DES MOINES — Long-time Iowa State Fairgoer Jeff Rotert, 60, of Altoona, IA, hasn’t missed the event in 55 years. Rotert takes joy in sharing the fair experience — he initiates newcomers to the fair scene, takes his grandchildren on rides, and brings back salted nut rolls for his elderly neighbors.
For many Iowans, the state fair brings more than just food and fun, but a sense of nostalgia. Rotert, who has been attending the event since he was a child, uses the event as a way to reconnect with old friends and build new friendships.
“I’m a fairgoer, I guess that’s one of my joys in life,” Rotert said. “Almost everyday that I’m there, I see someone that I probably hadn’t seen for several years, if not probably last summer that they were last at the fair.”
Rotert and his fair crew have a tradition of bringing in new people, and he lost count of how many newcomers they’ve introduced to the experience.
Rotert initiates the newcomers into the fair by taking them on a ride or showing them the big bull and asking, “how many pounds of pork chop can we get out of the big bull?”
He said the joke always makes him chuckle, and many people get stumped because the answer is zero — pork chops come from pigs.
Rotert introduced his grandchildren to the Iowa State Fair years ago, sharing the experiences he had when he was kid walking to the fair with his brothers.
“To me, opening that up to them — that opportunity, or the experience, or whatever you want to call it — it just makes my heart sing to see the joy in their faces when they’re riding the rides and eating some food,” he said. “My granddaughter, we took her on that first Friday, and the next day, Saturday, she’s like ‘I’m going with papi again, I’m gonna go back to the fair.’ When I hear that, my god that’s awesome, that’s what I like to hear. And so that just brings me joy.”
Throughout his years of attendance, the fair has undergone several changes, but Rotert said the staples are always there. Many Iowans travel to the fair annually to experience those staples.
Adorned in matching homemade “Iowa State Fair” shirts, Maddie Knobbe of Carol, IA, and her family carted several eager children into the gates of the fair. Knobbe has been going to the fair for 35 years, and continues the tradition with her mom, sister, and their spouses and kids.
Knobbe said the family keeps coming back for the people, the butter cow, and all of the activities for the kids.
For others, the 2024 Iowa State Fair marks their first year at the event.
Bruce McWilliams, a 2016 graduate from the University of Iowa, said he wanted his first state fair experience to be with his close friend Paris Schnepf — the 2011 Iowa State Fair queen.
He said the state fair is unique because of Iowa’s agriculture.
“We’re the best agricultural state in the country,” McWilliams said. “I mean, we do it better than anyone else.”
McWilliams was amazed by the big boar, this year’s winner of the big boar contest weighed in at 1,420 pounds, and his favorite part of the fair was seeing all of the animals and blue ribbon vegetables.
“I’m pleasantly surprised, I love every part of it,” he said. “It’s really fun, and I feel like this is my patriotic duty as an Iowan to be at the state fair.”
Saturday, August 17, was Mayukh Bhadra’s second day in the state of Iowa. He chose to spend it at the state fair sampling foods, viewing animals, and checking out exhibitors.
Originally from India, Bhadra moved to Iowa one day prior and will teach chemistry at Graceland University. He said he just finished research at MIT.
Bhadra was searching to find fried ice cream, a fair treat he had heard about but never tried. His favorite part of the fair was seeing the horses and watching competitions.
Bhadra said Iowans are very friendly and happy, and the Iowa State Fair is much larger than others he’s experienced.