dates Fair Theme
2026 Aug 13-23 Fair Spirit
2025 Aug 7-17 Fair Sweet Fair
2024 Aug 8-18 Fair Fever
2023 Aug 10-20 Best Days Ever
2022 Aug 11-21 Find Your Fun
2021 Aug 12-22 How Do You Fair?
2020 No Fair (due to COVID-19 pandemic) How Do You Fair?
2019 Aug 8-18 Nothing Compares to State Fair Favorites
2018 Aug 9-19 Nothing Compares to State Fair Moments
2017 Aug 10-20 Nothing Compares to State Fair Thrills
2016 Aug 11-21 Nothing Compares to My State Fair
2015 Aug 13-23 Nothing Compares, Fair Tour
2014 Aug 7-17 Nothing Compares, Amazingly Amusing
2013 Aug 8-18 Nothing Compares, Happiness Is
2012 Aug 9-19 Nothing Compares, It's Fairlicious
2011 Aug 11-21 Nothing Compares, 100 Years of the Butter Cow
2010 Aug 12-22 Non Stop Fun
2009 Aug 13-23 State Fair Time
2008 Aug 7-17 U Gotta Love It
2007 Aug 9-19 Sounds Like Fun
2006 Aug 10-20 Only at the Fair
2005 Aug 11-21 America's Favorite Fair...and it's right in your own backyard
2004 Aug 12-22 Still the One
2003 Aug 7-17 One in a Million
2002 Aug 8-18 The Big One
2001 Aug 9-19 It's a Winner!
2000 Aug 10-20 Zero In, August 10-20, 2000
1999 Aug 12-22 Knock Yourself Out
1998 Aug 13-23 Way Too Much Fun
1997 Aug 7-17 Go for It
1996 Aug 8-18 Let Yourself Go
1995 Aug 10-20 The Fun and Only
1994 Aug 11-21 The Only Fun of Its Kind
1993 Aug 19-29 The Only Fun of Its Kind
1992 Aug 20-30 The Only Fun of Its Kind
1991 Aug 14-25 Iowa's Blue Ribbon Fun Fest
1990 Aug 15-26 Iowa's Blue Ribbon Fun Fest
1989 Aug 16-27 An Old-Fashioned Good Time
1988 Aug 18-28 An Old-Fashioned Good Time
1987 Aug 20-30 Celebrate an American Classic
1986 Aug 14-24 Come Home to the Iowa State Fair
1985 Aug 15-25 Augustfest!
1984 Aug 15-25 Just See Us Now
1983 Aug 10-20 So Much More To Go For
1982 Aug 12-22 So Much More To Go For
1981 Aug 13-23 So Much More To Go For
1980 Aug 14-24 Celebrate, Iowa
1979 Aug 16-26 Get In Touch With Iowa
1978 Aug 17-27 Take a Closer Look
1977 Aug 18-28 New Horizons
1976 Aug 18-29 Spirit of Iowa'76
1975 Aug 15-24 The Colonizers
1974 Aug 16-25 The Discoverers
1973 Aug 17-26 Discover Hawaii
1972 Aug 18-27 Discover Canada
1971 Aug 20-29 Discover Mexico
1970 Aug 21-30 Discover Iowa
1969 Aug 15-24 Our Roaring 20s Heritage
1968 Aug 16-26 Our Gay 90s Heritage
1967 Aug 18-27 Our Pioneer Heritage
1966 Aug 19-28 Our Explorer Heritage