What to see, do and eat at the 2023 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines

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It's that time of year again — Iowa State Fair time, when about 1 million people are drawn by food, drink and fun to the fairgrounds on the east side of Des Moines.

This year's fair, with a theme of "Best Days Ever," runs 11 days, Aug. 10-20. The fairgrounds, located at East 30th Street and East University Avenue, are open each day of the fair from 8 a.m.-midnight, and buildings are open 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

You can see KCCI 8 News live at 5 p.m. every weekday during the fair from the MidAmerican Energy Stage. We will also have a new booth this year between Fun Forest Stage and the Agriculture Building, where fairgoers will have the chance to sit at the anchor desk and read the news.

You can also stream KCCI 8’s coverage of the Iowa State Fair for free on the Very Local app. Click here to download Very Local to your phone.

See all of our Iowa State Fair coverage here.

Here's what fairgoers can look forward to each day.

Grandstand: For King + Country with special guests We the Kingdom, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Jason Brown on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.; Priscilla Block on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Rockland Road on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.

Weather: Mostly sunny Thursday with a high of 84 degrees. Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 101,262 on the first Thursday in 2008

Eat something: If ever there was a time to over-eat, it's the first day of the fair — our first chance to try some of the 64 new foods this year or return to the old standbys like corn dogs and pork chops. The three new foods looking for your vote in the People's Choice Best New Food contest are:

Don't miss: Day 1 is all about the largest animals at the fair. The Big Ram Contest will be at noon at the Sheep Barn, the Big Boar Contest is at 1 p.m. at the Swine Barn, and the Super Bull Contest is at 7 p.m. at Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. You probably shouldn't pass up your first chance to see the butter cow, on display at the John Deere Agriculture Building along with butter likenesses of iconic Iowa athletes Caitlin Clark, Jack Trice and Kurt Warner.

From the archives: This Iowa couple had their wedding at the state fair in 1989

Grandstand: Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line with Parmalee, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Blake Guyre (tribute to Elton John/Billy Joel) on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 7 and 9 p.m.; Rockland Road on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; The Nadas on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.

Weather: There's a chance for morning thunderstorms followed by partly to mostly sunny skies with a high of 87. Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 115,703 on the first Friday in 2001.

Eat something: Don't skip the classics, especially the fair favorites that come on a stick, including:

Don't miss: For decades, the first Friday night at the fair has been East Side Night, an annual reunion of Des Moines eastsiders — and honorary eastsiders — who meet up at the Bud Tent and other areas of the fairgrounds.

From the archives: Tightrope walker Tino Wallenda preps for high-flying feat

Grandstand: New Kids on the Block with special Guest Jesse McCartney, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Shane Profitt on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 p.m.; Good to be King (tribute to Tom Petty) on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Clear and sunny skies with a high of 84. Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 127,277 on the first Saturday in 1991.

Eat something: Bigger isn't just better at the fair; it's expected. So consider the jumbo brisket at Great Caterers of Iowa, located south of the Riley Stage.

Don't miss: The Iowa State Fair queen contest draws contestants from every county in the state — and a crowd of thousands. Candidates are judged on a variety of things, including personality, attitude, leadership, citizenship contribution to the community, overall appearance, charm, and poise. Mary Ann Fox of Mitchell County won last year's crown. The Iowa State Fair queen coronation is at 7 p.m. on the MidAmerican Energy Stage.

From the archives: Country legend Garth Brooks headlines 1994 Iowa State Fair

Grandstand: Eric Church with special guest Jackson Dean, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Nate Smith on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Latino Celebration with Son Peruchos on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 p.m.; Renata the Band on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 79 degrees with showers or thunderstorms possible. Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 112,396 on the first Sunday in 2017.

Eat something: They may sometimes go overlooked, but there are plenty of healthy menu items to choose from. The Salad Bowl at the Agriculture Building is one of your best best for healthy options, from caprese salad or fruit on a stick to sandwich wraps and sides of carrots or apples.

Don't miss: If you were lucky enough to score a ticket for mini-horse yoga, new this year and already sold out, you'll meet at 3 p.m. at the Livestock Pavilion, where you'll work through poses with the ponies.

From the archives: Legendary butter sculptor Norma "Duffy" Lyon recreates The Last Supper

Grandstand: The Black Keys with special guest the Velveteers, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Hairball on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Hypnotist Ron Diamond on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; Autograph on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 105,522 on Monday in 2017.

Eat something: Is today the day you satisfy that sweet tooth? If so, you've got plenty of options, from a big bag of cotton candy to bowls of cookie dough. Try the giant order of cotton candy from Schoendienst on the west side of Thrill Ville or cotton candy ice cream from Over The Top on the west side of the Riley Stage. Or choose from 10 flavors of cookie dough at Dough Crazy, located in the outer perimeter of the Livestock Pavillion.

Don't miss: Veterans Day at the fair means active and former members of the U.S. military receive discounted $12 admission at the gate. Activities include a veterans parade along the Grand Concourse at 11 a.m., a performance by the Iowa Military Veterans Band at 3 p.m. at the Knapp Amphitheater, and a military tribute concert at 4:30 p.m. on the Riley Stage.

