Fairtime Camping

Last week, my parents bought a camper. Now, I have never been one to enjoy not sleeping in my own bed, having a total of three minutes of water to shower with in the mornings, or ever overly fond of hotdogs, but I do enjoy other aspects of camping. Some would be, hanging out with my family, fishing, hiking, and seeing the country. My grandparents would always take us to Colorado or Texas as kids, and I miss those trips. My father and I have been working at the Fair in different capacities for many years. Every year, we see droves of people coming down from the campgrounds every morning to enjoy the Fair. Each year, my father questions why people would do that. Three days ago, he asked how hard it would be to secure a spot in the campgrounds for this next Fair. It is interesting how things change, isn’t it?

I told him that we should go on a few weekend trips first and then plan a trip to Colorado. After that, we can think about starting the process of finding a spot at the Fair. Little did I know that it takes a very long time to get one of the highly coveted spots in the campgrounds. I was talking with a few volunteers that camp here each year, and they said that they waited eight years to get a spot! It has to be worth it though.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Iowa State Fair have been working tirelessly to keep up the renovations and the addition of new spots for the growing demand. The Foundation has many programs that support those efforts, one being the Corndog Checkoff. As you file your state taxes this year, remember to “checkoff” a donation to the Corndog Checkoff. This capital improvement campaign allocates its funds to the renovation and preservation of the historic fairgrounds. The gifts go to many projects including the new Ruan Plaza phase and the last phase of the Youth Inn. This program has also paved the path for continued improvements to the campgrounds.

To find out more about the campgrounds, please visit Fairtime Camping. To find out more about the checkoff program, please visit Corndog Checkoff.

- Marcus

My parent's new camper

Iowa State Fair Campground Map