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Man walks 5 miles for a fair corn dog

If you think there are two kinds of people at the state fair, heavyweights and scolds in florescent running shoes, you may find entertainment in extremes. Looking closer, what you find as often is...

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A fair church food stand survives with prayer – on a stick

Once, church food stands lined up at the south end of the fairgrounds. It was informally called “church row.” Only one has survived, the West Des Moines United Methodist Church stand in front of the...

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State Patrol: Saturday usually busier than ‘east side night’

Sorry eastsiders. The first Friday of the Iowa State Fair usually isn’t the rowdiest night, authorities said. Unofficially called east side night, the first Friday of the fair is known to draw large...

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East siders wear shirts to Iowa State Fair to show pride

The annual east-side night Friday was an all-Des Moines production, right down to the T-shirts. “I never miss the first Friday of the fair. I don’t miss east-side night,” said Janell Anderson, who has...

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Saturday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds   Today’s forecast will make many want to be at the State Fair. It will be mostly sunny with morning temperatures in the 60s and a high of 82 by the afternoon. Today: Mostly...

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29 arrests at Friday fair

There were 29 arrests at the Iowa State Fair Friday, said Sgt. Scott Bright of the Iowa State Patrol. Six of the arrests were juveniles. The majority of arrests, 13, were for public intoxication. Six...

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Des Moines sisters have attended every Iowa State Fair together since 1968

Two Des Moines sisters have gone to the Iowa State Fair together every year for the past 45 years. It’s more than just a tradition — it’s sister time. “We may not talk for a month, but then we come to...

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7-year-old wins milk chugging contest, prefers chocolate

Kids got their morning dairy serving in the Animal Learning Center Saturday at the Iowa State Fair’s Milk Chug-A-Lug Contest. When the announcer said go, each contestant displayed different strategies....

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Egg roll competition proves difficult for many

Eggs plus gravity equaled a lot of broken eggs at the annual Egg Roll competition. About six dozen eggs rolled, most of them smashing before making it to the bottom of the hill behind the Poultry,...

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Isiserettes play their first Fair stage

Des Moines’ Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps may have played at two presidential inaugurations, but they’ve never had the stage to themselves at the Iowa State Fair. Until today, that is. In the first...

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3 Iowa State Fair parking lots reopen

The Iowa State Fair has re-opened three parking lots that temporarily closed this weekend, but fair officials are still urging fairgoers to take advantage of off-grounds parking. Gates to the north...

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How to wash a chicken

Though backyard coops are more in vogue than ever, one aspect of chicken-raising might still mystify many city-dwellers: Just how do you wash a chicken? Nancy Dean has all the answers. The chicken...

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A memorable year for Mr. Legs

It’s not that nobody will remember the winner of the 2013 Mr. Legs contest, it’s that they’ll just remember the second-place finisher more. Roy Eilert, 89, was definitely the crowd favorite after...

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Henry County Fair queen crowned 2013 Iowa State Fair queen

Henry County Fair queen Kelsey Smith was both in shock and in tears when she was crowned the 2013 Iowa State Fair queen on Saturday night. “They said southeast Iowa and my heart just dropped, and I...

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17 arrests made at fair Saturday

There were 17 arrests at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, said Sgt. Scott Bright of the Iowa State Patrol. “For a Saturday night with that attendance, it was a very slow night for us,” Bright said. Of...

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Fair weather to be clear, warm and dry this week

Iowa State Fairgoers can expect a full week of warm temperatures, clear skies and no rain. Today will have a high of 85 degrees and partly sunny skies with a calm wind, before the temperature drops to...

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Fair Food Finder app featured by IPTV

Searching for your favorite Fair food? Find all the items on your wish list using the Register’s Fair Food app. The app was recently featured in a video report by Iowa Public Television. “They hate me...

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Tuesday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds   Mostly sunny skies and a light north wind will serve as another perfect backdrop for the fair today. Today: Mostly sunny. High: 83. Wind: N 5 mph.  Today’s highlights...

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17 arrests made Monday at Iowa State Fair

There were 17 arrests made at the Iowa State Fair on Monday, said Iowa State Patrol Trooper Scott Miller. Three of those arrests were for public intoxication, and ten were for possession of alcohol...

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Shrimp corn dog tops Iowa State Fair new-food poll

Keep in mind that food vendor Leslie Soukup achieved this feat at the Iowa State Fair without a speck of bacon. It seems as if all things bacon and pork increasingly rule these fairgrounds and the...

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Iowa heritage farms recognized at state fair

Iowa heritage farms were honored at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, in partnership with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, recognized heritage...

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‘Doctor Who’ TARDIS materializes at Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair already offers a time warp for those who like to sip a freshly shaken lemonade, pitch a game of horse shoes and browse the overpriced antiques in Pioneer Hall. But among this year’s...

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Wednesday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds   The fairgrounds will be splashed with more sunshine and cooler temperatures today. The southeast wind will add more humidity this afternoon, but highs will remain around...

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Five arrests made at fair Tuesday

There were five arrests made at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday, said Iowa State Patrol Trooper Vince Kurtz. Two arrests were for public intoxication. One was for possession of alcohol under the legal...

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Children receive certificates of citizenship at fair

Forty-three children received their certificates of U.S. citizenship at the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday morning. “I think it’s a new chapter in my life,” said 13-year-old Linh Tran. The Children’s...

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Cow-chip champ defends title

Steve Pope’s cow-chip toss won him yet another victory, but it may be his last. “This may be the end of the road,” he said, rubbing his shoulder. His rotator cuff may not be able to handle another...

