The best state fairs across the U.S.

Dates: July 11–27, 2025

Known for: Various culinary challenges and contests and exhibits highlighting the Golden State

The California State Fair encompasses a variety of events, including culinary trivia contests, a candy maze, a kids outpost and an insect pavilion, plus many exhibitions on fine art and photography and works by students, California authors and lowrider culture. The Golden State’s agricultural bounty is front and center, with a flower exhibit, livestock show, petting zoo, cooking demos, beer and wine tastings, and fun competitions. The United States Postal Service will run a daily operating post office for mailing out a post card or letter postmarked with an official 2025 California State Fair Station cancellation stamp.

Other offerings include a plethora of performances. The Toyota Concert Series on the Sky River Casino Stage boasts acts including Ludracris, Poison lead singer Bret Michaels, Cypress Hill and En Vogue. The Community Stage’s schedule is packed with dance troupes, DJs, bands, solo acts and orchestras, or get into the groove at the Super Secret Silent Disco. And be sure to see the fair’s golden bear mascot, Poppy, and wish this lovable character a happy birthday at a party on July 22. Out at the Fair, a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride and diversity, falls on July 19.

Dates: July 31–August 10, 2025

Known for: Their Original Cream Puffs, inventive food and drink offerings and animal demonstrations

For over a decade, the Wisconsin State Fair has really put inventive food and drink on the map. Through a judging contest known as “Sporkies and Drinkies,” food and beverage vendors are encouraged to take their offerings to the next level. In turn, 2025 entries have resulted in orders like a Mexican street corn pizza, Dubai chocolate strawberry smoothie, s’mores churro fries and Purple Rain refresher.

A longtime favorite is the Original Cream Puff, a pastry that’s been sold at the fair for a century, that is joined in 2025 with chocolate and strawberry choices. Pick up a puff at the now-reopened Dairy Building (formerly known as the Original Cream Puff Pavilion). The fair also features concerts, thrill rides, an exploratory park, art displays, culinary contests and agriculture demonstrations, with an alpaca exhibit and a main show ring and barns holding horses, sheep, cattle, rabbits, poultry and goats. Another fair delight is the Saz’s Racing Pigs, where you can cheer on your favorite swine.

Dates: August 7–17, 2025

Known for: A longtime Butter Cow sculpture and many “on-a-stick” foods

The Iowa State Fair is not only a longtime event—its inaugural year was in 1854—but it’s also inspired a novel, three movies and a Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical. Along with competitions and grandstand shows, the fair has fun contests for adults and children, thrill rides for various ages, tournaments involving checkers, cribbage, chess and cornhole, a spelling bee, a fiddlers’ contest and tractor pulls.

Eating is like a sport with the 2025 fair offering nearly 200 food stands and over 50 on-a-stick foods along with value-priced options. New food finds encompass a bacon chicken ranch egg roll, fried banana cream pie and Nashville hot chicken mac and cheese or flamin’ hot pickle pizzas. Healthier choices and gluten-free foods are also available and a sensory-friendly morning is offered on August 13. And be sure to see the fair’s Butter Cow—which, yes, is a life-size cow carved out of butter.

Dates: August 14–23, 2025

Known for: Made in Tennessee Building, showing what’s found amid various counties.

Also known as the Wilson County Fair, the Tennessee State Fair puts the Volunteer State front and center with a designated building showcasing all this state’s 95 counties with specialty exhibits.

Along with rides and competitions, other fair activities include amusement rides, nightly motorsports events, live music across 16 stages, a recreated historic village, livestock shows, skill demonstrations, apple and pie baking contests, a honey show, recycled yard/garden art, a bike ride across Tennessee’s Wilson County and, new this year, a pig callin’ competition. The Made in Tennessee Building showcases all of the state’s 95 counties with special exhibits featuring items from each of them.

Dates: August 20–September 1, 2025

Known for: Interesting fair foods, daily parades and agricultural competitions

With a history dating back to 1841, the Great New York State Fair offers 13 days of splendor with entertainment (2025 welcomes Taylor Dayne, Cheap Trick, En Vogue, Dionne Warwick, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lil Jon, Busta Rhymes and Shaggy, among others). These acts will set foot on stage at either Chevy Court or Suburban Park.

Agricultural competitions involve livestock, horse shows, arts and crafts, flower shows, antique tractors and amateur wine-making (yes, really). Along with carnival games and rides each year, fairgoers may come across foods like fried alligator and milky buns or a wine slushy made from Finger Lakes wineries. Daily fair parades honor various marchers, including Pride Day on August 22, while a tram service shuttles fair attendees around.

