Attendance numbers from opening day of the 2025 Iowa State Fair are out, and after last year's record-breaking attendance across 11 days, is 2025 on track to surpass that?

The State Fair opened with heavy rain due to some scattered thunderstorms across Des Moines and central Iowa and concluded with Grammy-nominated Christian pop artist Forrest Frank headlining the Grandstand at night.

How many people attended the Iowa State Fair on opening day?

Despite the wet weather, the Iowa State Fair saw 95,671 people attend the opening day on Thursday, Aug. 7 — 5,000 more than last year.

How does attendance compare to the 2024 Iowa State Fair?

In 2024, 90,822 people attended the first day of the fair.

Eight of the 11 fair days in 2024 eclipsed the 100,000 people in attendance mark, accord

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