This past weekend we had a chance to check out the Iowa State Fair for ourselves and in addition to the AMAZING weather and awesome fried foods there were quite a few fun things that we checked out. We thought we should share our “must-do’s” with you.

ENTERTAINMENT: Don’t miss the Extreme Canines Show. As seen on Oprah and Leno these dogs do some amazing tricks that will entertain all ages. They run shows throughout the day and the best seats are either in the stands or on the hill on the north side of their setup. Parents beware that they have a lot of things for sale for the kids, but the money does go to animal shelters so at least it’s for a good cause.

FOOD: We didn’t try the deep-fried butter but we did get our calorie fix with the deep-fried Snickers and Oreo’s. They were amazing. We also had our share of corn dogs, pork chops and turkey legs!

DRINKS: The Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a great place to stop and sample some local brews. From wheat beers to root beer they have it all. If you are lucky enough to order the beer that empties a keg, they shout your name on a bullhorn for a round of applause and you score a free t-shirt!

ANIMALS: They have a mini bull, a giant bull, a ton of sheep, a HUGE elk, a big fat pig, and many other animals. If you have kids, swing by the petting zoo!

There is so much to do at the Iowa State Fair for all ages, so bring your walking shoes and appetite and get ready to have some fun!

There’s only one place where you can find; a cow,Michael Jackson and Shawn Johnson carved out of  butter. Only one place where you can find over 50 different food items on a stick. Only one place where you can find national musical acts and only one place where you can find a Charmin sponsored bathroom. That place, is the Iowa State Fair, and it’s almost here.

This year’s fair kicks off on August 11th and runs until the 21st.

As always, there’s something new and exciting  added to the state fair and we’ve decided to talk about a few of them.

One  improvement the state fair has made this year is the ability to print off your advance purchase tickets from home. When you buy your tickets from the Iowa State Fair website, you can simply print them off and bring them to the gate. Plus, all advance ticket purchases get you half-off DART’s park and ride system for the fair.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the butter cow. To celebrate this the fair released 100 tribute cows to various organizations in Iowa. The organizations were able to to decorate and paint the cows, which will be on display throughout the fair.

For most visitors, the highlight of the fair is the food! This year is no exception, some of the new additions to the state fair menu include:fried butter on a stick, peanut butter and jelly on a stick and red velvet funnel cake… on a stick. Of course, the state fair staples like cheese curds,turkey legs and cookie cups will still be available.

For the beer enthusiasts out there, the state fair now has an Iowa Craft Beer tent. The tent will feature 16 Iowa breweries with 36 beers on tap, including Iowa made root beer.

If you’re looking to be part of another record (remember the year they did the largest group of people eating corn dogs?) you have another chance. This year, the fair wants to set a record for the most people participating in a “stop,drop and roll” drill. This will be going on on the 21st at 2pm.

Once again, the fair has also provided a great lineup of musical acts, both in the grandstand and on the free stages.

Def Leppard, Train & Maroon 5, Janet Jackson, and Lynard Skynard with the Doobie Brothers are just some of the grandstand acts that still have tickets available.

This year’s free entertainers include; The Nadas, Leslie Hall, Ying Yang Twins, and Brother Trucker, just to name a few.

Of course the fair still has all its usual attractions that we know and love; Varied Industries Building, giant hogs, giant bulls, the giant slide and people watching galore.

So, as you trek out to Pleasant Hill for the fair, make sure you visit your favorites, but also check out some of the new things going on!

It has finally arrived! The annual unofficial statewide holday,aka the Iowa State Fair, opens today.

Whether you’re an annual fair goer or a first timer, we’re here to offer some tips and tricks to help you through a day of eating, riding, crowd watching and so much more.

For starters getting there, can get pretty hectic; between the traffic you run into and attempting to find a parking spot in a backyard for $6 or paying $10 to park in the state fair grounds. Instead, we suggest the DART’s park and ride. With pick up/drop off locations at the state capitol, East High School parking lot, and Penn and Grand Avenues, and tickets just $2 for adults and $1 for kids, you’ll avoid alot of early headaches. But as an FYI exact change is needed for the ride.

Once you get there you can purchase tickets at any of the gates ($10 for adults and $4 for kids), and admission is half price between 5 and 10pm every night of the fair.

Food is easily one of the biggest attractions at the fair. When you hear people say there’s everything on a stick, there really is. You can find pork chops, candy bars, pineapple, salads, oreos and more, all on a stick! Personal favorites of ours you should check out are: the cheese curds, giant turkey legs and cookies in a bucket. In addition to our favorites the fair has some new tasty treats to see, like fair-squares (glorified home made rice krispy treats) which you can get in the administrative building.

The fair also has some standards that always require a visit. The varied industries bulding where you can parouse hundreds of vendors selling everything from cell phones to shoes to hot tubs, and if you’re into swag this is definitally a place to be. Pioneer livestock bulding and Swine Barn is where you can find the state’s biggest bull and boar, which are always worth a marvel. And while you’re there you can also look at all the other cute little farm animals, smells included. Last but not least on our list is the agriculture building where you’ll find the famous butter cow, as well as lots of tasty iowa grown treats; including some creamy AE ice cream.

music and entertainment is also abound at the fair. With plenty of free stages offering musicians,magicians,jugglers, tumblers and more. Everyone in your group can find something they like. Perfomers of note on the free stages this year: Vanilla Ice, Ryan Cabrera and local ce-web-rity Leslie Hall.

Other random things that are always good to check out include the Charmin bathroom near the midway, the man who walks around with his pet geese, the dancing robot and Bobo the clown.

It’s also a good a idea to bring the following in your state fair survival pack: sun block, water, a good pair of walking shoes that can get dirty, and cash. Then when you get there, grab the daily state fair guide for a map and list of what’s going on that day.

We hope our suggestions help and you find your own favorite parts of the fair. Check out this weeks juice for their guide, or check out the official Iowa State Fair website