state fair

{{Short description|Annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population}}

File:2023 Wisconsin State Fair 04 (SpinCity).jpg]]

A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs.

State fairs began in the nineteenth century for the purpose of promoting state agriculture, through competitive exhibitions of livestock and display of farm products. As the U.S. evolved from a predominantly agrarian to an industrial society in the twentieth century, and the more service economy of the 21st century, modern state fairs have expanded to include carnival amusement rides and games, display of industrial products, automobile racing, and entertainment such as musical concerts. Large fairs can admit more than a million visitors over the course of a week or two. The oldest state fair is that of The Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair, established in 1738, and is the oldest fair in Virginia and the United States.{{cite news |title=Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair |url=https://www.wfls.com/event/fredericksburg-agricultural-fair/2024-12-30/ |work=WFLS |date=December 30, 2023 |quote=Founded in 1738, Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair is the oldest fair in the United States.}} The first U.S. state fair was the New York, held in 1841 in Syracuse, and has been held annually since.{{cite web|url=http://www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/encyclopedia/entries/new-york-state-fair.html|title=New York State Fair :: The Encyclopedia of New York State :: Syracuse University Press|website=www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu|access-date=20 April 2018}} The second state fair was in Detroit, Michigan, which ran from 1849{{Cite web|url=https://www.michigan.gov/som/404|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125155839/http://www.michigan.gov/mistatefair/0,1607,7-109--12804--,00.html|url-status=dead|title=History of the Michigan State Fair|archivedate=November 25, 2009|website=www.michigan.gov}} to 2009.{{Cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20091030/NEWS06/91030026/1322/Granholm-cuts-State-Fair-from-budget|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103032010/http://www.freep.com/article/20091030/NEWS06/91030026/1322/Granholm-cuts-State-Fair-from-budget|url-status=dead|title=Granholm cuts State Fair from budget|archivedate=November 3, 2013}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20091031/NEWS06/910310309/1001/News/Its-official-State-Fair-a-goner|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103030456/http://www.freep.com/article/20091031/NEWS06/910310309/1001/News/Its-official-State-Fair-a-goner|url-status=dead|title=It's official: State Fair a goner|archivedate=November 3, 2013}} The fair was revived in 2013 and has been held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan ever since.

Events similar to state fairs are also held annually in each state capital in Australia, known as royal shows. Australian royal shows are organized by state agricultural and horticultural societies, and are described further in the agricultural show article.

List of state fairs

=United States=

File:Tanana Valley State Fair midway.jpg in Fairbanks, Alaska]]

