Will the ‘Great American State Fair’ materialize in Iowa?

While many aspects of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration in 2026 are still up in the air, especially the idea of Iowa hosting a “Great American State Fair,” the clock is already ticking.

Skeptics are suggesting that certain elements of the “Salute to America,” as envisioned by President Donald Trump, have not yet found footing on solid ground. 

Meanwhile, historical dates that preceded the actual Declaration of Independence date of July 4, 1776, are fleeting by.

For instance, the communities of Lexington and Concord, Mass., have already held 250-year commemorative events to recognize the first armed conflicts of the American Revolution, which occurred on April 19, 1775, “the shots heard ‘round the world.”

 

And Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, which departed from the legendary Green Dragon Tavern in Boston to alert the colonial militiamen of the pending invasion by British Redcoats, took place on April 18, 1775.

 

Looking forward, Eric Spitznagel of the New York Post reported concerns that Trump’s plans, which are bundled into a “Salute to America” series of events, may be overly ambitious and too wieldy to pull off.

“There’s an almost endless number of stakeholders,” said Nathaniel Sheidley, president of Revolutionary Spaces, a nonprofit that runs several historic sites in Boston. “There are municipal and state governments; multiple federal entities; hundreds of museums and historical organizations; tour operators and tourism industry representatives; neighborhood groups and civic associations; lineage societies and historical reenactors; and the list goes on.”

“Figuring out how to harness all of the ideas” is an enormous challenge, according to Sheidley. And then, there’s the matter of getting buy-in.

Focusing on the “Great American State Fair” proposal, Sabine Martin of the Des Moines Register, said Iowa’s Gov. Kim Reynolds is all-in and eager to host a massive ‘state fair’ gathering in Des Moines at the Iowa state fairgrounds, a 450-acre site.

Clearly, the Iowa State Fair is one of the most popular fairs in the country. Last year, Iowa’s 11-day state fair attracted 1,182,682 people, a new attendance record. 

The 2025 fair dates are Aug. 7-17, and the 2026 dates will be Aug. 13-23.

The “man in the middle” of all this is Jeremy Parsons, president of the Iowa State Fair. He told Martin that he’s yet to receive a formal request from the White House for use of the state fairgrounds.

 

Parsons is a “home-grown talent,” having been born and raised in Leon, Iowa. Parsons took the reins in 2023, succeeding Gary Slater, who retired after serving 21 years as fair executive. 

Parsons previously served as director of the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa. He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., and holds a master’s degree from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.

Michael Crumb of the Des Moines Business Record recently asked Parsons: “What is your favorite fair attraction?” He promptly replied: The Agriculture Building. “It’s the microcosm of the fair…with flowers, fruits, vegetables, grains and the Butter Cow.

 

The Butter Cow is a life-size sculpture made out of butter, an Iowa State Fair tradition since 1911. The current artist is Sarah Pratt, who has been forming the 600-pound piece of artwork inside a 40-degree cooler each year since 2006.

 

Now, that would be a sight to see and well worth the admission fee. Iowa State Fair tickets purchased in advance are discounted to $11 per person (ages 12+) and $7 for children (6-11). Children 5 and under are free.

For classic fair fare, Parsons recommends a corn dog with mustard. “Don’t ruin it with ketchup,” he advised.