Heather and I have been to the Nebraska and Iowa State fairs.
Iowa has what people consider to be a successful fair, and Nebraska recently closed their fairgrounds.
(Granted Nebraska build a new venue, but the impression is that their fair wasn’t so hot)
Having been to both, I can’t really tell the difference. Maybe I am just not a fair person.
My suspicion is that Iowa having slightly more than double the population density of Nebraska helps a lot more than people want to admit.
Omaha being the largest city, not the capital, and not centrally located, all count against the Nebraska fair.
From what I can see in Iowa Des Moines is basically it. The state appears to have more large towns (large from my prospective having grown up in a town of 1000), without having a real competition for “big events.” A concert tour isn’t going to stop in Ames, or Cedar Rapids, or anywhere else in the state… it is going to be in Des Monies. I am imagining that most people are more willing to travel there thanks to it’s status as the big city in the state.
I don’t know how many people come in from out of town… also I am not going to spend the time doing any research… so this is just my musings. It just seems like geography plays into their favor way more than I would have realized a year ago if you had asked me about the relative fairs.
I guess maybe I should re-emphasize my point both fairs are largely ag shows, with food and some live music. I have no idea what would draw someone to spend more than one day wondering around eating a corn-dog looking at sheep. I had always assumed the “successful” fairs had some amazing special things that made them awesome, and Lincoln was lacking. Unless we missed it, they don’t.
-Jordan
Nelsons 