class="wikitable sortable" ! State or Region !! Fair Name !! Location !Typical Month(s)!! data-sort-type="number" \| Attendance (year) !! data-sort-type="number"\| Attendance as % of State Pop.
style="display:none;" \|!a	!a	!a \| \|
9999
style="display:none;" \|!a	!a	!a \|	10000000000
Alabama	Alabama State Fair	Birmingham \|
Alabama \|Alabama State Fair Montgomery \|Montgomery \| \| \|
Alabama	Alabama National Fair	Montgomery \|
Alaska	Kenai Peninsula Fair	Ninilchik \|	7,300 (2013) {{cite web \| url=http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2014-06-08/kp-fair-has-big-changes \| title=KP fair has big changes \| date=9 June 2014 }}	.99%
Alaska	Southeast Alaska State Fair	Haines \|
Alaska	Tanana Valley State Fair	Fairbanks \|	92,000 (2014) {{cite web \| url=http://www.newsminer.com/features/latitude_65/tanana-valley-state-fair-begins-friday/article_b3cda688-59e5-11e6-bde6-e71856e25a70.html \| title=Tanana Valley State Fair begins Friday \| date=3 August 2016 }} \|	12.49%
Alaska	Alaska State Fair	Palmer \|	299,698 (2015) {{cite web \| url=http://www.alaskastatefair.org/site/2015-fair-continues-upward-trend/ \| title=2015 Fair Continues Upward Trend \| date=24 October 2015 }}	40.68%
Arizona	Arizona State Fair	Phoenix \|	1,102,044 (2015) {{cite web \| url=http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/business/2015/11/state-fair-attendance-stayed-on-par-despite-heavy.html \| title=State Fair attendance stayed on par despite heavy rain }}	16.37%
Arizona	Navajo Nation Fair	Window Rock \|	100,000 (2016) {{Cite web\|url=https://nnfair.navajo-nsn.gov/\|title=Navajo Nation AG Expo/4th of July PRCA Rodeo > CANCELLED\|website=nnfair.navajo-nsn.gov}}	57.58% (of Navajo Nation)
Arkansas	Arkansas State Fair	Little Rock \|	473,106 (2015) {{cite web \| url=http://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-state-fair-sets-new-attendance-record \| title=Arkansas State Fair sets new attendance record \| date=19 October 2015 }}	15.95%
California	California State Fair	Sacramento \|	673,237 (2016) {{Cite web \|last=Kirk \|first=Marjorie \|title=California state fair attendance drops 14 percent \|url=http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/state-fair/article91821437.html \|website=The Sacramento Bee}}	1.7%
Colorado	Colorado State Fair	Pueblo \|	466,576 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://gazette.com/colorado-state-fair-attendance-drops-in-2016-but-event-considered-a-success/article/1584968 \| title=Colorado State Fair attendance drops in 2016, but event considered a success \| date=7 September 2016 }}	8.71%
Delaware	Delaware State Fair	Harrington \|	262,587 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://delawarestatenews.net/delaware-state-fair/hot-weather-lowers-delaware-state-fair-attendance/ \| title=Home - Delaware State News \| Bay to Bay News }}	28.07%
District of Columbia	DC State Fair	Washington \|
Florida	Florida State Fair	Tampa \|	395,435 (2016) {{Cite web\|url=http://www.venuestoday.com/news/detail/florida-state-fair-ends-strong-3916\|title=Venuestoday.com\|website=www.venuestoday.com}}	1.99%
Georgia	Georgia State Fair	Hampton \|
Georgia	Georgia National Fair	Perry, Georgia \|	535,000 (2016) {{Cite web \|title=Georgia National Fair sets new attendance record \|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/georgia-national-fair-sets-new-attendance-record/93-337444555 \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=11Alive.com \|date=18 October 2016 \|language=en-US}}	5.30%
Georgia	North Georgia State Fair	Marietta \|	320,000 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.mdjonline.com/news/visitors-attend-over-north-georgia-state-fair-s--day/article_3e7d9a64-8aa5-11e6-8996-9be40fac4f5c.html \| title=320,000 visitors attend over North Georgia State Fair's 11-day run \| date=5 October 2016 }}	3.17%
Hawaii	Hawaii 50th State Fair	Aiea \|