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Grandmother’s childhood inspires Pella cousins to throw cow chips

Three cousins from Pella took some inspiration from their grandmother’s childhood when they signed up to throw cow chips at the Iowa State Fair. Five-year-old Palmer Hemming threw a cow chip “mostly...

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Red Hat ladies duke it out for hat honors

At the Marvelous Red Hat Contest it was hard to tell who had entered in which of the two categories: “Glitzy & Glamorous” or “Wild & Wacky.” Many of the contenders could have easily competed in...

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The two Iowa State Fairs — on the fairgrounds and online

Increasingly I feel as if there are two Iowa State Fairs: There’s the rather earnest rural circus itself that clamors and dribbles bacon grease across 450 acres on the east side of our capital city....

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Thursday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds   Today will be mostly cloudy and much cooler. We have our first chance for showers and isolated storms during the daytime hours at the 2013 fair. No severe weather is...

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Iowa baby’s first days spent at state fair

Koltyn Michael Graff certainly won’t remember his first Iowa State Fair. Luckily, his parents will telling the story for years to come. Mike and Ashley Graff knew they had a decision to make when they...

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‘Butter Cow Security’ T-shirts snapped up by fairgoers

So the Iowa State Fair in a brilliant move created new T-shirts this week in the wake of the smearing of the revered butter cow in red paint by animal rights activists. The new “Butter Cow Security”...

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Wild array of Riley Talent Search acts must give judges fits

The livestock on the fairgrounds tends to be evaluated according to rigid criteria, whether it’s weight and muscle tone or a precise athletic gauntlet replicated by each and every entry. But the young...

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Friday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds  The last Friday of the fair will start out partly cloudy. Clear skies will return this afternoon. We are still going to be cool. Highs will stay in the middle to upper 70s....

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Temperatures expected to rise through fair’s end

It’s been a cool few days across Iowa but don’t expect the unusually low temperatures to last. A steady increase in temperatures will put Des Moines back at normal seasonal temperatures by the...

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Iowa State Fair wakes up early for Al Roker and “Today” show

A crowd of perhaps 50 people gathered behind the barricades early Friday morning in front of the Grandstand as weatherman Al Roker from the Weather Channel and NBC’s “Today” show was on hand with...

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Iowa State Fair ‘Fair-y Tale Wedding’ of 26 couples with funnel cake, corn dogs

Fred Ramos from Council Bluffs found himself at the Iowa State Fair early Friday to show support for his brother, Steve — who happened to be among the 26 couples who were married in a mass “Fair-y Tale...

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25 charged at State Fair Thursday

Twenty-three people were arrested at the Iowa State Fair Thursday on what officials called a typical day. Iowa State Patrol troopers handled 33 cases Thursday, filed charges against 25 people and...

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18 receive Governor’s Lifesaving Awards

One group tended to a man who had been run over by construction equipment. Another group worked to rescue two men trapped inside their truck after a crash. One was a teenager who jumped into an icy...

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Saturday at the fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds  It’s going to be a super Saturday. Expect sunshine all day. Today: Sunny. High: 82. Wind: Calm. Today’s highlights 21st American Civil War Living History: 9:30 a.m. and 4...

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32 arrests at Friday Fair

There were 32 arrests Friday at the Iowa State Fair, said John Farley with the Iowa State Patrol. “Very typical,” Farley said. “It looks like the night before.” The majority of arrests, 16, were for...

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Bean bags and beer on the Grand Concourse

Mitch Eaton of Adel held a handful of red bean bags in one hand, and a full, cold beer in the other. He was about to begin a practice round for the Bags Tournament on the Gand Concourse, where dozens...

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Muscle-bound fairgoers display their strength

If the winners of largest pumpkin need any help carting their prize-winning gourd off the premises, they’ll find it at the Bud Stage. Strength was on full display Saturday morning at the bench press...

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Non-butter Abe Lincoln speaks at Fair

Butter Abe may be all the rage, but can it deliver the Gettysburg Address? Didn’t think so. Lee Williams, an actual walking, talking human dressed convincingly in Lincoln’s garb, however, gave a...

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The challenges of staying in character for Civil War reenactors

Ladies in Victorian garb snacked on cookies from a bucket and men in 1860s medic uniforms discussed wifi problems Saturday in Heritage Village, which has been transformed into a Civil War encampment....

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7 records broken at Iowa State Fair Sale of Champions

Seven records were set at the 2013 Iowa State Fair Sale of Champions on Saturday, according to an Iowa State Fair news release. In the sale, the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement raised...

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Stong known for more than our wonderful State Fair

Another Iowa State Fair has come and just about gone. Now we know that our State Fair became the best-known in the world because author Phil Stong (who was born at Pittsburg, near Keosauqua) helped...

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Sunday at the Fair: What you need to know

Weather at the fairgrounds  It’s going to be a another sunny day for the last day of the fair. Expect sunshine all day. Today: Sunny. High: 85. Wind: S 5-10 mph. Today’s highlights Enjoy the last day...

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22 arrested Saturday at Iowa State Fair

Authorities arrested 22 people Saturday at the Iowa State Fair. The Carly Rae Jepsen concert at the Grandstand didn’t draw a particularly large or rowdy crowd, which Iowa State Trooper Doug Cutts said...

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$25,000 reportedly stolen from Iowa State Fair vendor

A safe containing $25,000 was reportedly stolen from the trailer of a concession stand operator at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The haul was about half of one day’s profit from four vendors operated by...

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