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Rides on the Mighty Midway. Animal-calling competitions. Fireworks. Funnel cake. Kettle corn. Youâll find all these things, and more, at most every fairground. But a few fairsâwe picked fiveâbroke the mold with their innovations, which turned into longstanding traditions.
1. Big TexâState Fair of Texas Dallas, Sept. 26-Oct. 19 bigtex.com The 75-gallon-hat-wearing, 55-foot-tall cowboy statue and official greeter of the annual State Fair of Texas began in 1949 as a Santa Claus statue, commissioned by the local chamber of commerce to drum up Christmas shopping in Kerens, Texas. Then, in 1951, former fair president R.L. Thornton purchased the statue for $750 and hired a Dallas artist to transform Santa into a giant cowboy. Hence, Big Tex, who has stood watch over fairgoers ever since. âThe fair has softened his looks over the years,â says fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding, 60, noting the nose job, the addition of a mechanical arm that waves, and installation of the remote speaker system that gives voice to the towering Texan. At age 50, his temples were painted gray. An electrical fire destroyed much of Big Tex in 2012, but a taller, heavier and stronger version returned to anchor the fairgrounds last year.
2. Butter CowâIowa State Fair Des Moines, Aug. 7-17 iowastatefair.org -14- | EXTENDEDWEEKENDGETAWAYS.COM ~ June, 2022
Itâs like butter. Only more so. For over a century, 600 pounds of butter were transformed into a perfectly sculpted cow by way of tools mostly found in the common kitchen and by a sculptorâs hands, and served as the proud symbol of the Iowa State Fair.
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Always kept behind glass inside a refrigerated room kept at a cool 40 degrees, the fairâs first buttery bovine, commissioned to promote Iowaâs dairy industry, was sculpted by J.K. Daniels in 1911. Four other sculptors, who take an average of five days to build the animalâs frame out of wood, metal, wire and steel mesh before layering on the butter, have maintained the tradition ever since.
3. ClassicCoasterâWashington State Fair Puyallup, Sept. 5-21 thefair.com Since 1935, the Classic Coasterâthe only remaining wooden fairground roller coaster in the United Statesâhas been thrilling fairgoers with its steel-railed dips and turns. Soaring 55 feet above the Washington State Fair midway, the coaster was originally built of Douglas fir beams, carried to the grounds on horse-drawn wagons and hoisted into place with a Model A Ford. Claim to fame: Dozens of couples entering a radio stationâs annual wedding contest have said âI doâ while taking its clickity-clackity plunge.
4. ProntoPupsâMinnesotaStateFair St. Paul, Aug. 21-Sept. 1 mnstatefair.org
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