Idaho	Eastern Idaho State Fair	Blackfoot \|	249,892 (2021) {{Cite web \|date=2021-09-16 \|title=Eastern Idaho State Fair sets historic attendance records \|url=https://www.eastidahonews.com/2021/09/eastern-idaho-state-fair-sets-historic-attendance-records/ \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=East Idaho News \|language=en-US}}	14.08%
Idaho	Western Idaho Fair	Boise \| August	243,474 (2016) {{Cite web \|last=Staff \|first=KBOI News \|date=2016-09-09 \|title=Western Idaho Fair attendance up 12,000 people in 2016 \|url=https://idahonews.com/news/local/western-idaho-fair-attendance-up-5-percent-in-2016 \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=KBOI \|language=en}}	14.90%
Idaho	North Idaho Fair {{Cite web\|url=https://www.nisfair.fun/\|title=North Idaho State Fair\|website=www.nisfair.fun}}	Coeur d'Alene \|	168,567 (2022) {{Cite web \|date=August 31, 2022 \|title='We didn't expect to see that much in growth': North Idaho State Fair sets attendance record \|url=https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho/we-didnt-expect-to-see-that-much-in-growth-north-idaho-state-fair-sets-attendance-record/293-84098048-bc8b-44d3-92e6-b6aeb797327e \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=krem.com \|language=en-US}}	5.18%
Illinois	DuQuoin State Fair	Du Quoin \|
Illinois	Illinois State Fair	Springfield \|	509,000 (2019) {{cite web \| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-state-fair-revenue-record-20190919-c5baiqh7lvhonbodtco4dhyjdy-story.html \| title=Illinois State Fair sets revenue record with Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire major draws \| website=Chicago Tribune \| date=19 September 2019 }}	4.00%
Indiana	Indiana State Fair	Indianapolis \|	730,000 (2016) {{Cite web \|date=August 22, 2016 \|title=Rainy weather hurts attendance at 2016 Indiana State Fair \|url=https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/rainy-weather-hurts-attendance-at-2016-indiana-state-fair/531-23ea1387-84af-4158-8d1d-db8c12854c7d \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=wthr.com \|language=en-US}}	11.07%
Iowa	Iowa State Fair	Des Moines \|	1,130,260 (2018) {{cite web \| url=https://www.iowastatefair.org/about/fair-dates-attendance/ \| title=Fair Dates & Attendance }}	35.93%
Kansas	Kansas State Fair	Hutchinson \|	359,808 (2016) {{Cite web \|date=2016-10-24 \|title=Kansas State Fair attendance in 2016 third highest ever \|url=https://apnews.com/article/e3f75dfc631c433496b346d6dd671806 \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=AP NEWS \|language=en}}	12.39%
Kentucky	Kentucky State Fair	Louisville \| August	609,955 (2017) {{cite news\|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2017/08/31/it-was-a-good-year-for-the-kentucky-state-fair.html \|title=It was a good year for the Kentucky State Fair \|first=Carolyn \|last=Tribble Greer \|newspaper=Louisville Business First \|date=August 31, 2017 \|access-date=November 16, 2017}}	13.7%
Louisiana	Cajun Heartland State Fair	Lafayette \|
Louisiana	Greater Baton Rouge State Fair	Baton Rouge \|
Louisiana	State Fair of Louisiana	Shreveport \|	379,700 (2017) {{cite web \| url=http://carnivalwarehouse.com/newsserver/1146 \| title=Weather Affects Attendance at State Fair of Louisiana }}	9.78%
Maine	Bangor State Fair	Bangor \|
Maine	Skowhegan State Fair	Skowhegan \|
Maine	Fryeburg Fair	Fryeburg \|	166,838 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.conwaydailysun.com/newsx/128243-fair-roundup-10-10-16 \| title=Fair attendance up over last year \| date=10 October 2016 }}	12.54%
Maryland	Maryland State Fair	Timonium \|	588,000 (2013) {{Cite web \|last=Patrick \|date=2022-09-19 \|title=2022 Maryland State Fair sets records with move to three weekends \|url=https://www.morningagclips.com/2022-maryland-state-fair-sets-records-with-move-to-three-weekends/ \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=Morning Ag Clips \|language=en-US}}	9.53%
Michigan	Michigan State Fair	Novi \|	92,000 (2014) {{cite web \| url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/metro-detroit/2014/09/10/michigan-state-fair-attendance-up-15/15402603/ \| title=Michigan State Fair attendance up 15% }}	.93%
