Here Are 5 Quirky Traditions Of State Fair Season That You Won't Believe Exist
The approaching end of summer is signalled by Labour Day, but this is also the busiest time of year for state fairs with unique customs.
State fairs are now hosted in all 48 states except Connecticut and Rhode Island. The first one was held in Syracuse, New York, in September 1841. In certain states, such as Texas, Alaska, and Washington, several state fairs are held annually.
The events are likely best known for deep-fried dishes, carnival rides, musical performances, and agricultural exhibits.
Still, other state fairs have more eccentric claims to fame, such as butter cows, hot air balloon races, and big cabbage competitions.
Beyond The Rides: Exploring 5 Eccentric State Fair Season Customs Nobody Knows
1. Butter Cows: Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois
The sculpture of a cow made of hundreds of pounds of butter debuted at the Ohio State Fair in 1903, followed by similar sculptures at the Iowa State Fair in 1911 and the Illinois State Fair in 1922.
In recent decades, several other states, including Michigan, Minnesota, and Kansas, have debuted their versions of the butter cow.?
Some states have added their spin to the practice, with butter sculptors of calves, other animals, local agricultural icons, sports champions, and historical characters accompanying the tradition.
Sarah Pratt is today's sculptor for the Iowa and Illinois butter cows. She claims that each buttery bovine takes several weeks to make.
2. Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off, Alaska
Alaska's State Fair has huge pumpkin events, but the state is also known for a unique twist on the agricultural contest: the huge Cabbage Weigh-Off.
Farmers from all over the state compete for $2,000 in prizes by tipping the scales with their most corpulent cabbages.
At the 2012 Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off, Palmer resident Scott Robb's massive greenery set a world record, weighing in at 138.25 pounds.?
That's a lot of cabbage!
3. Hot Air Balloon Race, Indiana
The Indiana State Fair hosted its first hot air balloon race in 1975, and the event was so popular that it is now the fair's opening event (weather permitting).
The race follows the "hare" and "hound" pattern, in which a "hare" balloon leads the competitors on a pursuit, while teams in "hound" balloons seek to pitch a bean bag with a streamer as close to the centre of the objective marked with an "X" as possible.
The balloon race has been cancelled multiple times owing to inclement weather, including this year.
4. Giant Slides: Wisconsin, Minnesota
The Wisconsin State Fair has been inviting guests to experience the original low-tech thrill coaster, a five-story-tall Giant Slide, since 1968.
The following year, an identical slide debuted at the Minnesota State Fair.
Both sides, which send riders reclining on burlap sacks down a 170-foot-long track, were designed by Fred and Beverly Pittroff after they were inspired by a similar but much smaller slide they saw in Santa Cruz, California.
The pair designed 42 slides, but the ones at the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Fairs are still operating. Stacey Pitroff, the couple's daughter, married at the top of the slide at the Minnesota State Fair in 1993.
5. Rooster Crowing Contest, Kentucky
The Kentucky State Fair hosts one of the most audible yearly competitions: the Rooster Crowing Contest. Kentuckians are invited to bring their most vocal birds to compete to determine whose rooster can crow the most times in 15 minutes.
Since at least the 1960s, the crowing competition has been an annual tradition.
According to history, the fair's crowing commissioner, John Ball, said the contest began to settle a dispute between two feuding farmers.
The contest winner receives $5 and a bag of chicken feed.
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