Dates: August 21–September 1, 2025

Known for: An amateur talent show contest and having one of North America’s tallest traveling Ferris wheel

Nicknamed “The Great Minnesota Get-Together,” this 166-year-old state fair offers a wide range of activities, from large-scale entertainment to educational exhibits. Each season ushers in new fair food offerings and drink choices collectively known as “Specialty Sips.” Its 2025 Grandstand Stage concert series features top acts like Meghan Trainor, Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, Def Leppard and the Avett Brothers while the MSF Amateur Talent Contest promotes the state’s next top talent. The Cosgrove Stage hosts dance groups while others host family-friendly entertainment or global sounds. Educational booths and experiences give lessons on state history and agriculture, sustainability measures and the fair’s heritage but be sure to see a collection of butter sculpted busts.

Some rides have been longtime staples, such as the Space Tower and SkyGlider, but the 15-story-tall Great Big Wheel offers amazing views of the fair from 156 feet above.

Dates: August 22–September 1, 2025

Known for: A “State Fair Beer,” amazing animal viewing experiences and various competitions

The Nebraska State Fair existed before Nebraska was even a state, as a three-day territory fair in 1859. Since then, this fair has grown to encompass indoor and outdoor concerts (with 2025’s list including the Righteous Brothers) along with rides and attractions, livestock shows, a bull riding tour and wildlife encounters.

This year’s schedule also includes a marathon encompassing different types of races, figure 8 racing, the Nebraska Demolition Derby Championship and a truck and tractor pull. Every year, a different Nebraska brewery creates a special state fair brew, and you’ll also find a carnival featuring ticket rides for all ages and thrill seekers. Marvel at chrome amid the Cruise-In Car Display and awe over baby animals shown at the Birthing Pavilion.

Dates: September 12–28, 2025

Known for: Avenue of the States, which holds replicas of each New England state’s statehouse

This beloved multi-state fair encourages visitors to set foot in all six New England states—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Connecticut—in one day. Inside their state houses along the Avenue of the States, find Maine lobster rolls, Rhode Island clam cakes, Connecticut craft beers, Vermont cheddars and New Hampshire maple syrup.

The Big E also has a daily circus, concerts, carnival rides and theme days. For 2025, a local brewer showcase brings out area brewing companies on weekends, and the Big E Bakery is preparing cream puffs; gluten-free and vegan options are many. The Storrowton Village Museum recreates New England living from two and three centuries ago, and Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula showcase highlights many facets of the Emerald Isle.

Dates: September 26–October 19, 2025

Known for: Culinary and livestock competitions and attractions such as Big Tex and the All-Star Stunt Dog Show

The old saying that “everything is big in Texas'' even applies to the State Fair of Texas. This 24-day fair showcases not only attractions and performances but also local talent with livestock and horse exhibitions and pre-fair entry arts and crafts and cooking contests. The musical lineup involves more than 90 artists across three stages and included with fair admission.

With fair food, the Big Tex Choice Awards narrows down new and unique sweet, fried and savory additions each year. 2025 contenders extend to a bacon jam cannoli, Texas smoked brisket crepe, Dubai chocolate cheesecake and Wagyu bacon cheeseburger deviled egg sliders (yes, that run-on sentence of a name is a single dish). Along with a rodeo and petting zoo and pig races, Dinosaurs at the Lagoon has life-sized replicas of dinosaurs that have been found in Texas and the All-Star Stunt Dog Show makes you want to cheer on its canine contestants. And makre sure to say “hi” to Big Tex, a 55-foot cowboy statue.

Dates: October 16–26, 2025

Known for: Got to Be NC Agricultural Pavilion and a State Fair Ark, which shows off farm animals bred in the state

This 11-day fall fair is jam-packed with events—a flower and garden show with a giant photogenic chair, livestock shows, antique farm machinery, nightly fireworks, blue ribbon competitions, carnival rides and educational exhibits. Learn about the state’s forestland at the N.C. Forest Service and dairy farming at the Mobile Dairy Classroom. Youngsters can wander through a miniature farm while adults can check out a selection of North Carolina craft brews and wines in the fair’s Public House and state spirits in the Still House.

The Got to Be NC Agricultural Pavilion also shows off what’s produced locally and the Village of Yesterday presents local craftspeople. All ages will enjoy over-the-top fair foods, with choices ranging from brisket and waffles on a stick to fried cheese curds and dill pickle doughnuts.