Michigan	Upper Peninsula State Fair	Escanaba \|	80,000 (2013) {{cite web \| url=http://upstatefair.org/?dailyattendance \| title=Upper Peninsula State Fair, Escanaba Michigan }}	.81%
Minnesota	Minnesota State Fair	Falcon Heights \|	2,126,551 (2019) {{cite web\|url=http://www.mnstatefair.org/general_info/attendance.html\|title=Minnesota State Fair - Attendance\|website=www.mnstatefair.org\|date=9 June 2016\|access-date=4 September 2019\|archive-date=9 December 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209164621/http://www.mnstatefair.org/general_info/attendance.html\|url-status=dead}}	37.90%
Mississippi	Mississippi State Fair	Jackson \|	733,151 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/10/17/mississippi-state-fair-sets-attendance-record/92320290/ \| title=Mississippi State Fair sets attendance record }}	24.49%
Missouri	Missouri State Fair	Sedalia	August	349,048 (2023){{cite web \|last1=Shiner \|first1=Ryan \|title=Missouri State Fair attendance hits six-year high \|url=https://abc17news.com/news/pettis/2023/09/18/missouri-state-fair-attendance-hits-six-year-high/ \|website=KMIZ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927053010/https://abc17news.com/news/pettis/2023/09/18/missouri-state-fair-attendance-hits-six-year-high/ \|archive-date=September 27, 2023 \|date=September 18, 2023 \|url-status=live}}
Montana	Montana State Fair	Great Falls \|	54,938 (2015) {{Cite web \|last= \|first= \|title=Montana State Fair numbers solid this year \|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/9/montana-state-fair-numbers-solid-this-year/ \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=The Washington Times \|language=en-US}}	5.37%
Montana	MontanaFair	Billings, Montana \|	226,333 (2016) {{Cite web \|title=Early numbers for MontanaFair attendance and sales \|url=https://www.kulr8.com/news/early-numbers-for-montanafair-attendance-and-sales/article_661335a3-4d25-5f11-8c15-302a81c3addd.html \|access-date=2023-03-19 \|website=KULR-8 Local News \|date=22 August 2016 \|language=en}}	22.10%
Nebraska	Nebraska State Fair	Grand Island \|	379,108 (2017){{cite news \|title=State Fair 2017 attendance nears all-time record \|first=Kelli \|last=Rollin \|newspaper=The Grand Island Independent \|publisher=BH Media Group, Inc. \|date=5 September 2017 \|url=http://www.theindependent.com/news/state_fair/state-fair-attendance-nears-all-time-record/article_8b0d8f2c-9253-11e7-b989-5f9bce347f32.html \|access-date=5 September 2017}}{{Cite web\|url=http://d2w7gersd1ix5b.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=NebraskaStateFair&f=17NSF_Final_Attendance_ReleaseF(1).pdf\|title=Nebraska State Fair Sets a New Attendance Record (Press Release)}}	19.88%
Nevada	Nevada State Fair	Reno \|	Closed
Nevada	The Nevada Fair	Carson City, Nevada \|	22,000 (2015) {{cite web \| url=http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/08/02/nevada-fair-sees-second-successful-year-carson-city/31025065/ \| title=Nevada Fair sees second successful year in Carson City }}	.77%
New England{{efn\|group=n\|The Eastern States Exposition, popularly known as The Big E, is a combined state fair for all six (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) New England states. Each state has its own dedicated area during the fair.}}	The Big E	West Springfield, Massachusetts \|	1,629,527 (2019) {{cite web \| url=https://www.thebige.com/p/generalinfo/mediacenter/attendance \| title=Big e Attendance Records }}	10.97%{{efn\|grouo=n\|Percentage based on combined population for all New England states.}}
New Hampshire	Hopkinton State Fair	Contoocook \|
New Jersey	New Jersey State Fair	Augusta \|	420,000 (2013) {{Cite web \|last=Moss \|first=Linda \|date=7 July 2013 \|title=N.J.'s State Fair Meadowlands wraps up, beats last year's attendance \|url=http://archive.northjersey.com/community-news/n-j-s-state-fair-meadowlands-wraps-up-beats-last-year-s-attendance-1.629061 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309072620/http://archive.northjersey.com/community-news/n-j-s-state-fair-meadowlands-wraps-up-beats-last-year-s-attendance-1.629061 \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=NorthJersey}}	4.70%
