Iowa State Fair attendance soars over 1.1 million in 2023, second biggest fair in 169 years
Iowa State Fair attendance soared over 1.1 million in 2023, making it the second biggest fair in its 169-year history. Iowa State Fair officials said that 1,133,938 passed through the gates in 2023, up more than 15,000 fairgoers from 2022.
The first Sunday of the fair, Aug. 13, brought in 114,937 fairgoers, a record number that topped the old 2017 top attendance for the day when 112,396 visited.
The final Sunday of the year saw 85,694 fairgoers through the gates, according to fair marketing director Mindy Williamson.
The Iowa State Fair Grandstand brought in the fans
This year, 112,258 fairgoers attended concerts. The largest contemporary Christian concert in fair history took place on the first night of the fair when 9,294 attendees watched For King + Country on Aug. 10.
Other acts brought in the big numbers as well. Country star Eric Church on Aug. 13 and country rockers The Chicks on Aug. 19 each brought in more than 17,000 fans.
Comedian Jeff Dunham ate fair food and drank craft beer during his show in front of a crowd of 7,644.
Annie Clements, the bass guitar player for country singer Maren Morris, won the yodeling contest at Pioneer Hall.
More than 13,000 concertgoers danced and sang through a show flip with Ludacris and Sean Kingston, whose flight from Detroit arrived late. That concert sold a whopping 1,159 tickets on the day of the show.
Fans ate their way through the Iowa State Fair
The fair featured more than 200 food booths that used more than 500 tons of ice. The deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese grilled cheese won the People’s Choice Best New Food award. A total of 8,254 people voted in the Best New Food Competition. Fairgoers also had a change to eat 64 new foods that debuted at the fair.
More: How a spaghetti sandwich led to the State Fair-winning deep-fried bacon brisket grilled cheese
A record number of water bottles sold
The last weekend of the fair brought soaring temperatures and humidity, which caused fans to buy a record number of water bottles that benefited the Blue Ribbon Foundation. Throughout the 11-day fair, a record 20,850 cases of bottled water were sold.
A record 668 volunteers staffed the water sales booths, as well as the Blue Ribbon Foundation merchandise locations.
8 new records set for animal sales
Agriculture at the Iowa State Fair set eight new records in the 4-H and FFA Sale of Champions, including the all-time record for all species.
The Grand Champion FFA Market Hog exhibited by Delaney Runner from Gilman sold for $150,000. Proceeds from the Sale of Champions benefit the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement scholarship fund.
Other livestock highlights include 14,058 hogs entered in the 4-H swine show, 16 Supreme Six-Horse-Hitch competitors and 24 sponsored steers in the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show.
A 10-year-old showed the Reserve Grand Champion Biggest Boar, 16 buddies and Special Olympians participated in the Bacon Buddies Swine Show, and a 71-year-old showman returned to the ring after a 56-year hiatus.
More: Can the Big Boar contest survive artificial insemination? This 10-year-old boy could help.
Record-setting wood carvings sold at the Iowa State Fair
The Woodcarver’s Auction on the last day of the Iowa State Fair auctioned off the work of the chainsaw artists created during the fair. Proceeds from the auction benefited the Blue Ribbon Foundation Endowment and raised $66,609 for improvements to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Lots of quilts on display, plus 700-plus participate in contests
In a quest to earn a coveted Iowa State Fair blue ribbon, exhibitors entered 614 quilts in the Fabrics and Threads Department, 46 Lego creations in the Creative Arts and Crafts Department and a record 59 doll house and miniature room entries.
More than 700 fairgoers also participated in the fair’s many contests including husband calling, whistling, bubblegum blowing, cow-chip throwing, and many others.
Elle Clark from Humboldt was named champion of the 63rd Annual Bill Riley Talent Search.
More: 'I'm fearless': How a 95-year-old caterwauled her way to a Husband Calling blue ribbon
When does the 2024 Iowa State Fair take place?
Next year's fair dates are already set, in case you want to start a new countdown. The 11-day event is slated for Aug 8-18, 2024.
Here are the final stats for this year:
Here's how 2023 attendance compares to 2022
The fair first topped 1 million visitors in 2002, with 1,008,174 fairgoers, and has surpassed the mark each year since except for 2010, when 967,381 went through the gates. The all-time attendance record of 1,170,375 was set in 2019; that figure broke the previous record of 1,130,260, a mark set in 2018.
Day: 2023 (2022)
Thursday: 87,380 (82,862)
Friday: 101,177 (103,556)
Saturday: 118,286 (113,012)
Sunday: 114,937 (110,661)
Monday: 100,214 (87,599)
Tuesday: 101,244 (99,965)
Wednesday: 98,751 (97,901)
Thursday: 101,475 (99,715)
Friday: 112,048 (93,348)
Saturday: 112,732 (128,298)
Sunday: 85,714 (101,846)
Total: 1,133,938 (1,118,763)
Attendance figures for last 10 Iowa State Fairs
2023: 1,133,938
2022: 1,118,763
2021: 1,094,480
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2019: 1,170,375
2018: 1,130,260
2017: 1,130,071
2016: 1,031,278
2015: 1,117,398
2014: 1,015,902
2013: 1,047,246
Attendance for Iowa State Fair Grandstand concerts in 2023
For King + Country: 9,480
Tyler Hubbard: 7,140
New Kids on the Block: 9,481
Eric Church: 17,283
The Black Keys: 5,482
Jeff Dunham: 7,644
Lindsey Stirling: 5,930
Maren Morris: 6,183
Ludacris: 13,482
The Chicks: 17,219
Jason Alden: 12,581
Iowa State Fair attendance: 15 biggest fairs
2019: 1,170,375
2023: 1,133,938
2018: 1,130,260
2017: 1,130,071
2022: 1,118,763
2015: 1,117,398
2008: 1,109,150
2012: 1,097,142
2021: 1,094,480
2011: 1,080,959
2004: 1,053,978
2013: 1,047,246
2016: 1,031,278
2014: 1,015,902
2006: 1,013,557
2003: 1,012,309
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State Fair sets record with 1.1 million, second biggest ever
