Once again the state fair is upon us. Not only in Iowa, but across the country, citizens gather to see who has the best pies, the best homemade jams and who grows the biggest tomato. Can you answer some questions about the Iowa State Fair and maybe a couple about her neighbors?

1) The Iowa State Fair has been running a long time, but not always in Des Moines. Where was the State Fair originally held?
a) Cedar Rapids
b) Fairfield
c) Davenport
d) Newton

2) That old butter cow has been around a long time. 2011 marks what anniversary of the butter cow?
a) 100th
b) 50th
c) 75th
d) 90th

3) One stunt still talked about many years later is the staged collision of trains. The opposing trains were given names of well-known politicians of the day. Who were the trains named for?
a) Smith and Hoover
b) Bryan and Roosevelt
c) Roosevelt and Hoover
d) Truman and Dewey

4) Who created the very popular event at the State Fair known as the State Fair Talent Search?
a) Jim Zabel
b) Bill O’Reilly
c) Van Hardin
d) Bill Reilly

5) The State Fair took a couple years off due to what events?
a) the Depression of 1873 – 1879
b) World War I
c) The Depression of 1929 – 1935
d) World War II

6) Many historical artifacts can be found in what area of the fairgrounds?
a) the Cultural Center
b) Heritage Village
c) under the Grandstand
d) Grandfather’s Barn

7) Among our neighbors, which fair is well known for its world class cream puffs?
a) Minnesota
b) Wisconsin
c) Illinois
d) Missouri

8) One of our neighbors recently moved their fair from a larger city to a smaller city. Which state made that move?
a) Nebraska – moving the fair from Lincoln to Grand Island
b) Wisconsin – moving from Milwaukee to West Allis
c) Missouri – moving from St. Louis to Sedalia
d) Illinois – moving from Chicago to Springfield

9) Based on average daily attendance and paid attendance, which of our neighbors has largest fair in the country?
a) Wisconsin
b) Illinois
c) Missouri
d) Minnesota

10) We haven’t mentioned South Dakota yet. If you were going to the South Dakota State Fair, where would you go?
a) Sioux Falls
b) Pierre
c) Huron
d) Mitchell

Fried butter on a stick, that was a tough quiz wasn’t it boys and girls? I almost used the recent Michelle Bachmann versus the footlong corndog photo, but deferred.

Want some answers? Here you go.
1)  b) The Iowa State Fair started in Fairfield in 1854
2)  a) – yep the old butter cow is 100 years old this year
3)  c) It was 1932 and the trains were Roosevelt and Hoover. And it is on youtube.com/
4)  d) Bill Reilly (hope no one said b)
5)  d) WWII – fairgrounds were used for storage and staging of troops.
6)  b) Heritage Village of course.
7)  b) drive to West Allis Wisconsin for the best cream puffs in the world
8)  a) Nebraska moved their state fairgrounds to Grand Island from Lincoln in 2010 so the U of Nebraska could use the land in Lincoln
9)  d) Minnesotans love their fair. Starts next week and ends on Labor Day or just before winter.
10) c) The South Dakota State Fair is in Huron. You job is to find Huron