New Mexico	New Mexico State Fair	Albuquerque \|	497,000 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://krqe.com/blog/2016/09/29/new-mexico-state-fair-attendance-increased-8-percent/ \| title=New Mexico State Fair attendance increased 8-percent \| work=KRQE News 13 \| date=29 September 2016 }}	23.83%
New Mexico	Southern New Mexico State Fair	Las Cruces \|
New Mexico	Northern Navajo Nation Fair	Shiprock \|
New York	Great New York State Fair	Syracuse \|	1,329,275 (2019) {{cite web \| url=https://nysfair.ny.gov/about/press/attendance/ \| title=Daily Attendance \| work=The Great New York State Fair }}	6.8%
North Carolina	North Carolina State Fair	Raleigh \|October-November	1,028,364 (2016) {{Cite web \|title=Newsroom \|url=http://www.ncstatefair.org/2016/Newsroom/attendance.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726162027/http://www.ncstatefair.org/2016/Newsroom/Attendance.htm \|archive-date=26 July 2016 \|website=ncstatefair.org}}	10.34%
North Carolina \|Dixie Classic Fair \|Winston-Salem \| \|357,416 (2011) \|3.7%
North Carolina	North Carolina Mountain State Fair	Fletcher \|	187,819 (2007) {{Cite web \|title=2007 NC Mountain State Fair \|url=http://www.ncagr.com/markets/fairs/mtnfair/index.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427010410/http://www.ncagr.com/markets/fairs/mtnfair/index.htm \|archive-date=27 April 2007 \|website=ncagr.com}}	1.89%
North Dakota	North Dakota State Fair	Minot \| July	293,123 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Attendance-numbers-released-for-ND-State-Fair-388782932.html \| title=Attendance numbers released for ND State Fair \| date=31 July 2016 }}	39.64%
Ohio	Ohio State Fair	Columbus \|	921,000 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://wksu.org/post/ohio-state-fair-attendance-just-short-record#stream/0 \| title=Ohio State Fair Attendance Just Short of a Record \| date=8 August 2016 }}	7.95%
Oklahoma	Oklahoma State Fair	Oklahoma City \|	900,000 (2012) {{Cite web \|title=Carnivalwarehouse.com's 2012 Top 50 Fairs \|url=http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com/lists/2012list.pdf \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602124748/http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com/lists/2012list.pdf \|archive-date=2 June 2013 \|website=carnivalwarehouse.com}}	23.21%
Oklahoma	Tulsa State Fair	Tulsa \|	1,206,000 (2016 estimate) {{Cite web \|title=About Us \|url=http://www.tulsastatefair.com/index.cfm?id=272 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413131350/http://www.tulsastatefair.com/index.cfm?id=272 \|archive-date=13 April 2016 \|website=tulsastatefair.com}}	31.10%
Oregon	Oregon State Fair	Salem \|	295,000 (2016 estimate) {{cite web \| url=http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2016/10/04/oregon-state-fair-reports-increase-attendance-revenue/91550716/ \| title=Oregon State Fair reports increase in attendance, revenue }}	7.43%
Pennsylvania	Allentown Fair	Allentown \|	500,000 (approx) (2014) {{Cite web \|title=About Us \|url=http://www.allentownfairpa.org/index.php/general-info/about-us \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720124131/http://allentownfair.com/index.php/general-info/about-us \|archive-date=20 July 2014 \|website=Allentown Fairgrounds}}	3.91%
Pennsylvania	Butler Fair	Prospect \|	240,000 (approx) (2011) {{Cite web\|url=https://www.bigbutlerfair.com/\|title=The Big Butler Fair \| Always Over the Fourth\|website=The Big Butler Fair}}	1.88%
Pennsylvania	Bloomsburg Fair	Bloomsburg \|	364,037 (2015) {{Cite web \|title=Fair Attendance \|url=http://www.thebloomsburgfair.net/attendance/2015.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401160046/http://www.thebloomsburgfair.net/attendance/2015.htm \|archive-date=1 April 2017 \|website=thebloomsburgfair.com}}	2.85%
