mmortalised by the 1931 Phil Stong novel State Fair that inspired Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical and three motion pictures, the Iowa State Fair is a true American classic. For 11 days in August, more than a million people enjoy all the signatures of the modern state fair: stomach-churning rides on the midway (amusement park), sugar-dusted funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos, and big-name talent like country music artist Garth Brooks and American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow.