Sure, pumpkin-spiced products are already prominently displayed at your local grocer, but there’s one telltale sign that it’s still summer. All across the US, it’s state fair season, which means funnel cake, farm animals, and fairway rides rule. As we cling to the last bit of beach weather, we’re celebrating this enduring slice of Americana with State Fair Brew. So, tuck into something deep-fried while we delve into the past, present, and (possibly stoned) future of these annual agricultural gatherings.

State fairs are as American as apple pie

Nothing epitomizes America more than an event that brings together boastful displays of jumbo gourds and pig races with contestants nicknamed after sitting politicians. These harvest-time happenings known as state fairs harken back to simpler times when the US was an agricultural nation and most Americans lived in the countryside.

Here’s how the summertime staple went from a vital get-together for farmers to a showcase for deep-fried butter.

Farmers’ festivals

The state fair tradition started in 1841, when an agricultural industry group organized the country’s first state fair in Syracuse, New York.

• This inaugural iteration of the New York State Fair, which still takes place in the city, featured animal exhibits and a plowing contest.
• Soon after, agricultural powerhouses like Minnesota and Iowa launched their state fairs, which became outlets for what today is called infotainment.

The regional gatherings brought rural Americans together for socializing and giddy contests. But the second part of their dual mandate was to educate the public about agricultural advancements and promote farming, the dominant industry at the time. In 1900, agriculture constituted over 15% of US GDP, a share that shrunk to less than 1% by 2017, according to the Kansas City Fed.

As America industrialized, state fairs became a showcase of the latest technological innovation, akin to the Consumer Electronics Show today. While you’re now unlikely to see tech more sophisticated than a vibrating back scratcher at a state fair, it was the place where many people saw an airplane or heard the crackle of a radio for the first time.

So, why do we still have them?

Now, with most farms run by corporate giants and the majority of Americans seeing the fruits of agriculture only in supermarkets, state fairs offer a rare opportunity to celebrate rural American heritage and farming traditions.

In addition to being the only place where one can watch a sheep riding contest while munching on a blooming onion, a state fair is also an occasion to connect with civic organizations, survey the wares of local craftspeople, and support the regional economy in an era of globalized consumption.

The state-run carnivals often recoup their operating costs by charging admission and vendor fees, while crowds of visitors deliver an economic boon for surrounding communities. Over 1 million fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair brought a $110 million windfall to the local hospitality industry in 2019, according to the Des Moines tourism bureau.

They’re also a stage for political theater…as state fairs’ nostalgic quaintness has long made them an obligatory campaign stop for politicians looking to display their folksy appeal. Prepare to see candidates from both presidential tickets brandishing meat on a stick and donning countrycore attire.—SK

A day at the fair in Minnesota

Unlike 4-H judges, we at the Brew don’t like to pick favorites. But if we had to choose one state fair as the most iconic among the corn-dog-serving bunch, we’d pick the Minnesota State Fair, also known as “The Great Minnesota Get-Together.”

The Minnesota fair boasts the largest daily attendance of any state fair. About ~2 million people pass through, so it comes second only to Texas for total attendance (and the one thing Minnesotans love more than hockey is politely pointing out that the Lone Star State’s fair runs nearly twice as long). It’s also got a solid history dating back to 1859, the year after Minnesota became a state. Teddy Roosevelt made a memorable visit in 1901.

This year’s fair, which starts Thursday and runs through Labor Day, will feature old favorites like Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, a stalwart since 1979 that sells 3 million cookies each day, and the Giant Slide, a 5-story slope that’s been around for 50 years. It’ll also keep it fresh with new attractions, including:

• 63 new specialty drinks including mustard beer and a s’more slushie. And 33 new foods like deep-fried ranch dressing.
• Two vertigo-inducing rides known as The Kraken and The Defender (maybe Tim Walz will try them).
• An official app to help you navigate it all.

One thing the fair won’t have this year is nursing calves and lactating cows at its Miracle of Life Center, an exhibit featuring cute baby farm animals, due to the dairy industry’s concerns about bird flu. But you’ll still want to pack your Lactaid to take in the fair’s many celebrations of dairy, such as the All You Can Drink Milk Stand and the traditional butter sculpture of the state’s dairy princess.—AR

The hottest seat at the fair is on the baked goods judging panel

It’s been 13 years since Vicky Weiseman first judged a baked good at Pennsylvania’s Great Allentown Fair, and many of her most memorable moments still revolve around chocolate cake.