Pennsylvania	The Reading Fair	Reading \|	40,000 (2016) {{Cite web\|url=https://www.thereadingfair.org/\|title=5 Door and Window Replacement in Berks County, PA\|website=thereadingfair}}	0.3%
Pennsylvania	York State Fair	York \|	555,252 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/york-fair/2016/09/18/york-fair-numbers/90493454/ \| title=How many people attended the 2016 York Fair? }}	4.34%
Rhode Island	Washington County Fair	Richmond \|	around 100,000 {{cite web \| url=http://www.providencejournal.com/entertainmentlife/20160817/50th-washington-county-fair-pulls-out-stops-this-weekend \| title=For the 50th, a full slate of favorites }}	9.48%
South Carolina	South Carolina State Fair	Columbia \|	464,878 (2016) {{Cite web \|date=24 October 2016 \|title=2016 Fair Closes with Banner Attendance \|url=https://www.scstatefair.org/sc-state-fair/fair-news/2016/10/24/2016-fair-closes-with-banner-attendance \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309071535/https://www.scstatefair.org/sc-state-fair/fair-news/2016/10/24/2016-fair-closes-with-banner-attendance \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=South Carolina State Fair}}	9.62%
South Dakota	South Dakota State Fair	Huron \|	211,371 (2016) {{Cite web \|title=South Dakota State Fair Attendance Up Slightly Over 2015 \|url=http://www.kdlt.com/2016/09/30/south-dakota-state-fair-attendance-up-slightly-over-2015/ \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309062933/http://www.kdlt.com/2016/09/30/south-dakota-state-fair-attendance-up-slightly-over-2015/ \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=KDLT News}}	24.77%
Tennessee	Tennessee State Fair	Lebanon \| August	115,000 (2015) {{Cite web \|title=State fair continues to build attendance from past years \|url=http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/state-fair-continues-build-attendance-past-years \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309064806/http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/state-fair-continues-build-attendance-past-years \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=Columbia Daily Herald}}	1.76%
Tennessee	Delta Fair	Memphis \|	about 200,000 (2016) {{Cite web \|title=Delta Fair Attendance Down This Year \|url=http://www.localmemphis.com/news/local-news/delta-fair-attendance-down-this-year/546645044 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309062753/http://www.localmemphis.com/news/local-news/delta-fair-attendance-down-this-year/546645044 \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=Local Memphis}}	3.05%
Tennessee	Tennessee Valley Fair	Knoxville \|	180,000 (approx) {{Cite web\|url=https://www.tnvalleyfair.org/\|title=Tennessee Valley Fair\|website=www.tnvalleyfair.org}}	2.75%
Texas	South Texas State Fair	Beaumont \|	175,000 (2014) {{cite web \| url=http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/South-Texas-State-Fair-attendance-up-10-000-from-5381431.php \| title=South Texas State Fair attendance up 10,000 from last year \| work=Beaumont Enterprise \| date=7 April 2014 \| last1=Crum \| first1=Brooke }}	.65%
Texas	State Fair of Texas	Dallas \|	2,547,289 (2022) {{cite web \| url=http://bigtex.com/attendance/ \| title=Daily Attendance }}	7.24%
Texas	East Texas State FairWaterson, James and Seymour, Rachel Anne. Pulling Up Stakes: East Texas State Fair Says Goodbye Until Next Year. Tyler Morning Telegraph, October 4th, 2010, p. 1A, 6A	Tyler \|	about 250,000 (estimate from 2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.tylertexasonline.com/east-texas-state-fair.htm \| title=East Texas State Fair }}	.93%
Texas	North Texas State Fair	Denton \|	200,000 (estimate from 2023) {{Cite web \|title=Sponsors \|url=https://www.ntfair.com/sponsors.aspx \|access-date=20 March 2023 \|website=North Texas Fair & Rodeo}}	.68%
Utah	Utah State Fair	Salt Lake City \|	around 300,000 (2014) {{Cite web \|date=2014-10-15 \|title=Utah State Fair draws crowds, generates profits for 2014 season \|url=https://www.deseret.com/2014/10/15/20550617/utah-state-fair-draws-crowds-generates-profits-for-2014-season \|access-date=2023-03-20 \|website=Deseret News \|language=en}}	10.19%
