August 7 is a big day this summer in Iowa--but it has nothing to do with caucuses or politics... it's the first day of the annual Iowa State Fair, so in honor of the event, here are five things about the grand event!
1. Talk about a "throwback Thursday"! It all started in 1854 in Fairfield, Iowa, with a budget of just $323, and admission to the fair was only $0.25! It lasted for three days--today's fair lasts 11 days in Des Moines--and it costs $11 (for an adult ticket!) to get in.
2. The Iowa State Fair, not the Iowa Caucuses, is the first concern for any real presidential contender: Cruz, Huckabee, Perry, Jindal--they're all en route to Des Moines for a chance to talk to real Iowans and eat some real food...
3. The Iowa State Fair is in the Guinness book for the most people ever to demonstrate the stop, drop, and roll fire safety maneuver: over 1500 fair-goers back in 2011 participated in this record-breaking event!
4. Forget political contests and consider some of these contests instead: bubblegum blowing, weed identification, decorating diapers, chicken-calling...
5. Butter! The butter cow! This is a tradition dating back to 1911--but today, it's not just butter cows; it's also Elvis and Superman, and this year it's an ode to the film classic Field of Dreams.