October always brings the state fairs along with various other autumn carnivals and fests. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented by George W. Ferris for the 1893 World’s Fair, which was held in Chicago to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s landing in America? It’s a fact!
Try the trivia questions below to find out a few more facts!
1. Which state fair claims to have been the first to invent corn dogs? The Texas State Fair; the Minnesota State Fair; both; neither.
2. A staple of the Iowa State Fair is a giant butter sculptor of which animal? A pig; a horse; a cow; a sheep.
3. Which of the following state fair foods has the most calories? Funnel cake; Fried Twinkie; Fried Snickers; giant turkey leg.
4. Deep-fried butter is a state fair specialty in Texas. Which celebrated chef offers a recipe for a dish along the same lines? Emeril Lagasse; Tyler Florence; Paula Deen; Pat Neely.
5. Each year, the Midwest Dairy Association names a new dairy princess at the Minnesota State Fair. Her official title is: Milk of Minnesota; Minnesota Dairy Queen; White Princess of the Midwest; Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
6. From what region of the United States did the funnel cake originate? Michigan’s upper peninsula; the Pennsylvania Dutch; Iowa’s Quad Cities; the Mississippi Delta.
7. Which state fair entices festival goers with python kebobs? Texas; Florida; California; Mississippi.
8. Fair officials have slashed food prices by more than 25 percent is which state? Kansas; Nebraska; California; Oklahoma.
9. In 2014, the Arkansas State Fair will be celebrating what year? 67th; 70th; 75th; 79th?
10. FYI: The top ten state fairs are: No. 10 - Kentucky State Fair; No. 9 - California State Fair; No. 8 - Oregon State Fair; No. 7 - Texas State Fair; No. 6 - Arizona State Fair; No. 5 - The Ohio State Fair; No. 4 - The Minnesota State Fair; No. 3 - The Iowa State Fair; No. 2 - The Wisconsin State Fair; No. 1 – can you guess?
ANSWERS:
1. Both the Texas State Fair and the Minnesota State Fair claim to have introduced the corn dog. 2. Cow. The butter cow has been an Iowa State Fair institution since 1911. 3. Giant turkey leg. A giant turkey leg tops the rest at 1,136 calories and a whopping 54 grams of fat! 4. Paula Deen. 5. The winner of the Minnesota Dairy Princess Program is dubbed Princess Kay of the Milky Way. A sculpture of the winner is carved out of a 90-pound block of Grade A butter. 6. The earliest funnel cakes came from the Pennsylvania Dutch Region. 7. The California State Fair. 8. California – in an attempt to increase attendance. 9. In 2014, the Arkansas State fair will celebrate its 75th year of fun, food, and entertainment. 10. The New York State Fair.