Vermont	Vermont State Fair	Rutland \|	40,000{{Dash}}50,000 (2022) {{Cite web \|date=2022-08-24 \|title=State fair sets new attendance record \|url=https://mountaintimes.info/state-fair-sets-new-attendance-record/ \|access-date=2023-03-20 \|website=The Mountain Times \|language=en-US \|author1=Polly }}	9.83%
Virginia	State Fair of Virginia	Caroline County \|	238,000 (2014) {{cite web \| url=http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/caroline/storms-muddy-state-fair-of-virginia-s-traffic-revenue/article_ad663144-8fec-59e5-b88b-15d91d0d194f.html \| title=Storms muddy State Fair of Virginia's traffic, revenue \| date=6 October 2015 }}	2.86%
Washington	Central Washington State Fair	Yakima \|	312,191 (2016) {{Cite web \|date=3 October 2016 \|title=Final weekend pushes state fair attendance over 312,000 \|url=http://www.khq.com/story/33306397/final-weekend-pushes-state-fair-attendance-over-312000 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309061208/http://www.khq.com/story/33306397/final-weekend-pushes-state-fair-attendance-over-312000 \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=KHQ}}	4.42%
Washington	Evergreen State Fair	Monroe \|	342,631 (2016) {{cite web \| url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/attendance-at-evergreen-state-fair-second-highest-in-6-years/ \| title=Attendance at Evergreen State Fair second-highest in 6 years \| date=17 September 2016 }}	4.85%
Washington	Northwest Washington Fair	Lynden \|	189,154 (2015) {{Cite web \|last=Townsend \|first=Debbie \|title=Attendance up at Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden \|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article32384508.html \|website=Bellingham Herald}}	2.68%
Washington	Washington State Fair	Puyallup \|	1,117,323 (2012) {{Cite web \|title=Puyallup Fair attendance tops 1.1 million, beats last year \|url=http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2012/09/24/puyallup-fair-attendance-tops-1-1-million-beats-last-year/ \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113115122/http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2012/09/24/puyallup-fair-attendance-tops-1-1-million-beats-last-year/ \|archive-date=13 November 2013 \|website=The News Tribune}}	15.82%
West Virginia	State Fair of West Virginia	Fairlea \|	155,000-160,000 (2016) {{Cite web \|last=Davis \|first=Austin \|date=25 August 2016 \|title=A look back at the 2016 State Fair \|url=http://www.wvva.com/story/32843849/2016/08/Thursday/a-look-back-at-the-2016-state-fair \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309064331/http://www.wvva.com/story/32843849/2016/08/Thursday/a-look-back-at-the-2016-state-fair \|archive-date=9 March 2017 \|website=WWVA}}	8.65%
Wisconsin	Wisconsin State Fair	West Allis \|August	1,015,815 (2016) {{Cite web \|last=Shafer \|first=Dan \|date=16 August 2016 \|title=Wisconsin State Fair attendance tops 1 million \|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2016/08/16/wisconsin-state-fair-attendancetops-1-million.html \|access-date=2023-03-20 \|website=www.bizjournals.com}}	17.64%
Wisconsin	Central Wisconsin State Fair	Marshfield \|	85,000 (2015) {{cite web \| url=http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/story/news/2015/09/09/central-wisconsin-state-fair-sets-record/71955258/ \| title=Central Wisconsin State Fair sets record }}	1.48%
Wisconsin	Northern Wisconsin State Fair	Chippewa Falls \|	90,000 (2016) {{Cite web \|date=18 July 2016 \|title=Nearly 90K people attended the Northern Wisconsin State Fair \|url=http://www.wqow.com/story/32472134/2016/07/18/nearly-90k-people-attended-the-northern-wisconsin-state-fair \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805082822/http://www.wqow.com/story/32472134/2016/07/18/nearly-90k-people-attended-the-northern-wisconsin-state-fair \|archive-date=5 August 2018 \|website=wqow.com}}	1.56%
Wyoming	Wyoming State Fair	Douglas \|