Once, a contestant tried to get fancy and unsuccessfully added mint to the chocolate base. “We take a bite, and it tasted like they put toothpaste in the cake batter,” she told Morning Brew. Another year, she and about nine other judges had to pick the top chocolate cake out of nearly 30 contenders and then settle a three-way tie for first place—all on a stage in front of the hopeful bakers.

Being a state fair judge takes sheer grit to power through a massive sugar intake and an eagle eye to spot loose stitches on a quilt. Ultimately, though, scoring a spot on the static exhibit judging panel for a local, county, or state fair means knowing the right people.

• The Minnesota State Fair has its own baking and canning coordinator who vets seasoned judges to tackle its staggering number of entries. The fair hires somewhere around 20 judges for the entire baking category.
• This year, the fair has 255 entries in its chocolate chip cookie division alone, according to Competitions Manager Samantha Gilbertson.

The judging pool at any fair can be a mix of local chefs, food writers, or celebrities like Chris Cognac, a retired LA police officer and host of the Food Network show Hungry Detective. Cognac has judged numerous food contests, from the Los Angeles County Fair to Iron Chef. He told Morning Brew that for the county fair specifically, it’s the community aspect that makes it fun for him.

The community aspect keeps a lot of judges coming back: Some bigger fairs like Minnesota pay judges, but others, like Weiseman, do it for the love of the game cake. And she said the primo fair parking is a nice bonus, too.—MM

Your guide to the quirkiest state fair events

State fairs may have originated as a way to buy and sell agricultural products, but they’ve since grown to encompass some of the funniest, quirkiest, and most wholesome competitions. Here are a few you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

Mull it over…at the mullet competition. Multiple state fairs champion a winner in this hair-raising event, including the ones in Indiana and Illinois. According to the official USA Mullet Championship, judges consider four criteria: length, style, uniqueness, and showmanship.

Practice listening…at the husband calling competition. This competition involves wives…calling their husbands. Some repeatedly yell their husband’s name, while others adopt a more artistic yodel. You may have seen it on TikTok.

Watch and learn…at the South Dakota State Fair’s grocery bagging competition. This isn’t for amateurs: To be eligible, contestants must hold a job where they spend more than 40% of their time bagging groceries. Judges award points based on speed, proper technique, weight distribution between bags, style, attitude, and appearance.

Consider a new pet…at the Colorado State Fair’s Pet Rock Olympics. The event is broken into two categories: best dressed and farthest roller. For at least one family, the competition is a tradition that spans three generations.

Stand far away…from the skillet toss and anvil throw at the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. The goal of the competition is to throw the iron objects as far and straight as possible without hurtling them out of bounds. Women toss a cast iron skillet; men throw an anvil.—CC

CA is first to encourage getting high at the fair

Californians met their dealers down by the funnel cakes and kangaroos this summer in a retail milestone for the legal weed business: The first sanctioned cannabis pop-up at a state fair.

The immersive event, dubbed the California Cannabis Experience, went off without a hitch, Adweek reported. It drew a diverse crowd of people aged 21+—many of whom were first-time legal weed buyers—and ended up being one of the fair’s most popular attractions.

• More than 100,000 people hit the shopping area and smoking lounge, where they could enjoy their new prerolls, edibles, sodas, and other THC products.
• The pop-up’s co-organizer, CA-based cannabis retailer Embarc, leveraged an equity-focused business network to bring in 80+ small brands that got a big boost from the community exposure.
• Vendors were blown away by the customer response: One cannabis seller told Adweek their sales just about tripled their expectations, and another had to haul (gr)ass back to Los Angeles from the fairgrounds in Sacramento to restock twice.

Fair organizers look forward to bringing the pop-up back “next year and beyond,” per Adweek.

Sales are getting high. Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing slices of agriculture, especially for California, which has averaged ~$270 million of legal weed sales per month this year, according to the Green Market Report (unclear how much of that is just Snoop Dogg).

Zoom out: The green industry in the land of red, white, and blue is projected to hit $46 billion in annual sales by 2028.—ML