From the archives: Warm up your arm for the annual cow chip throwing contest

Grandstand: Jeff Dunham: "Still Not Canceled Tour," 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Hairball on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Hypnotist Ron Diamond on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; Vixen on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 102,953 on Tuesday in 2019.

Eat something: Pickles are a pretty big dill at the fair, and there's no shortage of pickle-related items to pick from:

Don't miss: So much facial hair will be on display at Pioneer Hall for the Beard Growing Contest. At 10:30 a.m. you can watch as contestants compete in categories such as longest, best groomed, most unique, most historic in nature and best beard with costume.

From the archives: Sights and sounds from the 1989 cow milking contest

Grandstand: Lindsey Stirling with special guest Walk Off the Earth, 8p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Ned Ledoux on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Hypnotist Ron Diamond on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; Great White on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 109,323 on Wednesday in 2019.

Eat something: Every day is "fry" day at the fair, so why not order the deep-fried deviled eggs from the Iowa Poultry and Iowa Egg Council, located north of the Old Mill and west of the Animal Learning Center. Might as well add an order of deep-fried sweet corn nuggets, a new offering at the Veggie-Table, north of the Varied Industries building and west of the main entrance.

Don't miss: It's Sensory-Friendly Morning, during which certain areas and activities at the fair are modified with children and adults with autism or sensory processing disorders in mind. Those modifications include the "mitigation of sounds and motions as much as possible, designated educational areas, directional signage and trained volunteers throughout the Fairgrounds," according to the fair.

From the archives: Meet organ grinder Pop and his monkey Pete

Grandstand: Maren Morris with special guest Lindsay Ell, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Megan Moroney on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 7 p.m.; Hypnotist Ron Diamond on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; Graham Barham on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 107,449 on the second Thursday of 2015.

Eat something: Throwback Thursday! Why not try one of the past winners of the People's Choice Best New Food Contest? Head to one of the Applishus locations and order an apple egg roll, the warm and delicious treat made of apple filling and diced apple rolled in an egg roll crust. It was the People's Choice winner in 2018.

Don't miss: The Blue Ribbon Kids’ Club provides a fun and educational experience at the fair specifically designed for kids 10 and under. The club's first Veggie ID Contest is at 10 a.m. on the Fun Forest Stage, east of the Agricultural Building. Visit the stage for other programs and entertainment throughout the fair.

From the archives: Freeze-dried pig tail jewelry a hit at the Iowa State Fair

Grandstand: Chris "Ludacris" Bridges with special guest Sean Kingston, 8 p.m.; tickets

Update: Ludacris will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. followed by Sean Kingston due to a delay with Kingston's flight.

Free stage headliners: Ingrid Andress on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Hypnotist Ron Diamond on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.; Paradise Kitty on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 112,891 on the second Friday in 2019.

Eat something: Is it even an official visit to the fair without a pork chop on a stick? Visit the Iowa Pork Producers Association for one of the all-time fair favorites — or consider a six-pack of pork chops to feed your family.

Don't miss: How many of the strolling entertainers can you spot today as you walk the fairgrounds? Look for one-man band Bandaloni, The Strolling Piano and Robocars, the transforming robot vehicles. And while you're at it, check out some other free entertainment, including:

From the archives: Couple marries on the fair's Ferris wheel

Grandstand: The Chicks with special guest Ben Harper, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Claire Rosinkranz on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Country Gold- Leroy Van Dyke, Mandy Barnett, David Frizzell on Anne, and Bill Riley Stage, 5 and 7:30 p.m.; Bob Dorr’s Iowa Music Revue on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 7 and 9 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 128,298 on the second Saturday in 2022.

Eat something: If you need a break from fried food and big plates, consider some of these smaller side dishes.

Don't miss: Amusement rides provide thrill-filled fun at the fair, so don't skip Thrill Ville, which has seven new rides this year — Double Wheel, Eclipse, Flipper, Mega Bounce, Musik Express, Super Shot, and Tornado.

Thrill park hours:

From the archives: 'Butter King' Elvis created alongside popular butter cow

Grandstand: Jason Aldean with special guest Corey Kent, 8 p.m.; tickets

Free stage headliners: Asleep at the Wheel on Susan Knapp Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; Cain on Anne and Bill Riley Stage, 8 p.m.; Junior Marvin & The Legendary Wailers on MidAmerican Energy Stage, 8 p.m.

Weather: Check our daily forecast here.

Daily attendance record: 119,754 on the second Sunday in 2012.

Eat something: Looking to score some deals on the final day of the fair? While these may not be discounted prices, they are among the best bangs for your buck at $5 apiece.

Don't miss: Some things seem tailor-made for the fair, like the Domination Motorsports Demolition Derby. Buy tickets for the crashing, smashing contest at the Elwell Family Park before the fair starts, and they'll cost $15 for ages 12 and up and $10 for ages 2-11. Tickets go up $5 each beginning Aug. 10. Kids up to 2 get in for free.

From the archives: Meet T. Texas Terry, the traveling funnyman