;Notes

=State fair police departments=

Several state fairs maintain their own police departments, including:

Provincial exhibitions in Canada

A few annual exhibitions in the summer in Canada are similar to state fairs in the United States:

class="wikitable sortable" ! Province !! Fair Name !! Location !! data-sort-type="number"\| Attendance (year)
style="display:none;" \|!a	!a	!a\|
9999
style="display:none;" \|!a	!a	!a	10000000000
Alberta	Calgary Stampede	Calgary	1,275,465 (2019){{cite web\|url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/second-highest-attendance-record-set-at-calgary-stampede-1.4508262\|title=Second highest attendance record set at Calgary Stampede\|work=CTV News Calgary\|publisher=BellMedia\|date=July 15, 2019\|access-date=April 2, 2021}}
Alberta	K-Days	Edmonton	702,327 (2019){{cite web\|title=Weather to blame for lowest K-Days attendance since 2006, Northlands says\|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5698846/edmonton-2019-k-days-attendance/\|last=Ramsay\|first=Caley\|publisher=Corus Entertainment\|work=Global News\|access-date=April 2, 2021\|date=July 29, 2019}}
British Columbia	Pacific National Exhibition	Vancouver	731,708 (2019){{cite web\|url=https://www.pne.ca/files/uploads/2021/01/AR19-PNE-Annual-Report-Web.pdf\|title=2019 Pacific National Exhibition Annual Report: April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020\|year=2021\|access-date=2 April 2021\|website=www.pne.ca\|publisher=Pacific National Exhibition}}
Ontario	Canadian National Exhibition	Toronto	1,500,000 (2019){{cite web\|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/canadian-national-exhibition-attendance-up-ex-annual-fair-numbers-higher-1.5268288\|title=Ex attendance rises to an estimated 1.5 million this year, CNE officials say\|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation\|website=www.cbc.ca\|last=Draaisma\|first=Muriel}}
Ontario	Ottawa SuperEX (defunct)	Ottawa	422,095 (2009){{cite web\|url=http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/superex-attendance-higher-than-last-year-1.430329\|title=SuperEx attendance higher than last year\|publisher=Bell Media\|work=ctvottawa.ca\|date=31 August 2009\|access-date=10 July 2014}}
Ontario	Royal Agricultural Winter Fair	Toronto	300,000 (average per annum){{cite news\|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2018/11/01/locked-out-workers-to-picket-royal-winter-fair.html\|title=Locked out workers to picket Royal Winter Fair\|last=Rider\|first=David\|date=November 1, 2018\|access-date=April 2, 2021\|work=Toronto Star\|publisher=Torstar Corporation}}
Ontario	Western Fair	London	170,000 (2015){{cite web\|url=https://lfpress.com/2017/09/16/western-fair-blessed-with-fair-weather-but-attendance-figures-under-wraps\|title=Western Fair blessed with fair weather but attendance figures under wraps\|website=www.lfpress.com\|last=Daniszewski\|first=Hank}}
Manitoba	Red River Exhibition	Winnipeg	203,624 (2019){{cite web\|title=Red River Ex sees uptick in 2019 attendance\|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5426559/red-river-ex-sees-uptick-in-2019-attendance/\|last=Thompson\|first=Sam\|publisher=Corus Entertainment\|work=Global News\|access-date=April 2, 2021\|date=June 24, 2019}}
Manitoba	Royal Manitoba Winter Fair	Brandon	110,000 (2018){{cite web\|url=https://www.discoverwestman.com/local/winter-fair-attracts-more-than-100-000-visitors-but-registers-attendance-drop\|title=Winter Fair Attracts More Than 100,000 Visitors But Registers Attendance Drop\|date=April 1, 2018\|access-date=April 2, 2021\|publisher=Golden West Broadcasting\|work=Discover Westman}}
Saskatchewan	Canadian Western Agribition	Regina	121,326 (2019){{cite web\|url=https://industrywestmagazine.com/features/jump-in-international-buyers-inaugural-maple-leaf-finals-rodeo-and-record-setting-registrations-among-highlights-at-agribition-2019/\|title=Jump in international buyers, inaugural maple leaf finals rodeo and record-setting registration at Agribition 2019\|last=Vorrieter\|first=Karlee\|work=Industry West\|publisher=IW Media Group\|year=2019}}

Awards

State and county fairs are famous for a variety of competitions that award ribbons. Awards are generally given according to the following scale:{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}

First place – blue ribbon
Second place – red ribbon
Third place – white ribbon
Fourth place – yellow ribbon
Fifth place – green ribbon
Sixth place – orange ribbon
Seventh place – purple ribbon
Eighth place – brown ribbon

Attendance

As of 2019, the largest attendance at a state fair in the US is in Texas with the fair having attracted 2,514,637 visitors.{{Cite web|title=Daily Attendance|url=https://bigtex.com/about-us/daily-attendance/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=State Fair of Texas|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=State Fair of Texas Welcomed More Than 2.5 Million Fairgoers in 2019|url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/state-fair-of-texas-welcomed-more-than-25-million-fairgoers-in-2019/1965548/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth|date=21 October 2019 |language=en-US}}{{Cite news|title=How Much It Costs To Visit the 10 Biggest State Fairs in the US|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-costs-visit-10-biggest-193142848.html|access-date=2021-09-25|website=finance.yahoo.com|language=en-US}} Even though it is longer than an average state fair, any advantage is negated by the size of the physical state since those days would be required for the states citizens to have equal opportunity to attend.

The largest average per day attendance is at the Minnesota State Fair averaging just under 200,000 people per day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mnstatefair.org/about-the-fair/attendance/|title=Attendance|date=9 June 2016}}

References

Category:Culture of the United States

Category:Culture of Canada

Category:Annual fairs

Category:Annual events in the United States