Watch: 7-year-old wins award for best rooster call at Iowa State Fair
Twenty children participated in the youth cock crowing contest at the Iowa State Fair.
Last year, over a million people visited the Iowa State Fair, and this year there has already been an increase in advance ticket sales.
According to KCCI, 16,000 more advance tickets were sold for the fair this year than in previous years. The 2023 fair was a year of records, including eight new animal sales records and a record number of water bottles sold. So is this year on track to break all records?
How many people visited the Iowa State Fair on the second day?
On the second day of the Iowa State Fair, Friday, 109,854 people visited the fair.
How will attendance at the Iowa State Fair in 2024 compare to 2023?
In 2023, 101,177 visitors attended the second day of the trade fair. That is 8,677 fewer than on the second day in 2024.
On one of the days of the 2023 State Fair, 118,286 people were in attendance, according to the Iowa State Fair website. In total, over 1.1 million people visited the fair in 2023, making it the second largest fair ever.
- Day: 2024 (2023)
- Thursday: 90,822 (87,380)
- Friday: 109,854 (101,177)
- Saturday: (118,286)
- Sunday: (114,937)
- Monday: (100,214)
- Tuesday: (101,244)
- Wednesday: (98,751)
- Thursday: (101,475)
- Friday: (112,048)
- Saturday: (112,732)
- Sunday: (85,714)
- Total: (1,133,938)
How many people attended the Foreigner: Historic Farewell Tour concert in the stands at the Iowa State Fair?
Foreigner said goodbye on Friday evening in the stands of the Iowa State Fair. A total of 11,141 people came to the show. Foreigner is a British-American rock band that sings hits like “Cold as Ice” and “Juke Box Hero.”
The main act on Saturday is country and pop artist Jelly Roll, whose performance is already sold out.
Here is the attendance at the other grandstand appearances this year:
More: Which shows are sold out for the 2024 Iowa State Fair? See how ticket sales are going.
What were the big moments at the Iowa State Fair on Friday?
The giant pumpkin, grown by Dave Davis of Bloomfield, weighed 1,294 pounds and beat 16 other entrants in the giant pumpkin competition.
Thousands gathered in east Des Moines Friday night for the unofficial class reunion. East Side Night attracted friends and families ready to reunite on the first Friday of the Iowa State Fair.
Iowa State Fair Attendance: 15 Largest 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
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
