Colorful Sights and Sounds of the Iowa State Fair

Who doesn’t love a fair? The rides, games and food create nostalgic moments that we cherish. I was traveling in Iowa for an event last week and when I saw the itinerary included a night at the Iowa State Fair, I was instantly excited! Do you follow DeSuMama on Instagram? We had a great time at the fair and I shared all the fun! The only bummer was not having my babies with me.

Summer photography is my absolute favorite. Filled with vibrant colors, the images created are usually ones I cherish. Documenting summer months through photography is a no-brainer for most moms, so I’m sure you know how it feels. I’m over at the Tampico Mom Blog this week sharing my 5 Colorful Photos For Moms To Capture This Summer and I wish I would have thought to add fair photography to the list. The Iowa State Fair provided some favorite images of the summer… the experience would have been perfect if I had my animal-loving daughter with me, though.

The People Of The Iowa State Fair

Everyone I encountered in Iowa was as sweet as can be…. and I loved practicing the art of stranger photography (is that an actual term?) while enjoying the fair. I didn’t get a single dirty look! This pretty girl below was with a photographer, striking poses in random places. Maybe for Senior portraits? I couldn’t resist capturing a shoot myself.

Of course, there were plenty of families and interested people to photograph too…

Iowa State Fair: Goats, Cows and Livestock Control

Some friends of mine and I chatted with two women on horseback. As livestock control, they ensure the crowds safety if an animal gets loose. The stories these ladies shared were amazing. Who knew a runaway goat could cause such havoc!

Speaking of goats, did you know there is such a thing as show goats? I didn’t either. These goats were manicured and groomed, often by the youngest in the family, and we had a great time chatting with a mom-daughter team of central Iowa who had fun a boat load of ribbons with their show stopping goats.

Iowa State Fair: Fried Food Galore!

Goodness gracious, the variety of fried food can bring on a heart attack! I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, but show me a savory fried cheese curd and I might just kiss you. Thankfully, the girls I was strolling with were not that fascinated by the golden brown goodness and kept me away from fried Oreo, fried corndogs and chicken, fried Twinkies and, YES!, even friend butter. Fried butter, ya’ll! They melt a stick, batter it and FRY it. Amazing.

Iowa State Fair: Rides and Games

Walking through the main corridor at the fair’s entrance is where I really missed my kids. They would have loved the ferris wheel and fun games. There was so much to do for kids of all ages, in addition to the plethora to see. Mama promises to take you here one day, A+S!

Between the butter cow sculpture, opportunities to actually milk a cow, the fried foods and carnival games, I can’t wait to go back to the Iowa State Fair with my kids and husband one day!

But for this trip, I was happy to have the opportunity to explore the beautiful fair grounds and photography the tiny bits of colorful summer we have left. If you haven’t already, make sure you shoot all the summer shots of your babies from this list of 5 Colorful Summer Photos Moms Need.