The Best State Fairs in America

Iowa State Fair | Standout Food

Other states, take note: Iowa sees your corn dogs and cotton candy and raises them—with nearly 200 concession stands. There are over 50 different treats in the on-a-stick category alone! Consider the octodog, a hot dog shaped like an octopus; or if you're feeling virtuous, an entire salad served on a skewer. New delicacies debut each summer. Last year's over-the-top addition? Fried butter. Kopel rates Iowa as his

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Iowa State Fair | Standout Food

Other states, take note: Iowa sees your corn dogs and cotton candy and raises them—with nearly 200 concession stands. There are over 50 different treats in the on-a-stick category alone! Consider the octodog, a hot dog shaped like an octopus; or if you're feeling virtuous, an entire salad served on a skewer. New delicacies debut each summer. Last year's over-the-top addition? Fried butter. Kopel rates Iowa as his all-time favorite, but admits to bias: He grew up in the state and exhibited his Chester White swine on these grounds in the 1950s.

(Des Moines, August 9-19; iowastatefair.org)

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