We were driving on the interstate highway yesterday eventide and saw a funnel cake sales booth hurrying by . " There goes the last of the DoS Fair,“ my mama said . Yep , the Iowa State Fair closed out another successful year on Sunday , so I thought for today ’s Quick 10 I ’d provide you with some of the highlighting " “ in no particular order , take care you .
1 . Butter Shawn Johnson . The lilliputian , 4'9" Olympic ribbon - winning gymnast is from West Des Moines , so she ’s a reasonably braggart plenty in these parts ( we also have track and field Olympian Lolo Jones ) . Every yr , the butter cow sculpturer does something in addition to the butter cow , usually something that corresponds with current events . Last twelvemonth when the last Harry Potter book number out , a whole charming vista was created out of butter . So , this twelvemonth ’s testimonial to our local Olympian was a no - brainer . Shawn come complete with an American signal flag and a balance beam .
3 . Pioneer Hall .
My protagonist Bridget resist to go in Pioneer Hall because she has an distaste to antiques . Yeah , if you have a problem with old stuff and nonsense , Pioneer Hall is not for you . It ’s part flea market , part vitrine , part dance hall , part demo . you may peruse old track record albums , see if one of the vendors has that art object of Depression glass you ’ve been looking for , flip through some postcards from the 1920s , and look on a blacksmith do his thing .
I was fascinated by the blacksmith , but if terpsichore is more up your alley , there ’s always this :
4 . Ugly Cake Contest . Yeah , this is in the same construction your typical State Fair food for thought competitions " “ best Proto-Indo European , best crush , best cookie , good everything - under - the - sunshine . But this is my favorite . It ’s gear specifically to Kyd who compete to see who can make the most revolting , unappealing cake ever . This one did n’t win a racy ribbon , but personally , it took the patty for me . Yuck .
5 . Big Boar and the Big Bull . Big Bull . " Tiny" the bull weighs 3,012 pounds . you could tell precisely how big he is by comparing his head with the promontory of that little girl in the background . I ’m pretty sure he was heavily sedated .
" Freight Train" the grown boar " ¦ well , he ’s just a really massive pig . It look to drop most of its time napping . I catch it snore , really , but by the time I reckon to turn the video on , I recall it had quiet down down . See for yourself :
6 . Fried Hostess Cupcake . Well , fried anything from this bandstand , really . you could get fry Twinkie , fried Ho Ho , fried Oreos , fried Snickers . I think the Twinkie is the best , but we felt like we should try something new this year . Paul had the Hostess Cupcake ; I had a Bloody Mary . Mmm . Only at the State Fair is this normal . Well , State Fair and perchance tailgating .
7 . Garrison Keillor . Unfortunately I leave out this , but I would have wish to see the " A Prairie Home Companion" Rhubarb Tour when it made a blockage at the State Fair this twelvemonth .
8 . Fried Pineapple . Every year , there ’s a pile of hype around the newest food item . Last twelvemonth it was the Hot Beef Sundae " “ a hammock of mashed white potato with gravy to attend like sirup , shredded cheese " sprinkles" and a cherry tomato on top . This year , it was the fried pineapple . Sounds kind of nasty , but it savour a quite a little like pineapple upside down bar . This is my husband bite into the deep-fried pineapple " ¦ be monish , it ’s not theneatestthing to eat .
