# What is the best state fair in America?

> Butter sculptures in one state, a cabbage the size of a wheelbarrow in another, and deep-fried everything in between. Pick the one worth the drive.

*By YPB Team · Published September 20, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-state-fair-in-america*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **State Fair of Texas** — score 1000/1000
   Twenty-four days at Fair Park in Dallas, guarded by a 55-foot cowboy named Big Tex and fuelled by deep-fried everything.
2. **The Big E** — score 900/1000
   New England's shared fair in West Springfield, where all six states keep a building on the Avenue of States.
3. **Kansas State Fair** — score 840/1000
   Hutchinson's fair, a farm-state showcase of tractors, grandstand racing and 4-H competition.
4. **Minnesota State Fair** — score 840/1000
   The Great Minnesota Get-Together, the country's busiest fair by daily attendance, famous for food on a stick.
5. **New York State Fair** — score 812/1000
   Syracuse's late-summer run at the Empire Expo Center, the oldest state fair in the United States.
6. **Arizona State Fair** — score 680/1000
   Phoenix fair running through the autumn with a concert series, a coliseum and a very large fried-food midway.
7. **North Carolina State Fair** — score 600/1000
   Raleigh's October fair, heavy on agricultural competition, bluegrass stages and a much-photographed midway.
8. **Indiana State Fair** — score 600/1000
   Indianapolis fair built around a historic Coliseum, a pioneer village and a different featured crop each year.
9. **Kentucky State Fair** — score 507/1000
   Louisville fair held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, where the World's Championship Horse Show fills Freedom Hall.
10. **California State Fair** — score 400/1000
   Sacramento's Cal Expo fair, with horse racing, a wine competition and exhibits organised by California region.
11. **Washington State Fair** — score 400/1000
   The Puyallup fair, a Pacific Northwest tradition measured in raspberry scones and rodeo tickets.
12. **Alaska State Fair** — score 400/1000
   Palmer fair in the Matanuska Valley, best known for giant vegetables grown under the midnight sun.
13. **Iowa State Fair** — score 273/1000
   Des Moines institution built around livestock barns, the Grand Concourse and a life-size cow sculpted from butter.
14. **Wisconsin State Fair** — score 273/1000
   West Allis fair whose cream puffs outsell every other item and have their own dedicated bakery pavilion.
15. **Illinois State Fair** — score 273/1000
   Springfield's fair, home of the Butter Cow, the Twilight Parade and a grandstand that books arena-sized acts.
16. **Ohio State Fair** — score 0/1000
   Columbus fair known for its butter sculpture display, the Sky Glider and one of the largest junior livestock shows.

Tags: food, usa, travel, state fair