The 11-day Iowa State Fair closed the 2026 season on Sunday, August 23rd by setting a number of records. Despite the rain and hot temperatures, people flocked to fair again this year.
In a news release, the organizers said the fair broke many single day and overall records, including:
• Attendance: New single-day, multiple-day and all-time attendance records were set during the 11-day Fair.
o Aug. 16 – First Sunday attendance record with 123,140
o Aug. 17 – Monday attendance record with 111,159
o Aug. 21 – Second Friday attendance record with 114,256
o Aug. 22 – Second Saturday attendance record AND largest all-time one-day attendance record with 130,654
o Overall Fair Attendance record with 1,218,834 topping the previous record of 1,182,682 in 2024.
• Grandstand: Lainey Wilson drew a sold-out crowd of 17,360 on August 16, setting a new Iowa State Fair Grandstand attendance record and surpassing the previous record of 17,320 set by Chris Stapleton in 2021.
o Overall Grandstand attendance record set at 132,041 even with a cancellation by Rod Stewart and special guest Richard Marx.
• Livestock: “Big Bad Joe” set a new Iowa State Fair Biggest Ram record at an impressive 568 pounds.
• Sale of Champions: The 2026 Sale of Champions set a new sale record, totaling $734,000, as well as new record prices across multiple species including FFA Grand Champion Market Lamb, Grand Champion 4-H Meat Goat, Grand Champion 4-H Market Broilers and Grand Champion FFA Market Hog, benefitting the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement scholarship fund.
• Woodcarver’s Auction: The woodcarver’s auction to benefit the Blue Ribbon Foundation on the last day of the Fair crushed the previous record raised at $79,137 in 2022 with a new record of $96,046 raised in 2026.
The 2027 Iowa State Fair will be held August 12-22.
