Moving State Fair dates hurts counties, officials say

People clamoring for the Iowa State Fair to hold the annual event in late July or early August don't realize the impact such a move would have on county fairs, youth exhibitors or livestock breeders, officials say.

Changing the dates of the State Fair could not happen "without encroaching on county fairs," according to the State Fair's website.

"In addition, many exhibits like agricultural and horticultural crops, livestock, 4-H and FFA projects are simply not ready to be exhibited at the end of July," the website says.

In recent years, Iowa State Fair officials have clashed with those from the state's school districts, several of which now start school years during the fair. Tourism advocates and fair officials say the early school starts cut into fair attendance numbers.

The 2015 fair is set for Aug. 13-23. School boards in many districts will make decisions this month on academic calendars for the 2015-16 school year. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds said at the September fair board meeting that it's timely to start having conversations about the dates.

Some in the public have asked why the fair has not altered its dates to quell the dispute.

Iowa Future Farmers of America President Abrah Meyer said if fair dates are changed, members may have to decide whether to attend a county fair or the State Fair.

"I think it would put the exhibitors in a tough spot," said Meyer, whose organization includes more than 14,300 members.

FFA exhibitors show on the first weekend of the fair, while 4-H members show the second weekend, she said.

Meyer, the 2012 Iowa State Fair Queen, said older siblings hustling to make early school start dates can lose out on a valuable experience when "they miss the opportunity to help prepare their younger siblings."

An early August or July fair could trigger a cannibalization of county fairs, Fair CEO Gary Slater said. "It certainly would upset the apple cart for a while."

The fair's website, which lists fair dates through 2021, indicates officials are intent on having the fair continue to end on the Sunday two weeks prior to Labor Day.

Ernie Barnes of Earlham, the State Fair's swine superintendent, said birthing dates for many animal breeds would have to change if the fair were held earlier. "We would have to breed them so they have babies at the right time," he said.

Attendance at the 2014 State Fair topped the 1 million mark as it has for 12 of the past 13 years. But it dipped to its lowest level since 2010. Fair officials say the attendance dip was partially due to more students being in school during the fair.

The controversy over the Iowa State Fair's start date has been going on for at least a decade.

Many county fairs take place in the weeks leading up to the State Fair. Having a vibrant county fair system serves as a lifeblood for the widely celebrated State Fair in Des Moines, Slater said.

Educators who support earlier school start dates say they improve student performance on exams. Fair officials and tourism advocates point to information on how restaurants, hotels and other venues lose revenue when families limit their outings once school starts.

In the early 1990s, Iowa State Fair officials moved the dates up one week to respond to the adoption of earlier start dates in many districts. Historically, the fair had ended on the Sunday one week before Labor Day. Under the shift, the earliest a fair can be is Aug. 7-17, and the latest is Aug. 13-23.

Barnes said breeders and producers who come to the Iowa fair travel to several state fairs throughout the summer. They use state fairs as a way to market livestock practices, Barnes said.

Those aiming to show baby pigs at the optimal weight by the fair would need at least a year and a half to change their breeding patterns, Barnes said. "They've already got sows bred to have baby pigs in January so they'd be ideal for market weight by the State Fair," he said.

Cows, horses and animals with longer gestation periods than pigs would require more time to adjust to a date change, Barnes said.

An earlier date could disrupt other fair events. "Maybe you could breed your livestock easier, but you can't plant crops and you can't plant fruits and vegetables until spring," Slater said.

Upcoming Iowa State Fair dates

2015: Aug. 13-23

2016: Aug. 11-21

2017: Aug. 10-20

2018: Aug. 9-19

2019: Aug. 8-18

2020: Aug. 13-23

2021: Aug. 12-22

Source: Iowa State Fair website